Preserving Culinary Herbs

The most important thing to remember when harvesting and preserving culinary herbs from your garden is that it is the essential oils in the plant are actually what gives the herb its flavor, fragrance, and any health benefits. Because the essential oil concentration is highest in the morning, it’s best to harvest on a dry day before the early morning dew has evaporated. The oil content is higher in an herb plant before flowering, and most herb gardeners agree it’s best to harvest before the plant flowers. As plants mature, the oils that produce flavor and aroma become less intense. 

Herbs should be dried at cooler temperatures than fruits and vegetables in order to protect their delicate flavors. Dry them in a shaded area with good air circulation, or even in a dehydrator.  Spread herb leaves in a thin layer over drying trays, or in a dehydrator set at 95 degrees or lower, until the leaves crumble to the touch.

The time tested method of hanging bundled herb stalks upside down in a shaded, ventilated area is also effective, albeit with some loss of flavor because of the extended drying time.

Storage jars or containers should be as small as possible, and filled up to exclude air, and maximize flavor and aroma. If stored in a cabinet or pantry, dried herbs can keep their flavor for several months, but should be tossed in the compost bin after a year has passed.

Common Kitchen Garden Herbs & Uses

Tarragon              tomato dishes, salads, vinegar
Rosemary            salads, vegetables, lamb dishes
Oregano              spaghetti sauce, pork, wild game, tomato dishes
Sage                      poultry, cheese, omelets, sausages
Basil                      soups, stews, tomato dishes     
Celery                   salads, casseroles, soups
Bay                         soups, stews, spaghetti sauce
Marjoram            sausages, stews, lamb dishes
Chives                  casseroles, salads, omelets
Thyme                  onion soup, meatloaf, lamb dishes
Chervil                 cheese dishes, salads, eggs
Dill                         pickles, stews, cabbage
Fennel                  candies, rolls, cookies, soups, casseroles
Garlic                    omelets, chili, Italian foods
Anise                    sweet rolls, cookie batter, salads
Parsley                 sauces, soups, vegetables
Cumin                   bread dough, sausages, cheese spread
Mint                      lemonade, roast lamb, mint jelly
Savory                  bean dishes, stuffing
Chilies                  stews, soups

Growing Strawberries

How Strawberries Grow

Of all fruit and berry varieties, strawberries are perhaps the most popular among backyard gardeners, and for good reason – they’re a naturally sweet treat that’s fun to grow and should be included in every backyard homestead. Although strawberries grow best in moist, cool regions, with supplemental watering in the hot summer months and windbreaks, they can be grown in hot, dry climates as well.

Strawberries need two years to produce the best yields, and when planted in prepared soil in early spring, they’ll quickly take root, and by mid June, send out runners which will form new plants around the original.

Although strawberry plants will produce blossoms in the first year, they should be pinched off before developing into berries. Pinching the blossoms off during that first year encourages the plants to develop strong root systems and healthy growth.  In the spring of the following year, the buds that formed the previous fall , will develop into blossoms, and eventually berries. Depending on your region and growing season, you can get early season, mid season, or late season bearing varieties.  If you live here in the Carolinas, the Pocahontas, Raritan, and Surecrop varieties are all good bets.

Planting Strawberries

Your strawberry plants will be growing in the same spot for two years, and because the small, shallow rooted plants will have to get all of their water and nutrients from the top few inches of soil, you’ll need to prepare the ground well.  Soil should be rich, and slightly acidic ; between 5.5-6.0. Enrich the soil with compost or peat moss to improve the water holding capacity of the soil during dry weather. Strawberries perform best in moist soil in full sun.

Strawberries are sold in bare root bundles, and you should snip the roots to about 4” before planting. Remove all but a few of the youngest leaves, which will reduce water loss once the plants are in the ground.  Dig a trowel straight down into the ground, opening a seam. Place the roots in the slit, fanning them out so that they don’t bend. Place the top of the crown just above the soil line so that the crown doesn’t rot, and lightly tamp the soil down around the plant, gently adding water. As the plant begins to grow, pinch off all new flowers for about 3 months, allowing additional flowers to produce berries after that.

Growth, Care & Harvest

The Matted Row method is an easy way to grow a large bed of strawberries. Simply plant rows of strawberry plants 12” apart, and as runners emerge, arrange them in a circular pattern around the original plant. Once the area fills out with a new plant about every four inches, remove additional runners so the strawberry plants don’t become overcrowded.

The Double Hill system is another method that is very effective in raised beds.  Start by removing runners from the mother plants, and placing them in 12” apart in paired, hilled rows that are 12” apart. Space pairs of rows 18” apart. Mulching the soil around strawberry plants will help retain moisture and also protect plants from frost damage in winter months.

Watering & Fertilization

Beginning in the spring of the first year and continuing into the fall, apply a low analysis fertilizer like fish emulsion, every other week. Here in the southeast, additional phosphorous may be needed.  Beginning with the second season, fertilize the plants  at the beginning of the growing season, and when blossoms open.  Strawberries need about 1” of water per week while the berries are ripening. Too much water will dilute the sweet flavor of the berries, and remember to carefully apply water directly to the soil, as soaking the leaves too often will encourage the spread of foliar diseases.

Harvest

In cooler weather, strawberries ripen about 30 days after blooming, sooner in warmer weather. As the berries ripen, their color changes from white to pink to red, and as the colors change, sugars are deposited in the fruit. Strawberries picked before turning red will not be as sweet as fully ripe ones, and it’s best to pick berries early in the morning, when they are firm.

New Organic Garden Gives Saltwater Pool Run For Its Money

Until recently the Lee family’s swimming pool was the unchallenged star of their backyard. They did have a garden, and although functional, the simple keyhole design looked tired sitting next to the travertine tiled, saltwater masterpiece.

What they needed a place to grow organic produce that also added to the aesthetic beauty of the landscape.

Our answer was a design that featured four 4’x6’ raised beds for vegetables, and a 3’x17’ bed at the back of the garden for herbs. The four raised beds were made using Western Red Cedar 4”x4” timbers and filled with an organic blend of pine fines, mushroom compost and PermaTill. 

Carole Lee's Organic Garden from Microfarm Organic Gardens on Vimeo.

A dry stacked stone wall was built around the perimeter of the garden using the Mojave stone variety, and to thwart weeds, walkways were covered with landscape fabric topped with 2” of 3/8” brown pea gravel.

The result? An elegant, functional garden design that just may give the swimming pool a run for it’s money.

Colored Tanks Make Rain Harvesting More Fun

During the hot summer months, as much as 60% of the average US household’s water consumption will be used on the lawn & garden.  Gardeners already know that the pH levels in harvested rain water make it MUCH more beneficial for plants than chemically treated municipal water, but the idea of harvesting a free resource is cool even if you’re just using it to wash your car or water the lawn.

After all, it’s free water, and what could be better than free water?

Free water in a premium quality, high capacity, colored storage tank.

Polymart has a series of sturdy rain tanks that can store anywhere from 100 to 2500 gallons of rain water, and unlike other tanks, come in up to 11 colors.  So whether you have an army green Polymart rain water storage tank flies under the radar or a canary yellow tank that’s a conversation piece for airline passengers, you’ll be saving free rainwater for drier times ahead.

Poly-Mart tanks come with all the fittings you need to start collecting the rain, including a 16″ stainless steel strainer basket installed on the top of the tank, a stainless steel screened over flow assembly, outlet bulkhead fitting w/ plug & a 3/4″ bulkhead fitting for installing water hose spigot.  The strainer basket keeps out large debris when the rainwater is entering the tank, and the overflow assembly is designed for ease in directing overflowed water during large rain storms.  A 3/4″ bulkhead fitting is placed at a height that allows room for a watering can underneath. 

Already dreaming about what size and color Polymart rainwater storage tank you want? Visit our partner - North American Rain Systems’ showroom in the Greenville, SC area, and see rain tanks, as well as diverters, pumps, and other rain harvesting supplies up close. If you’re  not up for the drive, you can always shop their selection of rain harvesting supplies online at raincollectionsupplies.com

Want your rain harvesting system designed and installed by a Microfarm pro? You’re in the right place. Click Here to get started.

Create Unique Curb Appeal with Native Plants

While urban farming has certainly become popular, not everyone is ready to scrape their entire property and devote every square inch to growing garden produce, grains, and livestock. The kids still need a place to kick the soccer ball, and home values must still be maintained. But just because the curb appeal of the front of your home are as much of a priority as the goat milk, blueberries, and and sweet potatoes in the backyard,  doesn’t mean your yard has to be an artificial triumph of modern technology over nature like some of your neighbors.

Instead of using sketchy chemicals and wasteful and expensive irrigation to try and grow ornamental plants and grasses that look nice but aren’t well suited for your area, consider using native flowers, groundcovers, trees, and shrubs to create a memorable landscape that can thrive with much less cost and intervention, and really set your home apart from the crowd.

Consider the benefits of native plants as explained by Carolina Native Nursery in Burnsville, NC…

Native plants have evolved in place over geologic time. Their distribution across the natural landscape is due largely to adaptation to local and regional site and climatic conditions. The benefits of using native plants are varied and numerous.

Native plants are environmentally friendly. They require less maintenance and are cost effective, both in the nursery and in the landscape. In other words, they require less pesticides and fertilizer treatments and they conserve water. Once established, native plants will not require an irrigation system for their survival. This can be a very substantial cost savings in the long run. It can be especially important for folks who have vacation homes.

Native plants are hardy. They have adapted and evolved through the ages to local soil types and climate therefore withstanding winter cold and dieback as well as drought conditions. You may lose less plants that are expensive to replace in cost not to mention the time and labor.

Native plants promote biodiversity, provide food and shelter for native wildlife, and restore regional landscapes. A native landscape can blend effortlessly with the surrounding natural landscape.

Native plants prevent future exotic and invasive plant introductions. Although many exotic, or non-native, plants are not invasive, some are. Invasive exotic plant material escapes, naturalizes, spreads, and replaces the native plant communities. These exotics can be vectors of disease and insects. Kudzu, privette, and bittersweet are examples of exotics gone awry.

Interested in ditching the fescue for something much more adapted to our area? Want to use native plants to add loads of memorable curb appeal and charm to your property, save a ton on watering and plant replacement costs, and ditch the toxic chemical fertilizers? We can help. Call 704.568.8841 or write hello@microfarmgardens.com