Basil, mint, thyme: This is how your culinary herbs will survive the winter

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«Basically, herbs grown indoors have the same needs as outdoors. This means: light, water and nutrients,” explains Othmar Ziswiler. He is head of trading and end-use at Jardin Suisse. Conditions in a house or apartment due to dry heating air for plants can be compared to extreme location, especially in winter. “It is easier to dry plants in the summer than to keep them in pots in the winter.” But with a little knowledge and good care, a lot is possible.

One thing is the same with almost all herbs: You need to be careful when watering them. «It is very important that the plants never sit in water and are watered again only after the substrate has dried slightly. “The substrate should never be completely dry,” explains Ziswiler.

“Even when planted outside, many plants survive the Swiss winter,” says Ziswiler. “Rosemary, lavender, thyme, sage and thyme are perennial and wintergreen herbs.” This means they can also be left outside during the winter months. You can wrap the pots with a protective cover to protect from cold weather.

«If plants are being taken into a building for safety reasons, it is important to place them in a cool, bright place. They can then be easily harvested during the winter months.” Because the growth is small, Ziswiler recommends harvesting only enough to leave enough green leaves on the plants.

When planting Mediterranean herbs such as lavender, thyme, rosemary, sage and thyme, it is important to place them in the right place in the garden. “You need a more sheltered location with good water drainage,” says Ziswiler. According to the expert, it is necessary to be careful about lavender and thyme: “These species overwinter well in pots. “But they need to be protected from very low temperatures,” he said. It is often enough to move it close to the house, away from the wind and midday sun.

“Chives, mint, and lemon balm can be brought indoors before the first frost and harvested until they are limp,” says Ziwsiler. This happens faster in a warm room than in a cold room. Herbs must be placed in a bright place. Once harvested, they can be taken outside again.

Basil is most comfortable in the warmth of the living room: “As basil is a ‘Grförli’, it needs to be brought into the house at a temperature of eight to ten degrees.” The problem is usually the light, not the temperature. “If there is too little light on the plant, the aromas of the plants no longer develop sufficiently and long, soft shoots are formed.

Although basil also produces new leaves in winter, it should only be harvested sparingly as the plant’s growth is severely restricted during the winter months.

Here are a few more tips:

1. It is important to get a larger pot and place the curved pottery piece on the bottom of the pot. This then allows the water to drain better. Drainage helps against waterlogging. For example, use gravel or expanded clay. The drainage layer should be about five centimeters high.
2. Now you can fill the substrate into the pot. Nutrient-rich potting soil is best for overwintering basil.
3. When placing the basil plant, make sure the top edge of the root ball is just below the rim of the pot and is completely covered with soil. Water generously.

4. The best place is a window on the south side because the plant receives as much light as possible in winter.

You can support the plant with some organic fertilizer. It is recommended to fertilize every four to six weeks.

Source : Blick