Herbs in the Florida Garden

Herbs are usually grown for their flavor or aroma. When planting herb a small place in a vegetable garden will do. It’s best to plant them grouped away from the rest of the garden so it will not interfere. Most herbs can also be container-grown in various places such as along borders of drives, walks, porches, on balconies, porches or from hanging baskets. Thyme, rosemary and sage need a well-drained, slightly moist soil whereas mint, chervil, and parsley grow well in soils retaining considerable moisture. Otherwise most herbs can be grown with similar soil, sunlight and cultural techniques as vegetables.

The flavor is retained longer if the herbs are harvest at the right time, correctly cured and stored. The appropriate time to harvest is when the plants begin to flower. Wash gritty or dusty leaves in cold water and drained before drying. They should be dried rapidly in a dark, well-ventilated area. To retain the color of tender-leaf herbs they should be rapidly dried and keep away from light. If they are dried too slowly they’ll turn dark or moldy. Less-succulent leaf herbs contain less moisture and can be partially dried in the sun. But constant exposure should be avoided.

Seed crops should be harvest when they’ve matured or when color goes from green to brown or gray. They follow similar drying process as the herb leaves. Once dried, they should be cleaned by separating them from stems and packaged in containers. This prevents loss of essential oils for flavoring. Tightly closed containers of glass, metal, or cardboard will preserve well.