Herbs Over Winter
 

Hi
I have some herbs in pots in the back garden - mint (regular and pineapple) and thyme (lemon and regular). What should i do with these over winter, take them indoors, leave em alone, cut em back??

Also I have some sage in the kitchen that has not been outside since I bought it. Should I leave it inside over winter, or put it out before it gets really cold.

thanks alot - great forum

Gavin

Herbs Over Winter
 

Gavin Bl wrote:

Hi
I have some herbs in pots in the back garden - mint (regular and
pineapple) and thyme (lemon and regular). What should i do with these
over winter, take them indoors, leave em alone, cut em back??

My faroutite plants! I have always left mine outside. I cut them back
for use in winter, freeze some (like basil and corriander because they
taste fresh then), the rest I dry. I protect the crown with some mulch
and bring my pots together in a sheltered place outside (by my back
fence). Make sure they don't get waterlogged because then they'll
freeze. I don't touch rosemary, because it looks nice with snow on it,
nor do I touch the bay which is in the ground now. My thyme are perched
in hanging pots and I leave them alone too. However I bring my taragon
in because in the past it has never recovered if left outside. I also
leave the ciboulette outside and fennel too.

Also I have some sage in the kitchen that has not been outside since I
bought it. Should I leave it inside over winter, or put it out before
it gets really cold.

What kind of sage do you have? Gold or purple? Is it a little black pot
from the supermarket? How big? How long have you had it? If you feel
the plant is weak (do you water it often or do you think it would
benefit from a bigger pot?) perhaps you ought to keep it in your
kitchen, repot it and offer yourself another one for your garden.
Remember your kitchen is going to get very warm this winter. Is your
climate temperate?

Herbs Over Winter
 

In message , Gavin Bl
writes

Hi
I have some herbs in pots in the back garden - mint (regular and
pineapple) and thyme (lemon and regular). What should i do with these
over winter, take them indoors, leave em alone, cut em back??

Also I have some sage in the kitchen that has not been outside since I
bought it. Should I leave it inside over winter, or put it out before
it gets really cold.

Leaving outside should be OK. Don't let them dry out in spring, when
you should also feed. Sage is a bit temperamental, so be careful.
Also, it can become very straggly.
--
June Hughes

Thanks for the replies June and La puce

So cut the thyme right back and dry the cuttings??

By protect the crown, you mean some mulch on the pots earth surface?

(Sorry I am a terrible garden virgin)

Also - on the sage - Yes it is purple sage in a little black pot from a garden centre. Sheer bloody laziness on my part has meant I didn't pot it up properly straight away. Will repotting it at this time of year be to traumatic?

Yes, June the sage is demonstrating its straggliness right now - but it looks pretty healthy.

Yes la puce - I am in temperate climate - south east England - West Sussex, about 15 miles inland. Not very cold, but definitely frosty at times.

Herbs Over Winter
 

Gavin Bl wrote:
So cut the thyme right back and dry the cuttings??

Sorry for delay ... my cold put me to sleep like the bite of a tse tse
fly ...If your thyme is woody I would wait until spring before
'pruning' it. That woody appearance appears at around 2/3 years old
plant. By no means cut some side straggly branches for winter, but
don't touch it beyond that. If your plant is over 3 years and you feel
it needs a bit of 'tidy up', in the spring lift it off the ground and
devided it and replant both plant separately and give it a pruning.
You'll end up with two beautiful plant around July/august when thyme is
at is bestest :o)

By protect the crown, you mean some mulch on the pots earth surface?

Yes, with compost, leaves anything to protect it from hard frost.

(Sorry I am a terrible garden virgin)
Also - on the sage - Yes it is purple sage in a little black pot from a
garden centre. Sheer bloody laziness on my part has meant I didn't pot
it up properly straight away. Will repotting it at this time of year be
to traumatic?

It's so mild at the moment I wouldn't worry. If don't indoors you can
plant and repots herbs whenever given moist and light and warm
conditions! Why don't you devide your plant (like I suggested for the
thyme) in two bits, repot one for your kitchen and put the other half
outside, but cut the latest but not too hard and mulch it. Next year
you'll see new growth on it. I have two of each plant (or more quite
often) because did you know that if you leave the flowers on your herbs
the leaves will not be as tasty? So I have plants to enjoy the flowers
and provide for the insects and others to use in my kitchen.