St Margaret’s & District
Gardeners’ Association
November Gardening 2020
WINDOWSILL HERBS FOR THE WINTER
The idea of venturing outside to pick herbs to cook
with somehow loses its appeal as the days get shorter and the temperature
dips. By making the most of a sunny
windowsill you can grow herbs indoors right through the winter.
One way to achieve this is to dig up part of the
plant you have growing in the garden now, this works well with mint, chives,
parsley, tarragon and thyme. Make sure
never to take more than one third of the original. Dig up small sections and, using a
multipurpose peat-free or John Innes compost, plant in a container at least
15cm/6in across with drainage holes. (A
plastic tray your grapes or tomatoes come in would be ideal). Place on a sunny windowsill with a night
temperature of around 15c degrees and keep moist.
The second way to achieve fresh herbs during the
winter months is to sow seeds. Germination
may be slower as the days become shorter, but you can try basil, coriander and
parsley. Use seed trays or 9cm/3in
pots. Use seed and cutting compost or a
peat-free multipurpose. If you have it,
cover the seed with a thin layer of vermiculite or dusting of compost. Keep compost moist but not soggy, less water
is required during winter.
If you are lucky enough to get an abundance of
herbs, they can easily be preserved by freezing them. Fill the cups of an ice-cube tray with
chopped and blanched herbs, top up with water and freeze. When frozen place in a freezer bag and use by
just dropping one or two cubes into the dish you are cooking.
Not too late to plant Tulips,
which are always best left until November!
