Will herbs return?

[scanbran]

Last year I bought thyme, sage and oregano which really flourished. I just left them and they appear to be very woody and no sign of new growth. Should I just compost them and buy new ones, or be patient and they will return?

Thyme and sage should but I never have much luck with oregano, I suppose it has a mediterranean background.

If you have planted thyme in a sunny spot it should of flourished all year , I've been cutting from mine all year round . I know sage is much more fussy where it grows , my neighbour grows it all year round in a patch but all my other neighbours can't grow it at all . Mint will disappear during winter months bit should of grown back by now .

The thyme and oregano are just brown, wiry, woody stalks. I'll probably just buy new ones. Thankfully the mint is coming back thick and fast!

Watch out if your mint's in a flowerbed, it will take over

Yes, gingerKit is right - get that mint out of the soil and put it in a pot ASAP!

Thyme likes it really warm and well-drained, and tends to suffer in a wet winter.

My thyme is in a large planter, all by itself - as south facing as I can make it . I was listening to GQT a week or so ago, and someone on there said it doesn't like being planted amongst other things. I have majoram ( which is very, very nearly oregano) and it spreads everywhere - it has kept going here in Yorkshire all winter- its almost a weed ( well no almost about it!)
totally agree about mint - in a pot !

I've always found that oregano doesn't come back the second year, although marjoram does. I've given up on oregano in the U.K. though as it's very needy and goes to seed really quickly when it gets slightly upset, which makes the leaves very bitter. I'm considering trying it in the greenhouse or inside this year.

If thyme has gone woody and has no leaves it may be dead. Mine keeps its leaves all year (it's in a sheltered sunny spot).

Sage should keep its leaves and keep growing year round as well, but I like to put in a new one each year as I find it goes really leggy and the old leaves don't taste nice.

Here in Melbourne, oregano, marjoram and thyme grow freely and respond well to a severe chop. Sage seeds all over the place. Only mint needs loving care, kept in a pot under the carport, so lots of indirect light.

Coriander is my nemesis, does not grow well, but since I've discovered how to keep it fresh in the fridge, I am less bothered.