A Herb's Second Summer . . . Now What?

[Whitewater]

Last summer in my small but sunny herb garden (and it is small, it's 3'x6'!) I planted herbs and and some of them didn't do so well but a few thrived.

I know that winter will have killed the tarragon and the lavender, but I still have the old (now dead *looking*) dill and sage in my herb garden.

The dill and sage both grew like gangbusters last year, but I don't know if they'll come back. If they do, what do I do about the dead bits? Just ignore them? Trim the leaves off? Cut it down to the ground?

Right now it looks a bit like Halloween, with dead but still recognizable dill and sage plants. The sage is shriveled but still standing, and the dill got its top knocked off by some careless dogs, but it's still upright also.

Should I just wait to see if they'll grow back this summer? Is there anything I should do with/to the old plants?

(Yes, I'm new at this)


Whitewater

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

I've never been able to grow Tarragon successfully. I actually can't stand it.

I would recommend cutting the sage back and this should come back assuming there's not too much damage to the plant from frost. Although this helps nothing with your current situation, covering with a thick mulch will probably help the sage survive a little better through the winter.

I recommend just replanting the dill. Grows really fast and I usually just pull them each year anyway.

Good luck

Carlos

 

[Catalina]

Hey there - Dill and Sage aren't usually winter hardy in MN. I plant my sage, rosemary and bay in pots and bring them inside for the winter.
I'll bet the dill re-seeded itself - they throw out a TON of seeds!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm on a different growing area than you so you should trust Catalina more than me on this.

My tarragon, sage, oregano, and thyme came back from the roots last year. I did not mulch them or do anything special. This winter was more severe than the previous winter so we will see what happens this year. I remember Dad building a cage and filling it with leaves to insulate certain things from the severe cold so I agree OaklandCityFarmer is on the right track with mulching.

My cilantro comes back strong from reseeding. I find it is a little invasive My dill and parsley do not reseed. I have to get new plants of those every year.

The stuff that comes back will come back from the roots or reseed. You can cut it to the ground and get it out of your way. Those stalks above ground are dead.

 

[vfem]

Yes, you will definitely have to follow Catalina's advice. In my area, Sage over winters, my sage is still green and I've been picking it to cook with. I know dill reseeds....

If I were you, its still early yet, I would wait until fresh new green growth starts out there and then trim back the dead. Give it until the May to see how it comes back.

 

[Lavender2]

My experience with Dill is as Catalina mentioned - if I don't remove the seed heads there will be a carpet of little dills in Spring.
I leave a couple to reseed.

Although I seem to have a micro climate going on -

Sage is hardy for me - several years now - I leave it until late Spring and then trim out any dead stems and cut it back by about one half. New growth will usually show at the base of the plant first, but also from some of the stems that you think are dead. Trimming it will keep it from becoming a leggy bush.

Tarragon - I received a plant from a friend (we call her the Herb Queen ) She lives just south of the cities. It has over wintered for her for several years - even the French tarragon. She says not to bother with the Russian type that claims to be more hardy, paper has more flavor ...
Mine is still under the snow... so

Lavender - Munstead returns every year for me, Hidcote and Lady are less hardy strains but have made it through winters for me. They look dead and crunchy, I'm always surprised to see growth!

My gardens are pretty much 'survival of the fittest' ... the cover they get is the leaves the plants grab and hang onto as they fly about.... oh, and 2- 3 feet of snow ...

 

[patandchickens]

It's not really any different than any other garden plant. Trim off the obviously brittle-dead stuff once snow season is over; wait to see what if anything is going to start growing again; then once it is clear what parts aren't coming back, trim those out too, or remove the whole plant if it is too badly killed back or entirely dead.

As a clue to identify deadness, a branch is generally dead if it is brittle and snaps easily; if there is no green under the outer layer when you scratch through with a thumbnail; if the little leaf buds are dead and brittle; or if it has gone much longer than when the plant usually leafs out with no signs of activity. To tell if the whole plant is dead, delicately push back some of the mulch/soil around the base and look for any signs of plump white, green or pink buds coming up from the stem area below soil level; and if the plant rocks or pulls up very easily, it was almost certainly dead from the roots. (If it stays firmly anchored when you tug at it, it may be alive or it may be dead, you have to consider other signs).

And for self-seeders like dill, keep a sharp eye out for seedlings, remembering that the first few pairs of true leaves do not always look the same as on the mature plant. (I don't know about dill in particular, I'm just saying this is true of plants in general). When in doubt, leave it a little while til you can tell for sure what it is.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[lesa]

I am in zone 4- both my tarragon and lavender return after the long winter... Yours might, depending on they type you planted. Don't plant sage-so can't say. I am sure your dill reseeded- maybe not exactly where you want it! You can just throw the dead stuff onto your compost pile. I would trim, not pull - just in case. Enjoy!

 

[Catalina]

I must be in the really cold part of MN LOL
I have had thyme come back every year. Chives too. I have tried every single "winter hardy" lavender and they are beautiful for one year, but die in the winter (even with protection).

But you might have a micro climate like lavender2. I know from very painful, sad and expensive experience that I can't grow anything that says zone 5. It's 4 or 3 for me!