It's getting hot in the greenhouse (or it was before the last few days of rain) so we went ahead and rolled up the sides to let the fresh air circulate. With the nights staying around 60 degrees, the tender plants are plenty warm enough. The thermostat starts the fans when it gets too hot and the grow lights are set to come on for just a few hours in the early evening to keep everything happy on sunless days.
What is ready to be picked?
Basil leaves can be picked off adult basil plants whenever the need arises. Our basil is tall and healthy and up to half of each plant's leaves can be picked off at a time. The plant will regroup and put out more leaves from the base. In a week or two all of those new leaves will be ready to be harvested.
If basil doesn't get picked it will flower. The flower of a basil plant looks like a tight cluster of healthy green leaves and it shoots right off the top of the plant (see photo above). Eventually the plant will create small round blooms. If you pick off the flowers when they are just forming,the plant will continue to produce more leaves. If you let the flower bloom and go to seed, the flavor of the basil plant changes and the plant will gradually die back. A plant's main purpose in life is to ensure the creation of future generations so once it goes to seed its goal is accomplished and it can die if it is an annual, or become dormant if it is a perennial.
Mint is a stellar grower and spreader. We kept our two mint varieties in pots both so we can remove them to the greenhouse when it gets colder, but also to curb their prolific root growth. Yesterday i pulled out handfuls of feeler roots that grow from the base of the plant and head out to find greener pastures. We have both peppermint (top left in above photo) and orange mint (top right in above photo) which is also known as bergamot - think earl grey tea - and they are ready to be used!
I harvested lots of stems of both varieties yesterday and hung them up in the greenhouse to dry. Traditionally herbs hung upside down will dry effectively for later use, but they really need less humid conditions to do so. With our wet, grey days this week i may have just created a moldy ceiling decoration, but we'll see in a week or two.
Parsley is an annual herb that continues to produce as long as it keeps being picked. I have more parsley seedlings ready to be transplanted but the adult curly parsley plants (shown at the far right side of the bed in above photo) still have a couple weeks of productivity in them. To harvest parsley, just snip or pick off the leafy bunches and chop them up in the kitchen.
Chives are a perennial that can be cut throughout the year (located to the left of the parsley in the above photo). Chive 'leaves' can be cut off right down near the root of the plant then diced in the kitchen. Up to half of the plant's leaves can be cut at a time and the plant will regrow leaves to be cut in a few weeks. The younger chives that i started from seed in the greenhouse this spring have leaves ready to be used. Our larger, older chive plant out in the raised bed just finished blossoming which they do in the mid to late summer. The blossoms are papery in texture and totally edible and, as they should, they taste likes chives!
Enjoy the weather, wear your sunscreen, and visit your local farmer's markets to see what's in season!
Grow on,
your Gardening Guru
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