Harvesting herbs and useful plants

Harvesting herbs and useful plants

Once you have a garden full of delicious or useful herbs you may be tempted to rest on your laurels. But the fun and sense of achievement to be gained from herb gardening has only just begun. The next step is to identify which part of your herb to use and learn the best way to harvest the plant for maximum yield.

Leaves

Leaf gathering should take place just as the plant's flowers start to open. This is the high point of a plant's metabolism and when its active ingredient is at its strongest.

Leaves from most culinary plants, such as mint, sage, basil, bay and rosemary, can be gathered whenever required for day-to-day cooking without any hassle. However, it is important that a few rules are observed when a whole crop of leaves needs to be picked and preserved for winter use.

Tips for successful cropping:

• Do not pick early in the day because dew can damage your crop


• Remove insects and do not use insect damaged areas


• Remove and discard diseased leaves

Roots

As a general guide, roots should be dug up as they reach maturity in the autumn. There are plants which are best dug younger, before they develop too strong a taste or coarse a texture. Remember to keep notes of the best treatment for each plant in your garden.

To harvest herb roots you need to:

• Lift roots carefully using a garden fork
• Wash and pat dry roots
• Place the crop in a dry, well ventilated place for storage

Flowers

Pick a flower as soon as it is fully open. Colour and perfume will then be strongest and petals will be undamaged.

Some plants, like lavender and rosemary, can be collected the day before they open. It takes a great deal of experience to recognise the right time and plants suitable for early harvesting.

Advice on harvesting flowers:

• Take care not bruise or crush flower heads


• Allow to dry naturally


• Store in a dark place to preserve petal colours

Seeds

Gathering seeds for future propagation or for food can be extremely rewarding. If you intend to sow your seed, your plants should be allowed to fully mature and seed should only be collected from the very best plants in the garden.

To gather culinary seeds, such as caraway or dill, pull up the plant and hang it upside down with a paper bag over the head to gather the seeds as they drop. Do not use plastic bags as they tend to hold moisture and the seeds will rot.

You may also like to use muslin bags to pop over the heads of growing plants and catch your seeds as they drop naturally. Paper bags are little use for this purpose because they are not rainproof.

Seed gathering:

• Seed for propagation needs to be labelled as soon as it is collected to avoid later confusion.


• Store seeds in paper bags, cardboard boxes or aluminium foil twists


• Keep seeds in cool, dark and dry conditions