Question
I planted an herb garden early in June  and the herbs grew beautifully.  the only problem is, I did not use them fast enough and did not cut them back.  Now my dill and oregano have gone crazy and are flowering.  Can I cut them back now or is it too late--and how far back do I cut?  Also my rosemary and sage seem to have stopped growing entirely--any advice??

Thanks for the help!!!

Answer
Mary Beth:
Yes! they need pruning. The dill can be cut back to the
youngest leaves. They will flower again, so be prepared to harvest dill seeds. The oregano should be cut back hard for new growth & better flavor. Below is my herb pruning info:

How & When to Prune Your Herbs

There seems to be very little info on when and how much to prune our herbs.                                

I have a little formula that I now use that may help you to have healthier and productive plants.                                                          To tell you the truth, I did not practice this myself until I started to experiment with pruning the rosemary, lavender, sage and thyme. What a difference I saw in this timely pruning!

As new growth begins in the spring and gets to 6 to 12 inches, cut 1/3 from the top down on each stem, SPARE NO ONE! This will be done every 3 weeks or less, depending on how much you use the plant.

Don't go over 3 weeks without cutting it, even if you don't need to use it!                                                                      

Make an herbal vinegar, freeze, give away or if scented, place in old nylon stocking, tie in a knot and put into your dryer, clothes drawers, closets, car ashtrays, car pillows, coat pockets, etc.

Basil is a must for constant pruning. It also keeps the plant from becoming too woody.

Don't let it flower for more flavorful leaves. You can slow the flowering down a little more (especially basil ) by cutting 3 pairs of leaves below the flower heads.

Leroy