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Harvest, Storage & Post-Harvest TimingDrying Calendar for Herbs
Drying herbs starts in the garden, with the cut, and ends with a check weeks later. A calendar keeps the steps in order.
Key points
- Cut herbs in the morning after dew dries and before flowering for leaf flavor.
- Plan extra drying time for humid weather.
- Herbs are dry when leaves crumble and stems snap.
- Use tested methods from NCHFP or extension, and discard any herbs that show mold.
Why plan herb drying on a calendar?
Herbs are ready at different times of the season, and each needs to be cut, dried and stored before quality fades. A simple calendar helps you avoid a pile of wet herbs on the kitchen counter when three plants all need cutting in the same week.
It also helps with the flavor, since herbs cut at the right time and dried promptly keep more of what you grew them for.
A worked example: suppose oregano, sage and mint all reach cutting size within a couple of weeks of each other. Without a plan you might cut all three in one afternoon and lack the space to dry them well. With a calendar you can spread cuts across several mornings.
When should herbs be cut for drying?
Many growers cut in the morning after dew has dried, before the day gets hot, and before the plant flowers if leaf flavor is the goal. Our herb harvest calendar guide covers timing by plant type. Seed herbs are cut when the seed heads are ripening but before the seed scatters.
Take only what you can handle in a day. Fresh herbs left in a pile can heat up and spoil.
What does a drying calendar look like?
List each herb, the expected cut window, the drying method and the expected check date. Add a space for the date you move herbs into storage and a note about how they looked.
Plan around weather. Humid, rainy spells slow drying and risk mold, so leave extra margin in those weeks. In dry climates, drying is quicker and the calendar can be tighter.
Write the drying place on the calendar as well. A spare room, a covered porch or a dedicated rack in a dry spot all need to be free when the herbs come in, and a note on the calendar keeps you from using the space for something else.
- Herb and part used: leaf, seed, flower or root
- Cut date and weather
- Drying method and place
- Check date for dryness
- Date moved to storage
What methods are used?
Common home methods include air drying small bundles in a warm, dry, shaded, ventilated place, drying on screens, and using a food dehydrator or an oven set according to the manufacturer's directions. The best method depends on the herb: sturdy leaves dry easily, and juicy herbs such as basil can mold.
Because drying is a food preservation topic, we do not give temperatures or times here. The National Center for Home Food Preservation and your extension office publish tested guidance, and you should follow it.
Whichever method you use, keep different herbs separate, since strong flavored herbs can affect others, and keep drying herbs away from damp or dusty places.
How do you know herbs are dry enough?
Leaves should crumble and stems should snap, not bend. If a herb feels leathery or cool and damp, it is not ready. Packing herbs that are still damp is the most common cause of mold in storage.
Check again a few days after you put them in a container. If you see moisture or fogging inside, take them out and dry them further.
How should dried herbs be stored and checked?
Store in clean, dry, airtight containers, away from light and heat, and label with the herb and the year. Whole leaves hold flavor longer than crushed leaves, so many cooks crush at the time of use.
Check containers after the first week and occasionally through the year. Discard any herbs with mold, odor or signs of insects. If you are unsure, throw it out.
What else should you know?
If you grow herbs for sale, ask your state department of agriculture about rules for dried herbs and labeling. Regulations for ginseng and some medicinal herbs vary by state and federal law, and we make no medical claims about any herb.
Keep records of what you dried and how it turned out, and refine the plan next year.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.