Winterizing Your Herbs
Bringing Herbs Indoors
Ah summer. Wasn’t it great? My favorite thing of course is all the plants. All the green. And having fresh herbs available any time.
Here in Wisconsin, we have such a short growing season and before you know it, the snow is flying. Just because our plants die outdoors, doesn’t mean we can’t bring some inside and get that summer freshness all winter long. Some people bring in some culinary plants so they can cook with fresh herbs, but how great would it be to bring in some of those tea herbs so you can make a steamy cup of tea with a blend of your fresh herbs.
Some herbs are perennial and they will come back every year, and then there are some that are perennial in a warmer climate than ours, these will die if we leave them outside, so it makes sense to bring them in over the winter.
The following are tender perennials that you could bring into the house
Rosemary
Stevia
Lemon Verbena
Pelargonium (scented Geranium)
Pineapple Sage
Bay
Some plants are annuals and as long as we don’t let them live out their lifecycle (Reproduction-making seeds) by cutting off the flowers, we can hang on to these also over the winter
Basil
Parsley
Marjoram
Chamomile
Some plants we just love and want to have their fresh goodness all year long
Lavender
Peppermint
Lemon balm
Oregano
Tarragon
Chives
Thyme
When bringing a plant in for the winter, give it a good spray with the hose to get any unwanted critters off of it, and then maybe let it sit in the garage for a day or so.
Plants need to acclimate to their new environment, or they will go into shock. If you can start by bringing them in at night and putting them out a few hours a day and then shortening up the amount of outside time until they stay inside fully.
With a sunny spot and the right amount of water/moisture, you should be able to keep your herbs close by all winter long. A lot of our culinary herbs originate in the Mediterranean, and prefer well draining soil, so don’t over water your plants.
Remember when using fresh herbs instead of dried, you will need twice as much.
Fall is Here
Ginger, cinnamon, peppermint, anise hyssop, echinacea flowers. Put all plant material in a tea ball, pour boiling water over and let steep for 5-10 minutes
