Winterizing Your Herbs and Extending the Growing Season
December 4, 2010 Leave a Comment
Let’s assume you have had a successful growing season, raised lots of herbs and have grown fond of fresh herbs in your recipes. How do you extend your growing season into the fall and winter? You have to consider the types of herbs you want to use.
First, let’s look at the two distinct types of herb plants. Perennials die back to the ground each fall in Northern climates. The plants leaves and stalks turn brown and die off. Cut this material down to the ground level leaving the roots in the ground. If your ground freezes I the winter (zones 1-7 typically) be sure o to cover the herb root area of your garden with a mulch after the first hard freeze.. The mulch can be a commercially available mix or you can use straw, leaves, salt hay or even those evergreen boughs you trimmed in the fall. Remove the mulch when all danger of frost has past. This varies by your location in your specific temperate zone.
