Another Herb question.

[Nubsmum]

I can't seem to find this info but I do have several books on back order at the library regarding veg gardening.:tools

Anyway. This is my first year to grow herbs. My basil was started from seed. It is a smaller average variety. Will it just keep growing as long as it has enough room and I bring it indoors for winter? Or is it a plant that will eventually bolt? I have not started new plants thinking this would just keep us supplied but I want to have it year round.

Same questions for mint, oregano, sage and chives. Would love to bring them all inside and just keep them growing until they can come out again next summer. The rest of these I bought as starts.

 

[patandchickens]

IME basil eventually becomes irretrievably committed to flowering, no matter how many times you pinch it back, and after that you won't get much out of it, quality or quantity wise. I *think* it is by nature an annual.

Mint OTOH should be cut back after flowering if you want to keep a maximal supply of fresh young leaves, but it will live forever and ever and ever, long after you shift from wanting to encourage it to wanting to dynamite it out

Oregano is same as mint -- a good perennial, hardy at *least* to USDA zone 4 -- only slightly less invasive. Uh, in most soils

Sage is the same sort of thing only not quite as cold hardy.

Chives are either perennial or just reseed themselves ad infinitum, I don't really know but they just keep going as long as you don't somehow kill them by accident.

Most of the above are not great bets as houseplants unless you can give them absolutely full totally-bright sun all day. However you can often pick them from outdoors (in small quantities) for much of the winter unless you live somewhere really Arctic, especially if you plant them in a sunny place and give them some protection.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[blurose]

It was my master plan by planting my herb garden in old ice chests to drag them into my green house when it starts to get too cool outside. I sure hope this works, although my own chives are a gonner.

 

[smom1976]

you must have a lot of ice chests..

 

[blurose]

Only 2, small herb garden.

 

[chickaD]

Pat, thanks for the great laugh, about using dynamite to slow down aggressive herbs......how I regret my earlier naive planting of mint...well, at least it's not as bad as goutweed.

 

[Reinbeau]

Basil is an annual, it's sole purpose is to grow, flower, set seed and die. So replant it if you want more, but keep in mind they aren't the best indoor plants for the winter. They really prefer to be outdoors and warm.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

When it was cold this spring I had good luck growing basil inside on a heat pad and under a grow light. I haven't tried it in the fall or winter, but I would think it would be possible.

 

[me&thegals]

Pat--your posts always crack me up Regarding the OP, I agree with everything Pat and others said. I've not had luck with basil and think it belongs in that special category of something to gorge on like crazy during its season (like peaches!) and freeze the rest in the form of pesto.