How to help your herbs – The State Journal

The National Garden Bureau has designated 2012 not only the Year of the Geranium, but also the Year of the Herbs.

It’s not surprising. The bureau often names a flower and a vegetable each. What is surprising is naming the broad category of herbs rather than something singular such as green beans, lettuce or beets.

Herbs probably have been used as long as man has been around. Ancient Egyptian and Chinese writings list page after page of specific herbs and their uses, though some results may have been more anecdotal or coincidental. Still, those records provided modern researchers with information on potential herb-based drugs.

Trying to define what an herb is can be difficult, especially if botanists get involved.

Botanically speaking, which is scientifically speaking, herbs are plants that aren’t woody. You could say “herb” is short for herbaceous, meaning plants tend to have soft succulent tissues with little or no woody tissues.
Think petunia, bluegrass, tulips and squash.

True annual plants by definition are herbs, because they die within one year and never develop woody tissue. Biennials would probably be in the same group because they die within two years. Perennials can be either herbs or woody materials.

Horticulturists define herb differently.

Herbs serve many purposes, from culinary flavors to aromatic fragrance to medicinal values. We use some, such as certain chrysanthemums, to control insects. A few herbs, such as indigos and beets, are used to dye fabric.

Gardeners concentrate on cooking and fragrance.

With herbs, it’s natural to bring up the term spice. “Herb” and “spice” are used interchangeably, much like fragrance and aroma, but there are differences.

When we think of herbs, we generally think of leaves and stems such as oregano, rosemary, basil and sage. Plants are soft and succulent. Many die back to the ground every year; some come back. We think of mints, which flavor everything from mouthwashes to juleps, with the former sometimes masking an excess of the latter.

Many European dishes, including Italian and Greek, wouldn’t be the same without basil, oregano, fennel or garlic. Imagine pickles without dill.

Spices tend to be more roots, bark or seeds of plants. We think of spices as more tropical or Far Eastern in nature. Think cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Coriander is the seed of cilantro, one of the few plants where the seed has a different name, like an acorn and oak.

Fennel seeds are another. In this case, it’s a plant where just about every part — the swollen bulb, stem, leaves, flowers and seeds — can be used.

Then there is dill, one of the easiest herbs to grow. We cook with the leaves, flower and seeds. But coriander, fennel and dill are not tropical in nature. They often freeze out every winter.

Bay laurel is a woody plant where the leaves are the only part used. The plant is hardy to USDA Zone 7.

Rosemary, historically used in Egyptian funeral processionals, is another woody plant that’s mainly used by cooks these days.

Herbs range in height from creeping thymes that are barely a couple inches high to the big fennels, horseradish and borage that can grow four or more feet.

For the most part, herbs are easy to grow, but few are outstanding landscaping plants. Creeping thymes make nice groundcover. Rosemary, with its silver green foliage, and sage, with its distinct textured leaves, stand out at night.

Few insects bother herbs because of the concentration of potential oils in the leaves.

High quality soil is crucial. Clay soil is often the death-knell of herbs. Sandy soils aren’t too bad, though plants may wilt in hot weather and not recover. Adding organic matter such as compost to both types will improve your chances.

Full sun is also crucial. Few herbs tolerate much shade. They also don’t like lots of water — or fertilizer (though basil is an exception). Too much of both results in fast growth but lower quality leaves, stems, flowers and seeds.

Slow growth, however, concentrates the essential oils that give herbs their flavor and aroma.

Many herbs start from seeds, but many start from cuttings. Some can be started from both, though others, such as tarragon, shouldn’t be started from seeds if you want top quality flavor.

You can grow many herbs on the patio in containers and bring them indoors for the winter with middling success. Sometimes, it’s best to just grow them outdoors, harvest them and enjoy the results the rest of the year.

David Robson is a specialist with University of Illinois Extension. For more gardening information, go to www.extension.uiuc.edu/mg. Call the Sangamon-Menard Unit Sangamon County office at 782-4617.
 

Bill & Sheila’s A-Z of herbs

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