By Ian Wilson
There’s nothing like the freshness and sparkle that a handful of home grown herbs can add to a meal. And while most people resign themselves to a fall and winter of stews and roasts, abandoning hope of all things fresh until spring, they don’t realize that your winter table can, in fact, be garnished with a little hint of Summer! And a few beloved annual herbs planted late in the season can make all the difference.
September is the perfect time for planting annual herbs that will mature and be harvestable through the Fall and into Winter
September is the last possible planting window for fall and winter vegetables here in the Pacific Northwest. And while hardy greens (kale, cabbage, chard…) and root vegetables (carrots, beets, parsnips…) take center stage, it turns out that a trio of annual herbs: parsley, cilantro, and dill are perfectly suited for the cool wet weather ahead.
Most herbs are ‘perennial’ meaning that they live for multiple years and keep coming back. This includes rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, mint, and marjoram. ‘Annual’ herbs complete their life cycle in less than one year and hence, need to be planted annually.
Parsley is extremely winter hardy and can tolerate temperatures down to 10º without being damaged
Parsley, cilantro, and dill constitute most of the annual herbs and while they can tolerate warmer summer temperatures, they are most happy in cool weather and thrive in all of the dank dreariness of an Oregon fall! Even better, each of these herbs has at least some degree of frost tolerance meaning they can survive temperatures below 32º. Mature dill and cilantro can both tolerate a light frost, while parsley can tolerate temperatures as low as 10º!
Another benefit of fall harvested herbs is a long “harvest window.” Cilantro and dill in particular are very quick to ‘bolt’ during the warm summer months, but cooler shorter days allow these plants to mature more slowly and take the pressure off of you to get them out of the garden before they flower!
Cilantro, which is quick to ‘bolt’ during warm summer temperatures, has a much longer ‘harvest window’ when planted in late summer for a Fall crop.
In September, with days getting shorter and summer temperatures moderating, planting from STARTS (not from seeds) and planting BEFORE the Fall Equinox is the safest way to ensure that plants reach maturity before vegetative growth slows significantly in October.
Like most vegetables and herbs, cilantro, dill, and parsley prefer full sun, and fertile well-drained soil. Beyond these requirements, these herbs are easy to grow! If you have a spot in your garden that checks those boxes, the only thing left to do is put some plants in the ground. Get right to it before Fall fully sets in and your won’t be disappointed.