cut to dry

Harvested a few herbs today- some because they were done for the season, others to get ahead of the insects while the plant has plenty of healthy growth for me. I noticed the epazote was making strong scent, and saw on one flowers forming as little buds at the leaf nodes. So I cut them to the ground, and hung the bunches to dry. That's it for epazote this time, but it's probably enough to last me for several years of cooking beans, since I only need two or three leaves per batch! I hung it in the basement window, where it's cooler- and also because I can't stand the pungent smell when it's first cut. Probably this cooler spot is better for drying herbs, anyway. I should put them all down here.

I cut some of the stevia- it had tiny leaf hoppers making some of the leaves curl- there's also a spider in residence so I'm not too worried. Poor photo against the light.

Another bunch of sage- this to get ahead of the leaf hoppers and mealy bugs that are starting to mar the leaves.

I made space for the newly cut herbs by putting some earlier dried ones into jars- summer savory, chocolate mint and another handful of epazote (the parsley and dill aren't ready to store yet).

Also cut some lemon balm. I threw out most of last year's frozen leaves, they were getting freezer burn by now. From the cut stems, picked just the largest leaves to freeze for winter use, then put the stems with remaining smaller leaves in a jar of water, to keep it fresh for a few days while I use them up for tea.

first herb harvest

I feel dubious about growing and using epazote, after reading more...

It contains a chemical that is considered to be an explosive (if extracted, purified and heated). Certainly has a very strong, almost unpleasant odor. When I first cut a few leaves to use in cooking, it seemed sharply acrid, almost citrusy, to me. Made a pot of black beans with it and wow, those beans had the best flavor. Epazote is toxic if eaten in large quantities (just don't make a salad out of it, one website cautions) (probably as much as potatoes, rosemary or rhubarb could be toxic if you ate enough/the wrong part of it) but most of that is concentrated in the buds and flowers. I realized it doesn't take much for the flavor- I used three leaves on an entire pot of beans and that seemed plenty. So I don't need as much plant as I've grown- I cut them all to the ground yesterday, to prevent them from flowering and dry for future cooking use. I think they will be easier to handle if dry- when I first cut the stems, they gave off a sharp scent like gasoline, made me feel slightly ill. I had to dry them outside for most part of the day, then the odor subsided. It is supposedly a short-lived plant in the garden, so I figured taking cuttings now while the plant is thriving was best anyway.

I cut some other herbs from my deck containers to hang and dry- because they are so lush right now, I think I will take and save them for my own use before the insects get at them. Dill is just fantastic:

Summer savory I recently planted out in the box, and the stems were rather long and leggy so I cut them back to promote fuller growth. Leaves are nice size.

Parsley has also grown super thick and lush- it likes cooler weather, too- so might as well cut it down now for the kitchen- it will falter when the heat hits us next month.

I did notice a very small spider has taken up residence, so I left alone the stem it is living on. The parsley and dill I haven't cut back entirely, leaving enough of the plants to use fresh for a while yet.

set out

In the front I've planted out my new alstroemeria, the 'marguerite' and osteospermum daisies (here on either side of peony)

and the decorative coleus- unnamed lime-and-orange one, plenty of 'gay delight' and the crazy 'rodeo drive'. The white-edged 'wizard jade' and the 'limelight' are still on indoor windowsills- they seem more cold sensitive so I will wait a week or so for those.

In the garden I planted out the red velvet marigolds into a few blank spots- this one is between the epazote herbs-

and the 'seashell' cosmos- three between the rows of snap peas- I don't think the back row is going to amount to much- so I don't mind if flowers grow in front of them- but the first row is climbing and climbing!

and the rest in a row in the middle of the bed with beets and leeks- maybe too soon? they are rather droopy, I think felt a bit of shock

cold nights again

Nearly all of my young plants had to come inside.

view from the other side:

some closeups: epazote, celosia behind

Opopeo amaranth, sweet basil, celosia:

Hyssop:

Peppers in front of tarragon (doing great) and sweet potato vine (ailing from something):

Zinnia and cosmos:

Cosmos in front of cucumber seedlings

Nicotiana are quickly becoming very crowded. I realized too late I made the mistake again of sowing in a tray and not directly in the ground . . . dang

Tithonias:

These are looking great (except one that's stunted). I can't wait to plant them out and see if the hummningbird visits again.

Only those that can withstand down to fifty degrees stayed out in the coldframe over night (with a blanket over it): tomatoes

marigolds, chervil, basil and cranesbill

When it warms up to sixty air temp, window lid comes off and I tuck some of the cosmos and zinnias in there- shelter from the high winds we've been having. It fills up the space!

more potting up!

Moved a bunch of plants out of their seedling trays yesterday. First the tomatoes. One was still holding the seed coat between two leaf tips.

I used the bottom of half gallon milk cartons this year

Sweet peppers.

Basil. Only two of my sweet basil grew- and the one front left is behind the rest. I don't know if that one will make it. (Once before I transplanted a seedling that didn't have its first true leaves quite grown out yet, and it died).

The majority of them are amaratto basil (seed from my sister)- which has purple leaves! It's an ornamental variety.

Fenugreek- If it finds favor, this it might replace oregano in all my cooking. Told my husband I was growing fenugreek instead this year, and he said he really likes it. Still unfamiliar to me.

Epazote are still small, slower to grow- but kind of attractive with their rosy stems.

I potted up a dozen- probably more than I need-

and discarded all the smaller ones-

Nepitella are even smaller, so I felt dubious even moving them. But they do have the first true leaves, and most of my plants really take off once they get into proper soil.

I'm anxious to pot up more, but only one celosia was big enough yet. It's the plant that grew out trio of leaves instead of the usual pairs.

Likewise only a few of the globe amaranth were big enough to move up-

and only one of the opopeo amaranth. I'm glad I looked this plant up- the opopeo variety can grow huge! eight or nine feet tall- so I'm going to find a place for it outside of my regular garden plots, probably against the fence in sun.

And finally- my lovage has sprouted! I looked up more info on lovage, because I was starting to think it would never germinate- and very glad I did. This one will also grow large- possibly six or seven feet- and is a perennial- although some people dig it up at end of season to eat the carrot-like root. I'm rather excited about growing this now, because its leaves and stems have celery flavor- and I've failed at growing actual celery before. Would be nice to have a hardy, thriving perennial that takes place for celery.

There's only a few seedling trays now- summer savory which will go straight into the soil in a few days when the freezing nights have passed, 'peach screamer' nicotiana- which I probably should have direct planted, but forgot that particular- and black cumin. I also sowed a few cucumber seeds.

all my seedlings

Most of the pics are five or more days old; I didn't get around to posting them. Some of my slower seedlings have finally come up. All the collards now:

Most of the tomatoes:

Cranesbill- only one:

Peppers- I had to heat them. Stuck the seedling tray in the over an hour after dinner- when it was just barely warm. Peppers germinated the next morning.

I have a few more summer savory, but not as many as last year. I think they start better when it's warmer, next year I'll sow them in the fourth set.

I have basils now. The leaves turn purplish if I accidentally let them get too cold.

more of the Epazote have sprouted. The seeds were so tiny I scattered them in the tray, and now they're crowded into bunches. Will have to thin.

Some of the seedlings seem to grow so slow. Amaranth are still just the first cotyledons.

Nepitella are still very tiny.

I had forgotten how absolutely miniscule the nicotiana sprouts up

Sculpit also still quite small. Not really grown enough I would have handled them to move into regular pot, but I dropped the tray and spilled. So gently picked them up by seedling leaves and tucked into a small pot each.