Harvesting 11 Week Old Herb Plants
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: No Name Given
Posted on: December 30, 2003

I have grown fresh herbs and they are eleven weeks old and according to books I’ve read, they are old enough to be harvested. I want to dry and freeze them. Can you tell me how? When harvesting them do I pull all the plant out or just the leaves?

If it is winter and you are growing the plants on the windowsill or under lights they may not grow as quickly or as vigorously as they would out in the garden during the summer. Herbs that have stems can be harvested as soon as they are tall enough to leave 10 centimeters (4 inches) at the base after harvest. Herbs such as parsley, that have no stem, but just have leaves growing out of a central rosette have to be treated differently. There you harvest the older leaves but be sure to always leave about three strong young leaves at the centre to carry on the photosynthesizing of the plant. You cannot start to harvest them until there are three strong leaves to leave unharvested.

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