Planting your herbs and watching them grow is only the beginning of herb gardening. Unlike other garden plants, herbs are useful away from the garden in many ways. To harvest and preserve your herbs for use, you will need to do some work first.

Time your harvest properly. The essential oils in herbs are what you want to get the most of when harvesting. Wind and heat cause the oils to dissipate. Herbs produce less oil on rainy days. Choose a dry, windless morning after flowering has begun for the season; midsummer is often best. Harvest after the dew dries but before that day’s blossoms open.

Harvesting home herbs means taking a small amount of the plant for use, not uprooting the entire plant. Try to remove no more than one third of the total plant when harvesting. Pruning prompts new growth, but remaining leaves will need to make food for the whole plant in the meantime. Inspect the plant for any damage from insects or disease prior to harvesting.

Herbs from a home herb garden do not need to be used immediately. This is good news if you have a large harvest. You want to retain the oils in the plant while avoiding rot. Preserve them for later use in one of three ways: dried, frozen, or pickled in salt or vinegar.

Drying herbs is a simple method of preservation. Individual leaves can be dried by laying flat on a screen or rack. You must turn the leaves often for even drying. You can use an appliance such as a dehydrator or oven but will not achieve results as satisfactory as air drying. To dry herbs on the stem, bundle stems in groups of up to a dozen, tying defoliated stem ends with string. Hang the bundles upside-down in a cool, dry, windowless space.

Herbs can be frozen to lock in their essential oils. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with wax paper. Chop herbs into pieces about 1/4 inch in size. Place herbs on the baking sheet in a single layer and freeze. Once frozen, the herbs can be collected in a container and stored in the freezer for later use.

Herbs from a home herb garden can be pickled to preserve their flavor. Pickling is a very old preservation method involving salt or vinegar. Drop fresh herbs like basil, tarragon or mint into vinegar to keep the flavor for several months. Herb leaves can be dried and preserved by sandwiching them with salt. Once the salt has dehydrated the leaves, remove the browned herbs from the salt and keep them in an airtight container.

Using herbs from a home herb garden includes using them freshly picked. To use them fresh, wash the herbs gently by floating them in a bowl of cool water. If you have a lot of herbs to wash at once, use the sink basin. Add two tablespoons of salt to the bowl to chase away insects. The salt will not alter the flavor of the herb. Lift the herbs from the water and dry in a salad spinner.

Herbs have as many uses as there are varieties. Research the proper way to harvest each herb for specific instructions. Become familiar with the uses of all the herbs you grow and how to preserve each for best flavor, aroma or color.