In your herb garden in September
Elder
Sambucus nigra
September continues to be busy in the herb garden. There is still plenty of harvesting to be done and seed to collect. Sloes will be starting to ripen, elderberries can be collected for jams, chutneys and jellies. Blackberries will be ripening in the hedgerows too.
You can start to cut back and divide some of the more established perennial herbs. But remember to leave un-cut some of the larger, hollow stemmed plants, and those with tussocky bases as overwinter shelter for beneficial insects.
Things to do in the herb garden this month
- Harvest and dry roots of angelica, comfrey, sweet cicely, marshmallow, horseradish, Orris (Florentine Iris), liquorice and valerian.
- Collect and dry teasels for winter decoration, to use as rabbit defences around tender plants and to stick into bare soil to keep cats away. Leave some standing, however, to provide food for goldfinches.
- Collect annual herbs before they die back in the cold to keep in jars for winter use.
- Continue gathering seed of caraway, coriander, dill, angelica, chervil, anise and fennel
- Take semi-ripe cuttings of rosemary, bay, hyssop, tarragon, rue, cotton-lavender and lavender. See below for instructions on taking semi-ripe cuttings
- Take softwood cuttings of lemon balm. See below for instructions on taking softwood cuttings
- Take root cuttings of sweet cicely, dandelion and comfrey. See below for instructions on taking root cuttings
- Pot up a few herbs to make an indoor winter herb garden. See below for instructions on potting up herbs
Pot up some herbs for the winter - Transplant spring-sown clary sage, (Salvia sclarea) to flowering position
- Divide large clumps of plants such as soapwort, bergamot, fennel, lovage, tansy, yarrow, elecampane and tarragon.
- Take in containers of tender plants toward the end of this month. These will include scented geranium (Pelargonium spp.) myrtle, bay, lemon verbena and lemon grass.
- Cut back shrubby herbs after flowering including lavender, santolina, marjoram and curry plant in mild areas. In areas where winters may be harsh, remove only the spent flower heads, leaving the majority of the foliage in place over winter, where it will provide frost protection for the plants.
Flavour from the garden this month
The last of the herbs to be harvested this month include.
- Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Annual
A must for pasta and tomato dishes, or why not make your own pesto? Add torn leaves to dishes towards the end of cooking to preserve flavour, which is ruined if the herb is over-cooked. Move plants indoors as temperatures fall.Several varieties of organic basil seed are available from The Organic Gardening Catologue. 
Anise hyssop- Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) Perennial
North American native produces fantastic spikes of purple flowers, which are loved by bees. Young leaves and flowers have a mild aniseed/mint flavour and can be used to make a refreshing tea, as well as to flavour fish and chicken dishes.Anise hyssop grows well in containers. Grows best in rich moist soil. - Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Perennial
A popular addition to barbeques and soups and stews.Organic rosemary seed available from the The Organic Gardening Catologue. - Borage (Borago officinalis) Annual
This Mediterranean native produces blue, star-shaped flowers through until the first frosts in autumn. Dead heading helps to prolong the flowering period. Use fresh leaves and flowers in salads for a mild cucumber flavour.Organic borage seed available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue. 
Cats can't resist Nepeta- Catnep (Nepeta cataria) Perennial
Although the camphor-like aroma is used in teas, this herb is best loved by cats. This is worth keeping in mind, for if there are pest problems of the feline variety, try growing a healthy crop in an area away from tender herbs. The fresh leaves add a light, mint flavour to salads.The scented dried leaves can be sewn into cloth balls. These make a popular toy for cats and kittens. - Clary (Salvia sclarea) Perennial/Biennial
A very attractive member of the sage family. Produces blue/purple/lilac flowers, which are white at the base. Easy to grow from seed, this sage has a slight vanilla/sage flavour, ideal for soups and salads. 
Pineapple mint
(Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’)- Mint(Mentha spp.) Perennial
Introduced to northern Europe by the Romans, mints are valuable culinary herbs used in sweet and savoury dishes, and teas. Spearmint (Mentha spicata) leaves have the freshest mint flavour. However, the flavour and colour of the plants may vary dependant upon the soil in which it is grown.As mints can be invasive, grow in pots sunk into the soil to help contain the roots - Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) Perennial
This herb produces clusters of delicate, fragrant white flowers tinged with pink. The root is less pleasantly fragranced, and is more attractive to cats than catnep. A tincture of the roots, which has a calming effect, was used to treat shell-shocked soldiers in World War One.Plant valerian in sun or partial shade, but make sure the roots are kept cool and moist.
The following herbs should also be available this month:
Lemon balm, bay, caraway, chervil, chives, fennel, hyssop, marjoram, mints, parsley, pennyroyal, sage, winter savory, sorrel, thyme.
Herbs to propagate this month
Seed Sowing
For a continual crop, sow the following in a prepared seedbed, outdoors:
Angelica - a truly
dramatic addition to
the herb garden- Angelica (Angelica archangelica) Biennial
Native to continental Europe, where it grows alongside streams and in other damp places. Sow seed in early autumn in its final location – angelica hates to have its roots disturbed. It needs no protection from frosts, but it does require deep, moist soil. Angelica prefers a site where its roots are in shade, but its flowers get some sun.Organic angelica seed available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue - Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) Annual
This herb has been cultivated for more than 3000 years. It is mentioned in The Old Testament, and is traditionally eaten at Passover feasts. Sow the large seeds into drills in light, well-drained soil in a sunny spot; coriander dislikes damp, humid conditions. Direct sowing works best as coriander does not transplant well and tends to bolt.Two types of organic coriander area available in The Organic Gardening Catalogue. 'Cilantro' is a special selection for goodleaf production. - Rocket (Eruca versicaria) Annual
Rocket leaves have
a peppery flavour
Mediterranean herb with peppery-flavoured leaves. Sow in rows into rich, moist, but well-drained, soil from early spring through until September. Leaves should be ready to pick in 6-8 weeks. The perennial wild rocket (Dipsotaxis tenuifolia) has a more pungent flavour and is less likely to bolt.Organic rocket 'Rucola' and wild rocket seed is available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue. - Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) Perennial
Sow into rich, moist soil in a sunny spot. Chives need a minimum temperature of 19°C to germinate, so sowing now should produce a crop before the first frosts. Chives are believed to inhibit rose blackspot, hence the old saying "chives next to roses creates posies"!Organic chives seed available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue.
Potting up herbs for a winter supply
Chives, mint, marjoram and parsley can all be lifted carefully from the garden, divided if necessary, then small plants potted up using a gritty compost mixture. Keep these in a shady spot to acclimatise them gradually to the lower light levels, then bring indoors by the end of the month.
Cuttings to take
Both semi-ripe and softwood cuttings can be taken this month. Have a good look at your herbs. Some plants may be getting a bit too woody, out of shape or have suffered from prolonged drought while you were away on holiday. Cuttings are an easy way to reproduce new plants for next spring. Potted herbs also make great Christmas presents.
Semi-ripe cuttings
Semi-ripe cuttings can be taken from late summer to late autumn. Semi-ripe
means that the base of the stem to be cut is firm and only slightly
flexible,
in comparison to the soft stems of a softwood cutting. Use this method
to propagate the plants listed above in Things to
do in the herb garden this month:
- Semi-ripe cuttings are taken mid to late summer and sometimes early autumn.
- Select shoots from the current seasons growth. Check that they are firm at the base, soft and pliable at top
- Take cuttings 10-15cm (4-6in) long with sharp knife. Cut below a node (where leaf joins stem)
- Remove lower leaves
- Insert cuttings into pots or trays of cuttings compost, 8-10cm apart. Do not allow leaves to touch compost, or the leaves of other cuttings
- Firm compost
- Label with name and date
- Water
- Over winter the cuttings in a cold frame/greenhouse/shady
window ledge
'Softwood' is
the term given to the type of cutting taken from young growth in the spring
and early summer, but also where new growth sprouts from recent cutting.
Here are the main points to follow:
- Take cuttings early in the morning
- Take cuttings with a knife rather than scissors (which squash the stem)
- If cuttings are not to be dealt with immediately, place in water or polythene bag and leave in shade
- Prepare pot or seed tray with good organic potting compost
- Trim the cutting to just below a node (where leaf joins stem) and remove any leaves from bottom third of the stem. This will reduce water loss as well as the possibility of fungus on leaves touching the soil
- Make hole with dibber and push cutting in. Make sure bottom of cutting touches bottom of hole
- Firm compost around cutting
- Water, but do not leave pot standing in water
- Covering with plastic bag or cloche can aid rooting in some cases. Be careful that the compost is not kept too wet, as cuttings can rot.
Root cuttings
Use this method for sweet Cicely, dandelion and comfrey.
Select a pencil thick section of the root, about five centimetres long. Cut the
piece closest to the crown with a diagonal cut, the root end straight. This allows
you to remember which bit is the top and which bit is bottom. Place in a pot
of moist general-purpose compost. Cover with a centimetre of vermiculite, sand
or perlite
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