7 ways to care for your plants so that they stay healthy throughout the year

Read on to know about the 7 secrets to successfully grow herbs in your garden!

Plants are our lifeline and it is our utmost duty to care for them and protect them. Even in the tiniest of the space you can manage to grow herbs, and add some fresh color and flavors to the food preparations and your living space. Here are 7 easy tips that you can follow for a greener and healthier herb arrangement in your garden.

The 1/3rd rule. You must never harvest more than 1/3rd of the plant growth at one time to ensure that the plant can regrow itself sooner. But, chives are an exception, which tends to grow back quicker if all the leaves are trimmed about half inch to 1 inch from the ground.

When to harvest. The harvesting time varies with the variety of plant. Basil should be harvested when its 6 to 8 inches in height, chives when the leaves are thick for use, cilantro when stems are 6 to 12 inches long, lavender once the stem flowers, oregano once it reaches 3 to 4 inches height, and parsley once mature leaves appear. Some varieties like peppermint, lemon balm, thyme, tarragon, sage, and rosemary can be harvested anytime during the growing season.

How to harvest. It also varies with the plant variety. Leafy plants like basil should be pinched off from the leaf bunches around the tip of the stem. You must clip stem closer to the leaf pair as it will help the plant to regrow and get a bushier harvest next year. Herbs with a longer stem, such as parsley, cilantro, rosemary, and lavender should be cut near plant base. Leafy herbs like sage, oregano, tarragon, and thyme should be harvested from the sprig or stem.

What to harvest. Each plant has a specific harvesting purpose and you should be careful to check when is the time to harvest the seed, flower, or leaf of the plant. So, if you are harvesting cilantro for the leaf or for the seed, then you have to be aware of the growth stages of that plant.

Harvesting the clippings. Some plants may be harvested to be regrown from the plant clipping as well, such as rosemary, basil, and mint.

When to stop. Some plants such as rosemary and thyme can be harvested throughout the year, while others need rest.

Drying the herbs. You can dry the harvested herbs to preserve them in the best way possible by just cutting off the long stems, bundle them together, and hang them to dry. You may also use a food dehydrator to preserve the herbs quickly without any risk of contamination.