In your herb garden in February

The herb garden at
Garden Organic Ryton

There is still time to order in seed for the herb garden. Many shops and garden centres, including the shop at Garden Organic Ryton, have a vast seed collection on display. There are also evergreen herbs available, suitable for planting in the garden as soon as the worst weather is over.

When choosing seed, why not select some species that will encourage beneficial insects, such as hoverflies, lacewings and bees, into your garden. These insects find many herbs attractive, including hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), sage (Salvia officinalis) and thymes (Thymus species). More specific detail can be found against each entry in The Organic Gardening Catalogue.

Things to do in the herb garden this month

• Tender shoots that have emerged in the mild weather may need some protection against hard frosts. Protect with horticultural fleece or hessian. Remove the protection on warmer days, especially if it has become wet. This will allow air to circulate around the plants.

• Container grown herbs will benefit from top dressing with fresh compost, towards the end of the month. Remove the top 5 to 10cm (2-4in) of compost and replace. Use well rotted garden compost or worm compost mixed with leaf mould or green waste compost.

• Herbaceous herbs (those that die back over winter) may be starting into growth by the end of February if the weather remains mild. If so, they will benefit from a feed – mulch with garden compost (2-5cm thick layer).
• Clear away any dead twigs and remains of fallen leaves especially if lying on top of the plants. If left, they can cause stem splitting, providing easy entry for pests and diseases.
• Check for wind and snow damage. Cut out damaged twigs and branches.

• 
  Blue tit
  If you are growing plants known to be attractive to aphids later in the year, place fat balls close by to attract blue tits. Blue tits are natural predators of aphids and will hopefully keep visiting the site when the aphids arrive. Remove last year’s debris from any nesting boxes before the new nesting season begins. This is also a good time to add more nest boxes – adults blue tits will feed their young thousands of aphids before they fledge.

• Place a bird bath or construct a small pond to provide shelter and water for beneficial wildlife. On frosty days make sure that ponds and bird baths are not frozen over.
  Garden Organic members can see our 'Setting up a pond' factsheet in the members' area of this site.
• Trim southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum) to maintain an attractive shape. Do not cut back into old wood, as this will kill the plant.

• If re-using last years modules, seed trays and pots wash them out well using hot water or Citrox disinfectant, available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue.

• If the weather is mild later in the month, parsley, sage, chives, chervil and dill can all be sown in a cold greenhouse. Try also sowing seed beneath cloches set out a few weeks earlier, eg a 'tunnel cloche' with stretched polythene over wire hoops to warm up the soil before planting.

• Check cuttings taken last autumn, such as Balm of Gilead (Cedronella canariensis) and scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens). Pinch out the growing tip if they are becoming long and leggy.

• 
  Mint
  Take root cuttings of mint (Mentha species) to provide a fresh supply of this tasty herb. If kept in the greenhouse, new shoots will be ready to use with your early potatoes in June or they can be brought indoors for a spring supply. Information on taking root cuttings is available here.
  Mint can also be propagated by 'splitting' plants in spring. Seeds are not worthwhile as they often do not breed true and the results may be rather disappointing.
  Mint is very invasive. An ideal way to grow it in the garden is to plant into a pot and sink the pot into the soil, leaving the top 5-10cm (2-4in) proud of the soil.
• This quiet time of year is ideal for planning any new features or even entire gardens. Hard-landscaping can also be done now, providing the weather is not too wet. Treading on wet soil compacts it and damages the structure so try to avoid this. Wait until the land dries out a little, or stand on a plank to spread your weight and minimise the damage.

Flavour from the garden in February

Herbs are very versatile. The following herbs can provide fresh flavours for the pot all through the winter

• 
  Hyssop

• Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

  Leaves can be added to pulses and salads all year round. Use sparingly as they have a particularly strong sage-mint flavour. Attractive purple, pink or white flowers develop in the summer, adding colour and a sweet mint flavour to a green salad.

  Organic hyssop seed available from the Organic Gardening Catalogue.

• 
  There are many beautiful
  sage cultivars

• Sage (Salvia officinalis)

  There are many beautiful sage cultivars available from specialist nurseries. The distinctive flavouring obtained from the leaves can be used in cooking and to make a soothing gargle. The flavour is rather strong but goes well with fatty meats such as pork. A few fresh leaves steeped in a cup of boiling water, which is then cooled, makes a soothing gargle for sore throats, tonsillitis and laryngitis.

  Organic Sage seed available from the Organic Gardening Catalogue

• 
  Lemon thyme

• Thyme (Thymus X citriodorus)

  Lemon thyme. This low growing herb has a highly aromatic lemony flavour and bright yellow leaves all year round. Delicious in salads and excellent with fish. This herb needs to be used sparingly as it has a particularly pungent flavour. Orange-scented thyme (Thymus fragrantissimus) has a spicy orange scent. It can be used to flavour meat or sweet dishes, such as fruit salads or jam.

  The golden yellow leaves are prone to revert to green. Cut away any reverted leaves as soon as they are seen.

• 
  Parsley

• Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

  A well-known biennial herb that can provide leaves all year round. Both curly leaved and flat leaved varieties are available. Parsley leaves have a mild flavour, but if a stronger flavour is required use the stems as well. Cover parsley plants with cloches on cold nights to protect from frosts.

  Parsley can be easily sown in pots for a 'cut and come again' crop. This means that stems can be cut back for use, but fresh foliage will return. In general you can do this about four to five times during the growing season. Place on a suitable window ledge and keep well watered.

• Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)

  A very invasive deep-rooting plant that can be difficult to eradicate from the garden if no longer required. If the plant has spread, lift and divide when the weather allows. The root can be harvested any time of the year. Wash the roots before eating. Horseradish root is high in calcium, magnesium and vitamin C. Do not cook as this destroys the flavour. Grate the raw root sparingly into coleslaw, dips, cream cheese and mayonnaise for extra heat.

  The strength of flavour of horseradish varies between spring and autumn. Roots dug in the spring are said to be milder than those dug later in the year.

• Salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor)

  Provides attractive evergreen leaves that can be harvested throughout the year. In the summer quaint red drumstick like flowers look lovely in the herb garden. The leaves have a cucumber like flavouring which taste lovely in salads.

  This plant can spread. If you are restricted with space, plant in a container. To include colour after the salad burnet has finished flowering, plant bulbs and corms such as spring and autumn crocus.

• Winter savory (Satureja montana)

  A tasty evergreen shrub that originates from southern Europe. Regular picking will produce fresh leaves all year round that can be added to salads, meats and pulses. Fresh winter savory leaves can be used as a substitute for black pepper.

  Protect plants over winter if growing in a frost pocket.

• Myrtle (Myrtus communis)

  An attractive, fragrant evergreen shrub. However, as it is not fully hardy it should be protected if growing in an area that suffers from excess cold and frost. It is suitable for container growing. Traditionally a symbol of love, myrtle was often included in bridal bouquets.

  The small perfumed leaves can be preserved in vinegar for culinary dishes. Leaves can also be added to potpourri.

Herbs to propagate

• English mace (Achillea ageratum)

  If the clump has become too large, now is the time to divide it. In colder areas, divided plants can be overwintered in a cold-frame or cool greenhouse and replanted in the spring.

• Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)

  Can be sown now in a cold greenhouse or under cloches in the open ground if the weather is very mild. It will provide a crop of delicate, slightly aniseed flavoured leaves, suitable in egg and cheese dishes. Plant chervil in partial shade, too much sun can cause bolting (running to seed). If allowed to self-seed, chervil will produce one early and one late summer crop.

  Organic chervil seed available from the Organic Gardening Catalogue.

• Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

  Can be propagated by division if the ground is soft enough to dig. Replant the divided parts around the garden or pot up to give away or sell. Fresh leaves can be used in teas, mixed with chamomile and raspberry leaf for a soothing evening drink.

Back to - What to do in your garden now

Bookmark this page on:

StumbleUpon | Delicious | Reddit | Digg | Facebook

Top of page | Home | Privacy | Contact | Advertise | Support us

All content © Garden Organic  |  Registered Charity No 298104

Garden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA).
We are not responsible for the content of external web sites.

Supported by