Maybe you’re growing a favorite herb indoors in a Garden Jar, a few favorites in a Grow Frame or you’ve turned your outdoor spaces into an herbaceous paradise. Any way you’re growing, we want to help you make the most of your herbs.
Snip and clip smartly
Whether it’s harvest time or dinner time, the way you remove leaves from your herbs can make a big difference in encouraging new growth and maintaining the overall health of your plant. Clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears are your best bet. Make clean cuts just above a leaf node or pair of leaves.
Nip bolting in the bud
Some herbs can be quick to bolt, or go to seed. Bolting can change the flavor of your herbs, making them taste bitter. Keep an eye on your herbs – especially basil, parsley and cilantro – and pinch off bolting tips, flowering stems and flower buds. This will help prolong their life and keep the herbs tasty longer.
Make it a good morning
The best time to harvest herbs is in the mid-morning after the dew has dried but before the heat of the day. This is when herbs’ essential oils are most concentrated as they haven’t been evaporated by the sun’s rays. The leaves are also less likely to be stressed or have wilted in the heat.
Know how much to harvest
For leafy herbs like basil and mint, pinch or cut off individual leaves or sprigs as needed. For herbs with woody stems like rosemary and thyme, you can snip off entire stems close to the base of the plant. A good rule of green thumb: harvest no more than ⅓ of your herb at any time. Shop our Herb Pull & Pinch Dish.
Go beyond the leaves
Some herbs, like chamomile and dill, are valued for their flowers and seeds. Some flowers like chamomile are edible fresh or dried. Want the seeds? Collect them from the dried flowers. Harvest the flowers when they are fully open and vibrant in color for best results.
Keep ‘em fresh
Opening the fridge to wilting cilantro or saggy basil is always a disappointment. After experiencing it ourselves and hearing about it from you, we got to work! Our newly launched Produce Keeper is designed to help keep cut herbs fresh longer — we’re talking up to two weeks!
Happy Cultivating,
The Modern Sprout Team
