Question:
How do I harvest and use herbs grown indoors?Answer:
Harvest herbs indoors as you would if grown outdoors. Most do well with periodic snipping as they are needed in the kitchen. Leafy annual herbs, like basil, chervil, and parsley, can be cut back severely when harvested. Using a sharp knife or pruning shears, cut just above a leaf or pair of leaves. Leave approximately 4 to 6 inches of the stem for later growth. Do not cut back leafy perennial herbs as heavily as annual herbs. On perennials, such as chives, mint, oregano, and thyme, remove the top one-third of growth.
After several harvests, it is best to discard old annual herbs and start new plants from seed. Once the danger of frost has passed in the spring, perennial and tender perennial herbs, like rosemary, bay laurel and marjoram, can be moved outdoors where the harvest can continue all summer.
