Skip to content

Northern Gardening: planting fresh herbs can mean winter greens

It is possible to have fresh herbs all winter if you can provide the right conditions and proper care. There are annual, perennial and even biennial herbs. Sage, rosemary, oregano, garden thyme, chives and mint are some of the perennial herbs.
Herbs

It is possible to have fresh herbs all winter if you can provide the right conditions and proper care. There are annual, perennial and even biennial herbs. Sage, rosemary, oregano, garden thyme, chives and mint are some of the perennial herbs. For this article I will concentrate on perennial herbs that originated in the Mediterranean region.

Since rosemary, sage, lavender, common thyme and oregano are not hardy or reliably hardy for us, many people have attempted to overwinter them in the home. All originated in the Mediterranean region, and have similar requirements.

The first requirement is sunlight or full-spectrum grow lights. With our short winter days supplemental light is a necessity if you do not have a bright sunny window. I have been able to overwinter my rosemary successfully right in front of my south-facing patio door. The previous year it was situated right in front of a west-facing window, where it barely survived.

Free-draining potting mix and pots are essential, as Mediterranean herbs originated in dry, rocky soils.

Plastic pots with excellent drainage or unglazed terra cotta pots are best. Considering the size of pot required for a mature plant and the weight of terra cotta I usually opt for the basic green plastic pot with large drainage holes. To keep the potting mix from escaping out the holes I use a coffee filter to cover the holes.

When the plant is in the house I use a plastic saucer, never allowing water to sit in the saucer. When outdoors I ‘plant’ the pot in a large planter. This fall, my rosemary needed a larger pot – the roots had grown extensively out of the drainage holes into the planter. I trimmed some roots and repotted into a larger pot.

These herbs are generally pest and disease free outdoors, but require good air circulation indoors to prevent powdery mildew. Allow space around the plant for air movement, but keep it away from hot air vents. In fact, cool conditions are best. The Mediterranean climate is seasonal with cooler winters and even the occasional frost.

To avoid bringing any pests indoors, give the plants a good shower. A shower every three or four weeks is beneficial to avoid problems and to provide some short-term humidity. Water deeply, but do not allow the pot to sit in water. Allow the top couple of inches of soil to dry before watering again. An application of a weak solution of houseplant fertilizer once a month is beneficial.

With this care you should be able to overwinter your favourite Mediterranean herbs. Space permitting I will try sage and oregano next – my rosemary is already in its favourite spot.

Horticulturalist Mary Wright has lived in Denare Beach for over 20 years. She shares her passion for gardening with Flin Flon readers in The Reminder.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks