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Post by keflavik on Sept 21, 2007 10:30:43 GMT -5
Does anyone know if my potted herbs will do alright if I leave them out all winter? Realize that I am in Texas and it never gets REALLY cold. I have basil, oregano and mint sitting on my back patio. The basil and oregano are in the same container and I thought had died off but have made a huge comeback! We were gone for about a month and they never got watered and dried up. I trimmed them back and now my basil is taking over! (Any one want basil?) I pulled up some to give the oregano room. But, will I need to bring them in for the winter? Or will they come back again? I just love cooking with the fresh herbs as the taste is so much "cleaner". Also, chives. I want to plant chives and am not sure if they will make it through the winter.
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Sept 22, 2007 16:18:26 GMT -5
Hi keflavik,
Herbs through the winter ... Well, it depends on what part of Texas you live in. I live in S. E. Texas and my herbs are planted in a raised bed outside my kitchen up against my house. Thus, they are left out all winter. However, our temperatures rarely drop below 32 degrees. If the weather is forcasted to drop to near freezing or below, I give my herbs a drink of water EARLY in the day, before noon, and then cover them with old sheets just before the sun begins to go down. As soon at the temperatures rise above freezing I uncover them and allow the sun to warm them up. I have had my basil, rosemary, onion chives, oregano and garlic chives for almost three years now. I usually have to replant parsley, thyme, sage, and marjoram - but occasionally some of them will come back - don't know why they sometimes die off and other times they grow back ... tb
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Post by cindylu on Sept 23, 2007 16:36:03 GMT -5
I don't know about where you live for your herbs. I live in the mountains of northern Montana and had to bring mine in about a month ago. I have discovered something to help them grow better though. I have been experimenting with hydrogen peroxide. Take a regular, clean spray bottle and fill it with 1 quart of water and add 1 ounce of 3% hydrogen peroxide that you buy at any drugstore or Wal-mart. Mist your herbs or plants with it a couple to three times a week and they will grow fantastically! My herbs were stunted from being out in the cold before I brought them in. My merrigolds were almost dead and I used this on them and now they are blooming again and very green and bushy. I was a bit doubtful. Who would use peroxide on their plants? How in the world would that work. But let me tell you, my husband is going to have to build bigger shelves in front of our windows. My herbs are too big to go where they are now. It worked so well that yesterday I went outside and sprayed our zucchini and tomatoes that are in the greenhouse. We really will see how well this will work. Who would of thought a few pennies of peroxide would work like that!
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tbhas6
Senior Member
Posts: 1,146
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Post by tbhas6 on Sept 23, 2007 17:28:18 GMT -5
Hi Cindylu,
Thanks for the peroxide tip, I'll give it a try ... by the way my dad also lives in the Mountains in Northern Montana - about 75 mi. outside of Missoula. It is very beautiful there ... you are certainly blessed to live in such a beautiful place!
tb
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Post by keflavik on Sept 27, 2007 6:10:17 GMT -5
Tb, Thanks for the Texas info. I'll see if they will manage through the winter mostly because I really don't have a place to put them in the house. I'll replant if necessary. I was talking to my neighbor yesterday and she thought that last winter was colder than normal for SE Texas. I waited all winter for it to GET cold! We'll see how they do.
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