TIPS FOR HARVESTING AND DRYING HERBS

For the many herb gardeners, either novice or experienced, who are growing herbs this summer and are wondering about harvesting and drying, here are some guidelines.

There are several reasons why you should not wait until the last days of summer to think about how and when you will preserve your herbs. For one reason, you will be very busy trying to get them all dried or frozen before the first killing frost. But most importantly, you will have missed the prime harvesting time for most herbs. They should be gathered when they contain the maximum amount of oils for full flavor and fragrance.

Most herbs, for culinary use, are ready to harvest just before flowers appear on the plant. Cutting them early in the season enables continued, successive cuttings from the plant. Harvesting perennial herbs late not only results in a reduction of flavor, but the possibility of plant death as well. These plants need the chance for regrowth in order to survive the winter.

Another caution is to not cut annuals, such as basil, too closely to the ground because the lower foliage is necessary for continuous plant growth. Keep in mind, at the end of the annuals’ growing season, the entire plant can be harvested.

The ideal time of day to harvest herbs is in the early morning on a clear day just as the sun dries the dew from the leaves because the oils in the plants are strongest at this time. Scissors are often the best tool for harvesting fresh herbs.

As soon as the herbs have been cut, waste no time in getting them ready for drying. This practice shortens the drying time and generates better flavor and color.

Probably the most common method of drying herbs is the most picturesque. The mention of herb drying inevitably conjures up images of crispy-dry bunches hanging from a nail in someone’s kitchen. To dry herbs this way, simply gather and tie them in small bunches and hang them in a warm, dark place for about two weeks.

A variation is to put each bunch in a paper bag, then hang up to dry. This method helps prevent the herbs from getting dusty, but will increase drying time by several weeks. This method is excellent for drying seed heads; for example, coriander, caraway, anise and dill. Seed heads should be gathered in the early stages of ripening, just as weeds turn from green to gray or brown. Again, they should be collected in the morning as soon as the dew dries on the leaves.

Another variation of air-drying is to take the herb plants apart and spread the parts on screens to dry. An old window screen in good condition works well. Remember to prop it up to permit the air to circulate freely through the screen. Be sure it is not placed in the direct sun or in a damp area.

The last and fastest drying method is oven drying. Heat oven to 150⁰ or less, and place herbs on sheets of brown paper. Make slits in the paper to allow airflow around the herb foliage. Leave the oven door ajar so the moisture can escape. The herbs will dry in approximately three to six hours. When dried, they should be crispy and easy to crumble. They will then be ready for storage.

AUGUST GARDENING CALENDER

For the first week of August:

v Order your spring-flowering bulbs.

v Check your garden plants, shrubs, flowers and trees for diseases and insect pests.

v Begin planning and planting your fall vegetables, such as lettuce, radishes, kale, spinach, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and peas.

v Harvest and hang herbs before they go into bloom. Tie in little bunches and hang in a ventilated warm space to cure. After thoroughly dried, put in sealed jars to use in the winter.

Mid-August:

v Apply a second treatment of lawn insecticide for grub control or use milky spore dust, a bacteria that will attack more than 40 species of white grubs. Apply anytime.

v Prepare lawn or lawn areas that are going to be seeded.

v Harvest ripened vegetables. Sweet corn is ready when ears feel full and firm, and the silks have turned brown and dry; cantaloupes are ready to eat when stems slip or separate easily from the fruit.

v Feed roses for the last time.

v Check azaleas, if they are beginning to look pale green to yellow. This is called chloritic. Check soil pH. These acid-loving plants may need to be fed.

v Harvest and hang herbs before they go into bloom.

Late August:

v Grapes that are ripening now perish easily, so keep refrigerated after harvesting.

v Inspect trunks and branches of dogwoods and other trees for injured bark or fine dust pushed from burrows in trunk by borers.

v Fertilize fall vegetable garden plants.

v Harvest and hang herbs before they go into bloom.

v Plant new lawns or reseed bare spots in old lawns. This can be done until Sept. 30 in Delaware. If it’s dry, be sure to water newly seeded lawns every day.

PROTECTING OUR BEES

Everything is growing nicely in my garden. Every other day, I am in the garden scouting the growing plants for pests and beneficial insects.

While scouting, I usually handpick any bad bugs and destroy them. However, sometimes I find a large population of pests on a specific crop, to which I apply a weak toxic pesticide.

I find valuable beneficial insects on squash and honeybees on other plants in my garden. It is very important to protect these wonderful pollinators.

The following tips may help you protect bees and other benefactors in your garden this growing season:

· Keep in mind all insecticides are toxic to bees and other beneficial insects.

· Make sure a pesticide is really necessary; consider how many bad bugs are on your plants.

· Never apply pesticides when flowers on vegetables are in full bloom. This is when bees are most likely visiting the flowers.

· Apply insecticide in late afternoon or evening when bees are not active.

· Never apply insecticide directly on the blossoms or on sweet corn tassel.

· Try to use a bacterial or alternative insect control whenever possible.

· Do not apply pesticides when it is windy—the chemical could drift.

· Be sure to keep sprays from water that may collect in mud puddles, bird baths, depressions in black plastic mulch or any place dew collects. Bees are industrious in finding any drinking water on their own.

· Try watering your garden about 15 minutes or so before applying pesticides; hopefully, this will discourage bee activity while chemicals are being applied.

To conclude, remembering these helpful tips or hints may help protect bees and other beneficial insects from toxic pesticides while they are busy working in our flower and vegetable plants this summer.

By Maggie L. Moor-Orth

Delaware Cooperative Extension

Delaware State University

JULY GARDENING CALENDER

To ensure a bountiful harvest, the conscientious gardener should follow these guidelines during the month of July.

The First Week of July:

¨ Control the weeds in vegetable and flower gardens.

¨ Feed roses.

¨ Watch for mites on roses, shrubs, trees, and ground covers.

¨ Control Japanese beetles on roses, crepe myrtle, grapes, and other host plants. Keep in mind, baited traps attract Japanese beetles, so hang them away from the plant you want to protect.

¨ Harvest and hang herbs before they go to bloom. Tie in little bunches and hang in a ventilated warm space to cure. After drying thoroughly, put in sealed jars for winter’s use.

¨ Take cuttings from shrubs.

The Second Week of July:

¨ Pinch back chrysanthemums for the last time.

¨ Remove faded blossoms from annuals and perennials.

¨ Deadhead rhododendrons to increase next year’s flowers. Remember to only remove spent flower heads. Do not damage newly expanded leaves.

¨ Keep all newly planted trees and shrubs watered; soak thoroughly once a week, either mornings or early evenings.

¨ Increase the mowing height on your lawn mower during dry, hot summer days.

¨ Prepare to harvest onions. When seedpods start to form, turn tops down and allow another two weeks for the onions to ripen before harvesting. Dry harvested onions in the shade before storing.

¨ Harvest and hang herbs before they flower.

¨ Check vegetables for pests and diseases.

The Third Week of July:

¨ Remove faded blossoms on annuals and perennials.

¨ Stake tall perennials.

¨ Check tomatoes for late blight and fruit for horn worms. Treat with a product labeled for this. Hand pick and destroy horn worms.

¨ Water shrubs and trees planted this year if necessary.

¨ Control weeds in vegetable and flower gardens.

¨ Harvest vine-ripened fruits.

¨ Harvest and hang herbs.

The Final Week of July:

¨ Visit the Delaware State Fair Master Gardener Booth.

¨ Continue efforts to control Japanese beetles and other garden pests.

¨ Divide bearded iris when clumps are too large.

¨ Stake perennials.

¨ Continue watering trees and plants as necessary in dry weather. Conserve water by using soaker hoses or trickle irrigation.

¨ Harvest home-grown produce.

GARDEN PEST CALENDER

Garden Pest scouting calendar to help you know when to look for common pests before they become a problem. Keep in mind the times are approximate. Pest emergence also depends on weather temperatures and conditions.

GENERAL PESTS, APPROXIMATE TIME TO CHECK FOR TREATMENT

Bagworm	Late May – Early June
Scale	Early March – April Female eggs (Adult)	May – Early June (Crawler
Borer	Mid-May to Mid-June (Larvae)
Aphid	Early May to September Adult and Nymph
Whitefly	Early May to September (Adult)
Spider Mites	March – April (Egg)	May to September (Adult)
Thrips	May to June (Adult)
White Grubs	Mid-April – Mid-June (Larvae)	Late June – Mid-August (Adult)	Mid-August – Late September (Larvae)
Tent Caterpillars	Early-April and Mid-May (Larvae)
Japanese Beetle	Mid-April – Mid-June (Larvae)	Late-June – Mid-August (Adult)	Mid-August – Late September (Larvae)
Leafhoppers	Mid-April – Early June (Adult and Nymph)
Cutworm	Mid-April – Early June (Larvae)
Lacebug	Early May – September (Adult)
Caterpillars	May to September (Larvae)
Leafminer	Early Spring (Egg)	April – June (Larvae)	Autumn (Egg)
Nantucket Pine Tip Moth	Early April – August (Larvae)
European Pine Shoot Moth	April (Larvae)	Mid-June (Larvae)

For more information on any of these pest call your local Extension Office. 302 730 4000

Maggie L. Moor-Orth, Delaware Cooperative Extension,Delaware State University

KENT COUNTY SUMMER WORKSHOPS

The summer series of Kent Co. Master Gardener workshops will be at the Paradee Center

and will be free, unless otherwise noted. On the schedule:

Pesky Critters and Insects – Thursday, June 30 at 6:30 p.m.

Make Your Own Garden Art – Learn to make hypertufa leaves.Monday, July 11 at 12 noon at Wendy Aycoth’s home at 3651 Killens Pond Rd., Harrington, DE.Rain date: Tuesday, July 12. Cost: $10.Upon registration, you will be mailed a list of supplies to bring with you. Wear old clothes.

The Fall Garden – Thursday, Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

More Than a Pressed Flower – Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m.

Canning 101 – Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Cost: $5.

Mail your payments toUniversity of Delaware, Kent Co. Cooperative Extension,Master Gardener Workshops,

69 Transportation Circle, Dover, DE 19901

During the month of May and early June, many of the Farmers Markets and on Farm markets throughout the state of Delaware will be opening, and farmers will be bringing their fresh produce for many of us to purchase. How lucky we are, because meeting and getting to know our farmers means we know our food. Buying local ensures we have really fresh food and a great way to keep our small farmers in business. It is important to remember that vegetables are usually at their best quality and price at the peak of their season. Purchasing produce when in season also ensures its freshness. Always check the characteristic signs of freshness: crispness, uniform color, firmness, blemish free and dryness. The difference in these qualities means the difference in price and quality grades furnished by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). Equally important to remember is that vegetables grow in a great variety and provide vitamins and minerals.

Because fresh vegetables have individual characteristics and values, there are no set rules for buying them. Personal experience is probably the best teacher. However, the following list is designed as a handy reference when purchasing certain vegetables:

Beans (Snap): Look for fresh, bright appearance with good color. Purchase young, tender beans with pods that are firm and crisp. Thick, tough fibrous pods indicate over-maturity.

Beets: Should be firm with a deep red color, and have a round taproot. In most cases beets are sold in a bunch with tops attached. The condition of the tops is a good judge of their freshness. Avoid wilted and flabby beets.

Broccoli: Look for a compact cluster of flowers that is firm, green and sometimes has a purplish cast. Avoid yellow-opened buds or wilted clusters.

Carrots: Should be well-colored, firm, well-formed and smooth. The tops if attached, should be fresh and have a good green color.

Corn: Pick ears that are well covered with plump, but not too mature kernels. Husks should be green and the silk-ends should be free of decay or worm damage.

Cucumbers: Look for a completely firm, well-developed good green-colored fruit. Avoid overgrown, large-in-diameter, withered and dull green-colored cucumbers.

Peppers: Look for peppers with a deep characteristic color (peppers come in a variety of colors like: purple, green, yellow, white, orange and red), glossy sheen, firm-walled, and relatively heavy weight. Avoid a pepper that is wilted or soft.

Potatoes: Potatoes should be firm, smooth, free of blemishes and sprouts, free of the green discoloration under the skin . Avoid potatoes with large cuts, or that are shriveled, bruised and/or decayed.

Squash (summer): Look for somewhat young, small, firm, glossy , blemish and pit-free skin, and tender fruit.

Tomatoes: Look for a smooth, firm (but not hard), well ripened fruit, with a deep color, and reasonably blemish free.

Remember, Delaware vegetable producers will be harvesting freshly grown products soon. Therefore, buy when vegetables are in season; the prices will be more reasonable.

Buy only what you can eat or store for two to five days (root vegetables can be stored longer). Handle produce carefully because vegetables bruise easily. At the point of sale, you are the best judge of vegetable quality.

Enjoy Delaware’s best and remember: Know your farm; you’ll know your food. You can find a list of local Delaware Farmers Markets on the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s website at http://dda.delaware.gov/marketing/DE_FRMVENS.shtml.