Best time to plant herbs
Herbs to Plant Now - VBMG
9/28/2020
Herbs are versatile plants for the garden. They are easy to grow, require little maintenance, and many are perennial, providing years of bountiful harvests.
While you may have a dedicated garden space or containers for growing herbs, these plants can also be incorporated into the landscape to do double duty as ornamentals. Blooming oregano, rosemary and thyme attract pollinators and add fragrance to the garden, while parsley, dill and fennel are host plants for butterflies.
Fall is the perfect time to plant most perennial herbs, and even a few annual ones that prefer cooler temperatures. With few exceptions, herbs grow best in full sun with well-drained soil. Mint can tolerate slightly wet soil. Fall-planted annual herbs can be planted in some light shade.
Annuals to Plant in Fall
Cool-season annuals grow best in daytime temperatures of 50 - 70 degrees F. They’re tolerant of colder weather and will often persist into the spring.
Dill germinates in 20 – 25 days and prefers full sun. It will grow a little slowly in the fall, allowing time to harvest and use the leaves. Dill will begin to bolt and form flower heads when temperatures rise in early summer. It can be used in cut flower arrangements and cooking.
Calendula officinalis, also called pot marigold, is a member of the daisy family. They bloom yellow to orange. Seeds can be planted in the autumn for spring flowers. They are frost-tolerant, but flowers fade when summer temps kick in. The petals can be used in stews to add a spicy flavor similar to saffron. Petals are also used as a colorant and different parts of the plant can be added to botanical cosmetic products. Calendula can be planted in full sun to part shade.
Cilantro also prefers cooler temperatures when grown for the leaves. When summer heat arrives, the plants will form small, white flowers.
The seeds produced are coriander and can also be used in cooking. Cilantro reseeds easily, so spread some seeds in the area when you cut back the plant in summer to produce a fall crop.
Perennial Herbs
Like most perennials, herbs can be planted in the autumn. Fall planting allows more time for the root system to become established before the heat of summer sets in, and they usually require less frequent watering.
Oregano is one of the easiest herbs to grow. It can be found in many colors and flavors. Oregano forms a spreading clump that makes a nice groundcover or edge of the border planting. It requires good drainage and is an excellent candidate for raised beds and containers. Use it to flavor Italian dishes, stews, and sauces.
Rosemary eventually forms a large shrub, up to 6- 8’ tall and wide. It can be grown in a container and root pruned to control the size. Creeping varieties are also available. Rosemary prefers full sun and very well-drained soil.
Thyme is available in several leaf colors, including silver/gray, yellow, green, and variegated. It is a fast-growing herb and makes a quick groundcover. This creeper will root where stems touch the ground, making it easy to propagate. It blooms white to lavender in the summer, attracting bees and other pollinators to the garden. It is best grown in full sun with well-drained soil.
Mints are useful plants in making Mediterranean dishes, beverages, and desserts. They can be vigorous spreaders in the garden, though, so grow them in containers to prevent them from taking over. There are many varieties of mints to suit different tastes and uses, including chocolate, spearmint, peppermint, pear mint, pineapple mint, and apple mint. Mints can be grown in slightly wet soil and should not be allowed to dry out. Cut stems back to create a full, bushy plant.
for a plentiful, fresh supply |
(Image credit: Istetiana / Getty Images)
When to plant herbs is important to know if you're planning to create a herb garden.
Herbs have a multitude of culinary uses but are also used for their fragrance and for medicinal purposes, too.
Herbs can be grown in beds, borders or containers on a patio, plus many can be grown indoors in a greenhouse or on a windowsill, too, so it's well worth giving them a go. Herbs are a staple ingredient in many recipes, so it's handy to have a constant supply placed near the kitchen for picking, be they indoors or outdoors. What's more, herbs can also be grown as ornamental plants and are great for bringing fragrance, structure and flowers to garden borders.
With a huge variety available to grow, there are herbs that can be harvested all your round. If you're looking for herb garden ideas then this handy guide for when to plant herbs will help you work out when to buy seed or young plants so that you don't miss out on growing your favorite types.
(Image credit: Istentiana / Getty Images)
When to plant herbs
When to plant herbs will depend on whether they are annual, biennial or perennial, as well as whether you plan to grow them indoors or outdoors.
It will also depend on your climate and the weather conditions in your area.
Annual and biennial herbs such as basil, dill, coriander and parsley can be planted from seed every year between March and August. These herbs are often used in large quantities, are short lived, and best picked young, so to ensure a fresh and plentiful supply make successive sowings from early spring until early fall at three to four-week intervals.
To give them a head-start these herbs can be sown in pots in a greenhouse in late winter and planted out in spring once the soil has warmed up.
If planting from seed, perennial herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme are best sown undercover with warmth in spring and grown on in pots before being hardened off and planted out. Some perennial herbs such as mint are often best grown from small plants or propagated by division – in this case the best time to plant them is in spring.
(Image credit: Future/Leigh Clapp)
Mediterranean perennial herbs such as rosemary, sage lavender and thyme take well when planted from cuttings.
You can either take softwood cuttings in spring, or semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or fall. These can then be overwintered indoors on a sunny windowsill or in a greenhouse and planted outdoors the following spring once the risk of frost has passed.
These herbs grow best in full sun and prefer dry, poor stoney soils. They are best planted in gravel gardens, by paths and or between paving slabs. These herbs also work well together in herb planter ideas as they require similar growing conditions, plus Mediterranean aromatic herbs are brilliant for planting in containers on a patio placed near seating areas where their scent can be enjoyed.
When to plant herbs outside
When to plant herbs outside depends on the types of herb you are growing, but generally herbs are best planted outside in spring in a sunny spot with fertile, free-draining soil.
Annual and biennial herbs can be planted outdoors from March to August. To give them a head start they can be planted as early as January under cover and planted out in spring.
However, there are some herbs such as dill and parsley that do not like being transplanted so are best sown directly outside if possible.
By sowing in seed trays 'you have more control over the environment, soil conditions and thinning seedlings as they sprout,' says Sandra Nanka, herb expert and owner of Mudbrick Herb Cottage . 'This can result in a faster germination and also allow you to start seeds earlier in the season.'
Perennial herbs raised from seed or cuttings are best planted out once the risk of frost has passed in late spring early summer.
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
When to plant herbs indoors
Many herbs can be grown indoors in pots to give a fresh supply for all year round including thyme, parsley, mint, chives and French tarragon provided they have the right conditions and are placed in a sunny spot such as a greenhouse or sunny south-facing windowsill.
If you are planning on growing herbs indoors in a heated greenhouse then the seeds can be planted at any time of year.
Sow in pots or trays onto the surface of moist peat-free seed compost, cover with a thin layer of compost and water. They should be placed in a propagator or covered with a polythene bag. For growing on windowsills or in an unheated greenhouse sow seeds in spring.
In winter, when sunlight decreases and temperatures drop, the growth rate of indoor herbs will slow, plus if placed on windowsills they may be exposed to fluctuating temperatures which can effect their growth. 'During the winter in northern climates, windowsills may be 15 to 30 degrees colder than the room’s temperature, which could slow growth and cause plants to struggle,' says Shannon Caringi of Trillium Living.
If you are planning to grow your herbs outside then many can be started off indoors in pots or trays from January for transplanting outdoors in spring.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Popular herbs and when to grow them
Basil – indispensable in Italian dishes and great for Thai curries, Basil is a half-hardy annual that thrives in sun and warmth and is best sown from seed indoors and grown in pots.
If growing indoors basil can be sown out of season, alternatively, sow from February to June. Sow seed onto pots of moist seed compost and place in a propagator set to 59-77°F (15-25°C) or cover with a polythene bag and place on a sunny windowsill. Germination takes 2-3 weeks. Once seedlings have been potted and grown on they can be placed outside in early summer.
‘Care must be taken to choose the best place for the plant: it needs sun and warmth, but root rot will set in if it's too damp. The ideal environment for basil is on a patio or window sill without direct sunlight,’ says Lindsey Hyland, gardening expert and founder of Urban Organic Yield . In cold damp conditions basil plants can be prone to dampening off.
Basil can be planted directly in warmer climates and in cooler climates once the risk of frost has passed. Basil is best picked young so it's recommended to make successive sowings.
(Image credit: Markus Spiske / Unsplash)
Coriander – this fast-growing annual herb is best planted outdoors from April until July.
Alternatively it can be grown undercover as early as January ready for planting out when the soil warms in April for an early crop, this will also help protect the young plants from slug damage. Sow into a prepared seed bed in rows 0.5 inches (1cm) deep and set 12 inches (30cm) apart. A sowing in late summer can keep growing through fall and into winter with protection. For best results be sure to research how to grow cilantro.
(Image credit: Chandan Chaurasia/Unsplash)
Dill – An annual herb with delicate feathery foliage which is great in fish recipes. Dill does not like being transplanted as it has a tap root, so is best sown outside where it is to grow from March – July. Sow in drills 0.5 inches (1cm) deep and 6 inches (15cm) apart.
Mint – Mint is a hugely versatile herb ideal for use in savoury and sweet dishes as well as in drinks, from cold cocktails to hot infusions. Mint is a hardy perennial which is best planted as small plants rather than from seed.
Plant from March – May in well-drained soil and in full sun or partial shade.
The important thing to remember when thinking about how to grow mint is that it is a vigorous grower with spreading rhizomatous roots, meaning it can easily take over. To keep it under control it is best grown in a pot on a patio or in a container sunken into a border.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Parsley - A popular herb for use in sauces, salads and fish dishes, parsley is a hardy biennial herb which is best treated as an annual and sown between April and July. Sow directly into free draining soil in drills 0.5 inches (1cm) deep and 6 inches (15cm) apart. Germination can be slow, taking up to six weeks. To ensure a continual supply make a sowing in late spring and another in late summer.
‘If there is a spell of warm days and cold nights, which often happens this month, it is a good time to sow parsley as the ‘high and low’ temperatures break the seeds’ dormancy; always use fresh parsley seed (this rule is the same for parsnips) as they don’t germinate well from old seed,’ say gardening experts at Hartley Botanic .
Alternatively parsley can be sown under cover from as early as February. Sow onto moist seed compost and place in a propagator at 65-70°F (18-21°C), or cover with a polythene bag and place on a sunny windowsill.
(Image credit: Parsley Caterina Bruzzone / REDA&CO / Universal Images Group via Getty Images )
Rosemary – Commonly used in cooking, particularly with lamb, this Mediterranean evergreen, perennial herb also makes a great decorative and scented edging for a path. It is drought tolerant and does not like waterlogged roots. It is best grown from small plants planted in spring from March – May, however, it can be grown from seed.
Sow undercover from February – June or from September – October. Sow in a seed tray or pot filled with moist seed compost – do not cover and keep at 70°F. Germination can be erratic taking anywhere between 1-2 weeks to 3 months. Transplant outdoors when the risk of frost has passed. Familiarize yourself with how to grow rosemary before you start.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Thyme – A brilliant flavoring for stews, soups and roasts, thyme is a Mediterranean perennial herb that thrives in sun and can tolerate dry soils. It can be sown from seed from February – April. Sow in trays or pots filled with seed compost but do not cover. Place in a propagator or at 56-60°F (13-16°C) or cover with a clear polythene bag. Pot on seedlings and grow on in cooler conditions. Before transplanting outdoors harden off plants for 7-10 days.
If you are wondering how to grow thyme then it's worth knowing thyme also takes well from cuttings - if planting from cuttings this is best done between May and July.
Young plants are best for culinary purposes, so while they are perennial, it is best to replace plants every couple of years.
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
Can you grow herbs all year round?
There are herbs that can be grown and harvested all year round. When you plant them will depend on whether you are growing them indoors or outdoors, what type of herb they are and on your climate.
In northern, temperate climates annual herbs are best sown in spring and summer for harvesting in summer and into fall.
In warmer climates ‘most herbs can be directly sown into garden beds all year round providing the soil temperature is around 70°F (21°C) which is required for germination to occur,’ says Sandra Nanka at Mudbrick Herb Cottage .
'Early spring, however, is the best and most consistent time of the year for planting herbs. This is when soil temperatures are ideal and the milder weather conditions means seedlings won't get a battering by extreme heat or cold.’
Hardy evergreen perennial herbs such as rosemary and thyme can be harvested all your round. Perennials like mint can be picked up until mid fall but the shoots die back over winter, emerging again in spring, however, if grow in a pot mint can be brought indoors and overwintered to provide a small crop out of season.
Mediterranean herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme take well from cuttings in summer.
These can be brought into a greenhouse over winter to keep a small supply for fresh picking, they can then be planted into their final position after the frosts have passed in late spring.
Provided the conditions are suitable some herbs can be planted and grown indoors for culinary use throughout the year.
Pippa is Content Editor on Homes & Gardens online contributing to Period Living and Country Homes & Interiors print issues. A graduate of Art History and formerly Style Editor at Period Living, she is passionate about architecture, creating decorating content, interior styling and writing about craft and historic homes. She enjoys searching out beautiful images and the latest trends to share with the Homes & Gardens audience. A keen gardener, when she’s not writing you’ll find her growing flowers on her village allotment for styling projects.
When is it better to sow the lawn: timing, soil preparation, sowing features
The emerald carpet of lawn grass has long been an attribute of a well-groomed modern garden.
Grassy areas are ideal for creating children's playgrounds, filling curvilinear non-standard areas that violate the overall composition of the garden. Often, lawns are used for grassing garden areas so that the soil under the trees retains moisture longer. Of particular charm are Moorish lawns with a scattering of bright colors. nine0003
This lawn carpet does not require mowing, it changes its pattern during the season, thanks to annual and perennial flower crops that open their buds at different times. Many gardeners, in order to save money, grow different types of lawns on their own, using seeds. In order for the grass carpet to please with its beauty and well-groomed surface, it is necessary to sow in the proper time, which we will discuss in more detail in this article.
Do-it-yourself lawns: subtleties and agricultural cultivation techniques
If we talk about the timing of sowing lawns, you can see that this operation can be performed from April to October, although each season has some restrictions, especially summer.
Spring: lawn sowing dates
In spring, any kind of lawn grass can be sown in a previously prepared area, if bald spots or depressions are found, such problems are easily solved and corrected during the season by sowing the seeds again in the corrected area.
Sowing lawn grass seeds in spring should be timed to the period from mid-April to the end of May. Arranging a lawn in the spring has its positive aspects:
- During this period, the grass sprouts quickly, because the garden soil is still filled with moisture after the snow melts, so intensive watering is not necessary.
- With problematic germination, there is always time to correct the mistakes made.
- The annual flowers that make up the Mauritanian lawn have time to get stronger and fully bloom, while perennials and lawn grasses form strong bushes.
- The grass that has grown from spring has time to take root well in the soil, to get stronger, so it overwinters well.
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Choose a quiet cloudy day for sowing lawn grass seeds, it is important that the snow melts completely. The surface of the site is carefully leveled, because irrigation and rain water will accumulate in the hollows and hollows, which can lead to decay of weak seedlings. Tender grass shoots quickly clog tall weeds, which not only block sunlight, but also quickly deplete the site. Before sowing the lawn, the area should be treated against the germination of weeds, as well as the timely removal of aggressive grasses. nine0003
Spring seeding of the lawn seems to be the most optimal, but it is not quite so. Sowing seeds in moist soil and their rapid germination before the onset of heat is of course pleasing, but already in May it will be necessary to carefully water the area with the sown lawn, because with the onset of heat, moisture evaporates more intensively, so there may be uneven moistening and partial attacks of grass cover.
Important! When sowing a lawn in the spring, be aware that seed consumption may increase.
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Summer: can I sow the lawn or is it better to wait?
In summer, sowing a lawn is quite problematic, especially in the southern regions, where the thermometer goes off scale at around +40 C. In such conditions, the top layer of the earth, where the seeds are located, dries up quickly, which forces frequent watering.
In the summer, you can correct errors, sow the lawn on "bald" places, where for some reason the grass did not sprout or died.
If the temperature in your area is rather moderate in summer, the forecasters do not promise heavy rains, you can sow lawn grass seeds in the period from the end of June to the first half of July. You should be prepared for intensive and frequent watering of seeded lawns. nine0003
Sowing lawn grass in autumn
Have you opted for sowing lawn in autumn? Do not delay the process until frost. The best time to plant a lawn in the fall is early September. At this time, the first autumn rains have already saturated the soil with moisture, the intense heat subsided, so the young grass bushes will have time to take root well.
It is not worth delaying sowing, even planning lawn plantings for the beginning of October can be considered late.
But at a temperature of about 0 C, winter sowing of lawn mixtures can be carried out. In this case, one should not wait for seedlings to germinate in autumn, they will appear only in spring, and the winter period will serve for the natural stratification of seeds. You should not expect that the grass that appears will be an ideal green carpet - in winter, part of the seeds freezes out, so the bald spots will have to be repaired in the spring. nine0003
Important! Whatever time of year you plan to plant your lawn, the site should be prepared 1-2 months in advance.
Preparing the site for sowing the lawn
The first thing to do when preparing the site for the lawn is to remove the debris. It is necessary to uproot all dried garden plants that interfere with the arrangement of the site. All stones, debris, weeds, leaves and tops of garden plants are removed from the surface.
Particular attention should be paid to the presence of stones, concrete blocks, bricks and reinforced concrete structures immersed in the ground. When cultivating the soil with mechanisms, cutting the grass cover, such hidden objects can damage the equipment. nine0003
If the site has been abandoned before, a lot of weeds grew on it, it is worth removing the top layer of earth with sod and laying it in a heap for overdrying. It is worth getting rid of weeds drastically, it may be necessary to carry out chemical treatment of the site.
Digging
The soil in the area allocated for sowing the lawn is dug up very carefully. On one bayonet, shovels dig up areas that have already been used for growing plants. Virgin areas are dug up for 2 bayonets of a shovel, turning and loosening the soil. During digging, sand, peat, mineral fertilizers are added to the garden soil (ammonium nitrate and superphosphate are added at the rate of 40 g per 1 m2, potassium sulfate - 30 g per 1 m2).
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If the site is dominated by soil with an alkaline reaction - peat should be added, with an acidic one - lime, dolomite flour or chalk are added to the ground. Compacted dense and heavy soil is corrected by adding manure or biohumus.
If groundwater is close to the surface in the area, it is worth arranging drainage.
After digging, the area is carefully leveled and harrowed, then compacted with a roller or trampled down with feet (in small areas). The compacted soil on the site is slightly loosened with a rake, after which it is left fallow for 1-2 months. nine0003
Fresh soil will invariably overgrow with weeds, which must be periodically removed to prevent insemination. If you cover the area with geotextiles, the germination of weeds will be restrained.
During the period of rest under the influence of precipitation, the earth on the site will partially settle, after 2 months it will be clearly visible where it is necessary to pour the soil.
Immediately before sowing lawn grass, the area is loosened again.
Features of sowing lawn grass mixtures
To calculate the need for seeds, use the information on the package - the manufacturer clearly indicates the required number of seeds per 1 m2, but the extreme conditions of hot summer or snowless winter are not taken into account, therefore, for spring-summer sowing, it is worth purchasing 10-15 seeds % more than the norm, for winter sowing - 25-30% more than the recommended standard.
Important! Pay attention to the purpose of the lawn, do not sow a sunny area with grass mixture for shady places, but sow grasses in the shade that prefer to grow in the sun. nine0034
Seeding can be carried out manually and with special devices. For sowing, use a seeder.
When sowing by hand, the following rules should be followed:
- Grass seeds are mixed with dry sand at a ratio of 1:1.
- First, sowing seeds is carried out along the plot, then across.
- The edges are sown thicker than the middle, about 2 times.
- After sowing, the plot is worked with a rake, then rolled with a heavy roller. nine0018
- Humidification of crops is carried out very carefully by sprinkling - make sure that the water jet does not wash out the seeds.
After about 1-2 weeks the grass will sprout, do not forget to water the crops.
Published: 06 Jun 2020
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When to sow the lawn, tips when to plant the lawn
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The list of herbs that can be planted for landscaping garden plots in the country and city parks is constantly growing. Plants have their own biological characteristics in terms of vegetation, frost resistance, sensitivity to climatic conditions, so disputes about when it is better to plant lawn grass do not make sense. The schedule of landscaping works in each case is compiled individually. nine0003
Simple Rules
The times when the term "lawn" was understood only as a unkempt piece of land in the local area have sunk into oblivion.
Today, lawn areas can occupy more than one hectare, and their design is akin to real art. Thanks to the sowing of different types of grasses, zoning is carried out, a background is created for planting park crops - trees, shrubs and flowers.
In order for the green area to look perfect, it needs constant care, but the main stage that determines the quality of the grass cover is sowing. The choice of plants is determined by the functional purpose of the lawn, the climatic features of the area, one's own aesthetic preferences, and the general concept of landscape design. It will not be superfluous to recall that the appearance of the grass cover largely depends not only on how it is grown, but also on the quality of the seed, so it is recommended to buy seeds only from trusted suppliers. nine0003
Most landscapers prefer spring seeding. When to plant lawn grass in the country in the spring depends on the climatic features of the area. So, in the southern regions of Russia, due to early spring, work can begin as early as early March, and the optimal period for the middle zone is the end of April or the first decade of May.
The main advantage of spring sowing is that by autumn the grass cover will be fully formed and gain strength, which guarantees a successful wintering. As soon as the average daily temperature crosses the positive values, there comes a favorable time when you can plant lawn grass. nine0003
Sowing in autumn is also planned depending on weather conditions. Some experts advise sowing the seed in September so that the grass has time to sprout before the first frost. However, some landscape designers are of the opinion that the best time to sow lawn grass in the fall is late October or early November. In this case, the grass sits in the already frozen soil. It is believed that stratification contributes to increased plant viability and contributes to good resistance to various diseases. nine0003
Many experts believe that the best time to sow lawn grass seeds is during the summer months, when the earth has warmed up enough and most of the weeds have already faded. However, plants planted in summer may not have enough time to grow and take root before the onset of cold weather, so the question of when to plant a lawn in summer has only one answer: the sooner the better.
Another “minus” of summer planting is that in a short time it is unlikely that it will be possible to give the green carpet the desired appearance this year (for more details, see the article “How long does lawn grass sprout after sowing?”) nine0003
The decision when it is better to plant a lawn - in spring or autumn - remains with the owner of the site, but it will not be superfluous to consult with a specialist.
Site preparation
Regardless of the time chosen when to plant the lawn, the order of preparatory work does not change much and includes several stages:
- clearing the ground of stones and weeds, uprooting stumps, leveling the area, removing elements that could disturb the structure of the lawn; nine0018
- digging up the soil with the simultaneous application of mineral fertilizers and manure, if necessary, correcting the soil by adding sand, peat, chernozem;
- fallow for 2-3 weeks;
- immediately before sowing - tillage of the soil surface with a rake, then with a shaft for leveling and crushing;
- sow according to the recommended seed rate;
- surface mixing of seeds with topsoil with a rake; nine0018
- plentiful watering before emergence of shoots.
