The best place to start is with the herbs you will use most frequently. A lot of nurseries also recommend complimentary herbs that grow very well alongside each other. It is worthwhile remembering that herbs vary in size, and therefore may grow best in small containers, through to large gardens.
When you are starting to learn about herb gardening, it is recommended that you begin with something small – perhaps with a few simple herbs in a small pot, growing in full sun.
Two of the most important things to remember when growing herbs are:
- Herbs require lots of sunlight
- Herbs prefer well-drained soil
Most herbs require full or partial sun and generally flourish in these conditions. Likewise most herbs will not grow well in wet soil, or if they are over-watered. Resist the temptation to water your herbs too frequently. Every 2-3 days is usually sufficient; some herbs even prefer up to 7 days between watering. It is also recommended that a good quality potting mix is used for planting herbs.
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
Saturday, 21 July 2007
Herb Gardening - Preserving Herbs: Drying
Some herbs are grown simply for their beauty and fragrance in the garden. But once grown, many herbs are harvested for what they were grown for: medicines, seasonings, aromatics and so forth. That requires proper preservation techniques, usually drying.
There are different traditional methods - bag drying, tray drying, air drying and even a few new ones such as microwave drying.
BAG
Many herbs have delightful flowers, some with seeds which are harvested. For those, one of the easiest ways to preserve is simply let the flower dry over a piece of paper, then curl the paper and pour the seeds into a bag. For leaf preservation there are a few extra steps.
Remove the flowers and roots from the stalk and rinse the remainder, leaving the stems in water to soak for a few hours. This will loosen any soil that simple rinsing wasn't able to wash away. Then put them onto a cotton or paper towel and let them air dry.
Put the plant into a small paper bag, with the (now gone) flower end inside and the stalks protruding an inch or two out of the bag. Tie the bag around the stalks and place upside down. Upside down, that is, from the plant's point of view. In other words, put the bag on its base, with the stems up. Oil from the stems will move by capillary action into the leaves, where they become saturated with flavor or aroma.
In about a week or two, if the air is moderately dry, the leaves will become brittle and easy to crumble. Avoid breaking them at this stage, just separate and place in an airtight jar. Then when you want to use them, they can be put into potpourri or crumbled for seasoning.
TRAY
In tray drying, there's no need to keep the stalks, just the leaf stems and leaves. Clean as above and lay them out without overlapping on the tray, then put the tray into a dark, well ventilated area. Remove the tray once per day and flip the leaves over to ensure even drying. In a few days, they'll be ready for use.
MICROWAVE
If you're pressed for time, you can even dry herbs in the microwave oven. Put the herbs onto a paper towel or a paper plate. This helps absorption better than use of a microwave-safe plate. Set for medium power and microwave for a couple of minutes. The exact time will vary depending on the type and amount of herb, but 2-3 minutes is right for most.
Check the degree of dryness by rubbing a leaf between thumb and forefinger. The leaf should be brittle, crumbling without much pressure. If not, try again in 30 second intervals until you've reached the right dryness for your purposes.
Cautions: At a certain point, you're no longer drying. Microwaves operate by agitating water molecules in food, causing it to heat up and evaporate. After the moisture is gone, you're not drying the plant and may be harming your microwave oven. Also, if the power is too high or the timing too long, you can inadvertently cook the herb. Experiment until you find the right adjustments for your circumstances.
There are different traditional methods - bag drying, tray drying, air drying and even a few new ones such as microwave drying.
BAG
Many herbs have delightful flowers, some with seeds which are harvested. For those, one of the easiest ways to preserve is simply let the flower dry over a piece of paper, then curl the paper and pour the seeds into a bag. For leaf preservation there are a few extra steps.
Remove the flowers and roots from the stalk and rinse the remainder, leaving the stems in water to soak for a few hours. This will loosen any soil that simple rinsing wasn't able to wash away. Then put them onto a cotton or paper towel and let them air dry.
Put the plant into a small paper bag, with the (now gone) flower end inside and the stalks protruding an inch or two out of the bag. Tie the bag around the stalks and place upside down. Upside down, that is, from the plant's point of view. In other words, put the bag on its base, with the stems up. Oil from the stems will move by capillary action into the leaves, where they become saturated with flavor or aroma.
In about a week or two, if the air is moderately dry, the leaves will become brittle and easy to crumble. Avoid breaking them at this stage, just separate and place in an airtight jar. Then when you want to use them, they can be put into potpourri or crumbled for seasoning.
TRAY
In tray drying, there's no need to keep the stalks, just the leaf stems and leaves. Clean as above and lay them out without overlapping on the tray, then put the tray into a dark, well ventilated area. Remove the tray once per day and flip the leaves over to ensure even drying. In a few days, they'll be ready for use.
MICROWAVE
If you're pressed for time, you can even dry herbs in the microwave oven. Put the herbs onto a paper towel or a paper plate. This helps absorption better than use of a microwave-safe plate. Set for medium power and microwave for a couple of minutes. The exact time will vary depending on the type and amount of herb, but 2-3 minutes is right for most.
Check the degree of dryness by rubbing a leaf between thumb and forefinger. The leaf should be brittle, crumbling without much pressure. If not, try again in 30 second intervals until you've reached the right dryness for your purposes.
Cautions: At a certain point, you're no longer drying. Microwaves operate by agitating water molecules in food, causing it to heat up and evaporate. After the moisture is gone, you're not drying the plant and may be harming your microwave oven. Also, if the power is too high or the timing too long, you can inadvertently cook the herb. Experiment until you find the right adjustments for your circumstances.
Friday, 13 July 2007
Herb Gardening - Common Herbs – Chives, Peppermint, Parsley
Creating an herb garden is fun and practical. The aromas are wonderful, the view is beautiful, and many can be used as medicines or for cooking. Growing them is easy. They're hardy and thrive well in all kinds of soils. But for optimal results, it's helpful to keep in mind a few things about each specific one.
In these three we have herbs that smell great and make for an essential addition to any chef's toolkit.
CHIVES
Growing up to a foot, they make for little soldiers all lined up in a row, or a chaotic bunch of radicals. Either way, these beautiful green stalks with their violet-colored flowers are a delightful sight in the garden. A member of the onion family, they also make for a terrific addition to dozens of recipes.
Dried and chopped, the leaves will be delicious in omelettes, fresh salads, and tomato soup. The flowers can also be used for making potpourri where they add a spicy scent.
You can plant seeds or develop them from bulbs. As perennials, they'll come back strong year after year, as they winter over well. They take little care, though you may want to divide the plants every couple of years to avoid overcrowding.
PEPPERMINT
Another perennial, these fragrant herbs can grow up to two feet or more in height. The scent is familiar from Christmas candy, but the plant is a delight in nature as well. Their tiny purple flowers are as beautiful as the leaves are aromatic.
They've been used in cooking and natural medicines for centuries and they make for a useful addition to everything from chewing gum to soap. As a scenting agent for eau de toilette water they're divine. As a spicy addition to tea, they're superb.
They should be grown in soil that is kept moist and you'll need to trim them fairly often. They can grow in sun or shade, but a mixture is best. You may have to renew the beds every few years. All the extra effort is well worth the reward, though.
PARSLEY
Indispensable in the kitchen, these herbs are easy to grow and maintain. A biennial, they'll blossom every two years and they do well in containers or gardens. They sprout into dense mounds, but may reach as high as a foot if kept spaced eight inches or more. One type has mossy leaves, another a flat leaf, but either is great for cooking.
They can be started from seed, but in that case they should be planted indoors before winter ends and allowed to develop at room temperature for a few weeks. They love full sun, but will thrive in partial shade as well.
Their use in cooking is well known and every chef will have his or her favorite way of using them in soups, salads and casseroles. Just dry the leaves in air and crumble according to your favorite recipe.
In these three we have herbs that smell great and make for an essential addition to any chef's toolkit.
CHIVES
Growing up to a foot, they make for little soldiers all lined up in a row, or a chaotic bunch of radicals. Either way, these beautiful green stalks with their violet-colored flowers are a delightful sight in the garden. A member of the onion family, they also make for a terrific addition to dozens of recipes.
Dried and chopped, the leaves will be delicious in omelettes, fresh salads, and tomato soup. The flowers can also be used for making potpourri where they add a spicy scent.
You can plant seeds or develop them from bulbs. As perennials, they'll come back strong year after year, as they winter over well. They take little care, though you may want to divide the plants every couple of years to avoid overcrowding.
PEPPERMINT
Another perennial, these fragrant herbs can grow up to two feet or more in height. The scent is familiar from Christmas candy, but the plant is a delight in nature as well. Their tiny purple flowers are as beautiful as the leaves are aromatic.
They've been used in cooking and natural medicines for centuries and they make for a useful addition to everything from chewing gum to soap. As a scenting agent for eau de toilette water they're divine. As a spicy addition to tea, they're superb.
They should be grown in soil that is kept moist and you'll need to trim them fairly often. They can grow in sun or shade, but a mixture is best. You may have to renew the beds every few years. All the extra effort is well worth the reward, though.
PARSLEY
Indispensable in the kitchen, these herbs are easy to grow and maintain. A biennial, they'll blossom every two years and they do well in containers or gardens. They sprout into dense mounds, but may reach as high as a foot if kept spaced eight inches or more. One type has mossy leaves, another a flat leaf, but either is great for cooking.
They can be started from seed, but in that case they should be planted indoors before winter ends and allowed to develop at room temperature for a few weeks. They love full sun, but will thrive in partial shade as well.
Their use in cooking is well known and every chef will have his or her favorite way of using them in soups, salads and casseroles. Just dry the leaves in air and crumble according to your favorite recipe.
Monday, 9 July 2007
Herb Gardening - Container Gardening Tips
Container gardening can have a dozen advantages over ordinary, outdoor gardening. You can bring plants indoors for winter, or grow them in the house all year round. Soil control is surer, since nothing can get in the pot but what you put there. Light control is simpler - you can move a container into shade or put it near a window or under a lamp.
But container gardening can be tricky. Nature does an excellent job of controlling moisture and nutrients, given good soil to begin with. Adjusting these and other factors artificially requires some care. That care starts with selecting the right plants.
Fortunately for anyone interested in container gardening, there are a dozen herbs that will grow in pots of all shapes and sizes. Basil grows fine in an old teapot and rosemary will be quite content in a coffee can. You can put thyme in a simple clay pot only a few inches high. Dill, mint, sage, even lavender can be grown in a container.
Start with good quality seeds - seeds are natural 'food' products, so like any food they can spoil. Air contains airborne spores that can invade them and oxygen reacts with a wide variety of organic compounds. Getting and keeping them fresh is simple, but be sure to observe the dates on packages and discard any that have gotten wet.
Pick appropriate spots for your containers. Some prefer full sun, others thrive in partial shade. Basil loves good warm soil and dry air, but it's sensitive to cold. If you put it near a window to get that sunlight, make sure the area isn't frosty in the winter.
In most populated areas in the Northern Hemisphere, sunlight comes in at an angle more from the south. Try to select areas where sun-loving plants will have southern exposure. Put those that prefer partial shade on the northern side, or in a shady area away from the window.
Prepare the soil properly and maintain it at the right moisture content. Lavender loves sun, but it also needs dry, alkaline soil. Using clay chips in the pot is great for retaining moisture, but it can do the job too well. In a container, clay absorbs and holds water for long periods. Be sure to have a mix of sandy soil and clay soil.
Water correctly. The most common problem for container plants is root rot from excessive moisture. Being wet all the time is okay for some plants, but most herbs want soil a little on the dryer side. For sage dry soil is good, but peppermint likes it moist.
Keep in mind, though, that moist doesn't mean perpetually wet. Press your thumb onto the surface. It should be a little springy for moist soil, harder for dry soil. Then insert a toothpick or, better still, a moisture gauge into the soil. Draw out the toothpick to see whether the soil under the surface is dry or moist. The gauge will give you a more exact and useful reading.
Plan your container garden well and you'll find the plants easy to grow and maintain.
But container gardening can be tricky. Nature does an excellent job of controlling moisture and nutrients, given good soil to begin with. Adjusting these and other factors artificially requires some care. That care starts with selecting the right plants.
Fortunately for anyone interested in container gardening, there are a dozen herbs that will grow in pots of all shapes and sizes. Basil grows fine in an old teapot and rosemary will be quite content in a coffee can. You can put thyme in a simple clay pot only a few inches high. Dill, mint, sage, even lavender can be grown in a container.
Start with good quality seeds - seeds are natural 'food' products, so like any food they can spoil. Air contains airborne spores that can invade them and oxygen reacts with a wide variety of organic compounds. Getting and keeping them fresh is simple, but be sure to observe the dates on packages and discard any that have gotten wet.
Pick appropriate spots for your containers. Some prefer full sun, others thrive in partial shade. Basil loves good warm soil and dry air, but it's sensitive to cold. If you put it near a window to get that sunlight, make sure the area isn't frosty in the winter.
In most populated areas in the Northern Hemisphere, sunlight comes in at an angle more from the south. Try to select areas where sun-loving plants will have southern exposure. Put those that prefer partial shade on the northern side, or in a shady area away from the window.
Prepare the soil properly and maintain it at the right moisture content. Lavender loves sun, but it also needs dry, alkaline soil. Using clay chips in the pot is great for retaining moisture, but it can do the job too well. In a container, clay absorbs and holds water for long periods. Be sure to have a mix of sandy soil and clay soil.
Water correctly. The most common problem for container plants is root rot from excessive moisture. Being wet all the time is okay for some plants, but most herbs want soil a little on the dryer side. For sage dry soil is good, but peppermint likes it moist.
Keep in mind, though, that moist doesn't mean perpetually wet. Press your thumb onto the surface. It should be a little springy for moist soil, harder for dry soil. Then insert a toothpick or, better still, a moisture gauge into the soil. Draw out the toothpick to see whether the soil under the surface is dry or moist. The gauge will give you a more exact and useful reading.
Plan your container garden well and you'll find the plants easy to grow and maintain.
Monday, 2 July 2007
Herb Gardening - Common Herbs – Basil, Dill, Lavender
Creating an herb garden is fun and practical.
The aromas are wonderful, the view is beautiful, and many can be used as medicines or for cooking. Growing them is easy. They're hardy and thrive well in all kinds of soils. But for optimal results, it's helpful to keep in mind a few things about each specific one.
BASIL
Commonly grown and greatly appreciated by herb gardeners, this herb loves warm soil and dry air. But it's sensitive to cold, so be sure to wait until spring is well along and no nighttime frosts are still occurring that will damage the plant.
Then, in about six weeks, you can harvest the leaves and dry them for use in casseroles, bread and a wide variety of other recipes. By mid-summer you'll see white flowers on 1-2 foot stalks and the plants will have profuse dark green or purple leaves. Keep them separated by about a foot and this delightful herb will make for an excellent addition to your garden.
DILL
Dill is another great herb for recipes, and very easy to grow. Ultimately reaching 2-4 feet in height, it will produce blue-green feathery leaves with small clusters of yellow flowers. It loves a lot of full sun and the seeds don't require much care at all. Just toss a few dozen out into a small patch of the garden and watch them grow!
You may need to do a bit of thinning in a few weeks. When they've reached a couple of inches high, you want to make sure the growing plants are separated by 8-10 inches (20-25 cm), so each will get its full share of soil nutrients and sunlight.
Collect the flower heads in full bloom and use them to decorate or dry for use in cooking. Or, a couple of weeks after the dill has flowered, you can harvest seeds. Cut the flowers and hang them upside down over paper and collect the seeds as they fall. Then crumble the leaves. Great for chip dips, salads, and many other delicious fresh foods.
LAVENDER
Beautiful, fragrant and great ground cover for an herb or flower garden, these easy to grow perennials are a must. Purple or pink flowers appear on tall stems in mid-summer, surrounded by gray-green leaves. They smell lovely, making them a perfect addition to potpourri.
Growing them from seeds requires a bit more work, so pick up some from your local gardening supply as full plants or root stem cuttings. They love sun and dry, alkaline soil with good drainage. Once established, they will fade in winter, but come back strong year after year.
You can cut the small flowers and decorate around the rim of a vase or add them to a sachet. Either way you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of these easy-to-care-for and delightful herbs.
The aromas are wonderful, the view is beautiful, and many can be used as medicines or for cooking. Growing them is easy. They're hardy and thrive well in all kinds of soils. But for optimal results, it's helpful to keep in mind a few things about each specific one.
BASIL
Commonly grown and greatly appreciated by herb gardeners, this herb loves warm soil and dry air. But it's sensitive to cold, so be sure to wait until spring is well along and no nighttime frosts are still occurring that will damage the plant.
Then, in about six weeks, you can harvest the leaves and dry them for use in casseroles, bread and a wide variety of other recipes. By mid-summer you'll see white flowers on 1-2 foot stalks and the plants will have profuse dark green or purple leaves. Keep them separated by about a foot and this delightful herb will make for an excellent addition to your garden.
DILL
Dill is another great herb for recipes, and very easy to grow. Ultimately reaching 2-4 feet in height, it will produce blue-green feathery leaves with small clusters of yellow flowers. It loves a lot of full sun and the seeds don't require much care at all. Just toss a few dozen out into a small patch of the garden and watch them grow!
You may need to do a bit of thinning in a few weeks. When they've reached a couple of inches high, you want to make sure the growing plants are separated by 8-10 inches (20-25 cm), so each will get its full share of soil nutrients and sunlight.
Collect the flower heads in full bloom and use them to decorate or dry for use in cooking. Or, a couple of weeks after the dill has flowered, you can harvest seeds. Cut the flowers and hang them upside down over paper and collect the seeds as they fall. Then crumble the leaves. Great for chip dips, salads, and many other delicious fresh foods.
LAVENDER
Beautiful, fragrant and great ground cover for an herb or flower garden, these easy to grow perennials are a must. Purple or pink flowers appear on tall stems in mid-summer, surrounded by gray-green leaves. They smell lovely, making them a perfect addition to potpourri.
Growing them from seeds requires a bit more work, so pick up some from your local gardening supply as full plants or root stem cuttings. They love sun and dry, alkaline soil with good drainage. Once established, they will fade in winter, but come back strong year after year.
You can cut the small flowers and decorate around the rim of a vase or add them to a sachet. Either way you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of these easy-to-care-for and delightful herbs.
Monday, 12 March 2007
Herb Gardening - Herbal History and Myths
Certain herbs and other plants have been known to have useful properties - as seasonings or preservatives for food, medicines or simply a pleasurable odor - for thousands of years. Along with that ancient knowledge sometimes comes ancient myths.
Tombs uncovered in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) as old as 60,000 years held remains of medicinal herbs preserved with the humans buried there. Over 5,000 years ago, Ancient Egyptians had acquired an extensive catalog of plants (many of them herbs) that could be used as laxatives, relief for headaches and other ailments. Thyme was used as far back as 3,000 BC in Sumaria as an antiseptic.
Coriander (the leaves of which are used to produce cilantro) has been used for 3,000 years or more. Hebrews used it to flavor meals. Roman soldiers brought it on campaigns to the region to use as a meat preservative.
The Greek physician Hippocrates (460 BC – 377 BC) systematized much of what was known in his era and extended that knowledge. He used many herbs in his treatment of illness, believing that disease had natural causes contrary to many contemporaries who held that it was inflicted by gods. He used parsley to treat rheumatism and relieve kidney pain. Tarragon was used to treat toothaches.
Basil was a commonly used herb both in Greek and Roman culture. Chives were used by ancient Romans to relieve sore throats. But, oregano was said to be a favorite of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Myth lay alongside science.
During the Middle Ages, after a nearly thousand year lull, botanical knowledge again began to accumulate and expand. Much of the base of the medievals valid knowledge had been preserved and was now imported from Arabic cultures. Myths persisted, however. Dill was believed to have magical powers. Rosemary was thought to be able to ward off plague. Sage was used in an attempt to treat epilepsy.
Chinese and Indian herbalists in the east were busy all the while, accumulating their own storehouse of information about the helpful qualities of certain herbs. Ginseng is only one of the better known examples.
The Renaissance (which means 'rebirth') was, in essence, the rebirth of Greek-style science - observation and validation by experimentation. Though, the Greeks weren't entirely consistent in that approach. During the 16th and 17th centuries, knowledge of the beneficial effects of certain herbs grew by leaps and bounds. Nicholas Culpeper published an herbal compendium in 1652 that listed an extensive array of herbal remedies known in Great Britain.
Though science turned increasingly to artificial chemistry beginning in the 19th century, there is still today a thriving practice of attempting to analyze what is helpful in herbs. These compounds, found in their natural setting, often carry additional substances that are missing in purely synthesized products.
That mixture of valid knowledge and superstition remains with us to some degree today. The belief that herbal medicines can cure disease is a combination of verified observations and medieval hokum. The observations show that some herbs do work on some conditions, while the causes are largely invented myths and arbitrary speculation.
Tombs uncovered in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) as old as 60,000 years held remains of medicinal herbs preserved with the humans buried there. Over 5,000 years ago, Ancient Egyptians had acquired an extensive catalog of plants (many of them herbs) that could be used as laxatives, relief for headaches and other ailments. Thyme was used as far back as 3,000 BC in Sumaria as an antiseptic.
Coriander (the leaves of which are used to produce cilantro) has been used for 3,000 years or more. Hebrews used it to flavor meals. Roman soldiers brought it on campaigns to the region to use as a meat preservative.
The Greek physician Hippocrates (460 BC – 377 BC) systematized much of what was known in his era and extended that knowledge. He used many herbs in his treatment of illness, believing that disease had natural causes contrary to many contemporaries who held that it was inflicted by gods. He used parsley to treat rheumatism and relieve kidney pain. Tarragon was used to treat toothaches.
Basil was a commonly used herb both in Greek and Roman culture. Chives were used by ancient Romans to relieve sore throats. But, oregano was said to be a favorite of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Myth lay alongside science.
During the Middle Ages, after a nearly thousand year lull, botanical knowledge again began to accumulate and expand. Much of the base of the medievals valid knowledge had been preserved and was now imported from Arabic cultures. Myths persisted, however. Dill was believed to have magical powers. Rosemary was thought to be able to ward off plague. Sage was used in an attempt to treat epilepsy.
Chinese and Indian herbalists in the east were busy all the while, accumulating their own storehouse of information about the helpful qualities of certain herbs. Ginseng is only one of the better known examples.
The Renaissance (which means 'rebirth') was, in essence, the rebirth of Greek-style science - observation and validation by experimentation. Though, the Greeks weren't entirely consistent in that approach. During the 16th and 17th centuries, knowledge of the beneficial effects of certain herbs grew by leaps and bounds. Nicholas Culpeper published an herbal compendium in 1652 that listed an extensive array of herbal remedies known in Great Britain.
Though science turned increasingly to artificial chemistry beginning in the 19th century, there is still today a thriving practice of attempting to analyze what is helpful in herbs. These compounds, found in their natural setting, often carry additional substances that are missing in purely synthesized products.
That mixture of valid knowledge and superstition remains with us to some degree today. The belief that herbal medicines can cure disease is a combination of verified observations and medieval hokum. The observations show that some herbs do work on some conditions, while the causes are largely invented myths and arbitrary speculation.
Friday, 9 March 2007
Planning your herb garden
Herbs require very little care compared to many plants. How many times have you had to spray your roses or trim your orchids? Herbs, by comparison, do well in poor soil, require little fertilizer and only modest watering. If they get lots of sun and a bit of water, they usually do well all on their own.
But you'll still want to do some planning before just throwing down seeds and walking away.
For one thing, since herbs thrive well in relatively poor conditions, they can become overgrown. Lavender will spread, Yarrow can take over large areas. Even Chives can get bushy and packed. Make sure you start with adequate space in your pot or garden for the number of plants you have in mind.
Most will get along fine if they have about a foot of space between major sections. Chives, for example, look great and grow well in a bunch. But the roots still need a certain amount of nutrient and water. Other plants nearby compete for those.
Also, in order for adequate sunlight to reach the plants, they'll need a certain amount of area, alongside them and within them. Planting too many within a confined space will make that difficult. Thinning may be required later as more plants than you expected develop.
Soil preparation is minimal for herbs, but minimal doesn't mean non-existent. A good compost or mix of sandy loam and clay will support a wide range of herbs. You'll want to make sure it has adequate drainage. Many herbs are originally natives of the Mediterranean, so they'll do well in rocky, relatively dry soil. They evolved in conditions of good drainage. But all herbs need some water. It should be moist, but not wet.
Lavender and Sage, just to pick two, can get by in most areas with no manual watering at all. The occasional rainfall is enough. Peppermint will want a little more, which can easily be supplied by an automatic drip system.
You'll want to minimize weeds, possibly by laying down some landscape fabric. You'll want to avoid having to dig weeds up later or deal with the problem by using herbicides. That can kill the herbs along with the weeds (many are biologically similar). It also means you're spraying chemicals onto plants that you may later plan to eat.
Herbs resist insects well, but you may want to help by being prepared to sacrifice some for the sake of preserving others. Dill will make for a good 'trap crop', this is one which attracts pests away from other plants such as tomatoes. If your goal is growing Dill, a small amount of insecticide will take care of the problem, but use the minimum possible.
Plan when you want to plant by judging which herbs will do well by beginning at various times of year. Some can be sown anytime, others should be planted at intervals of four weeks, still others should begin as early as possible after the snows melt.
Plan ahead and you'll find your herb garden easy to care for and thriving with very little effort.
But you'll still want to do some planning before just throwing down seeds and walking away.
For one thing, since herbs thrive well in relatively poor conditions, they can become overgrown. Lavender will spread, Yarrow can take over large areas. Even Chives can get bushy and packed. Make sure you start with adequate space in your pot or garden for the number of plants you have in mind.
Most will get along fine if they have about a foot of space between major sections. Chives, for example, look great and grow well in a bunch. But the roots still need a certain amount of nutrient and water. Other plants nearby compete for those.
Also, in order for adequate sunlight to reach the plants, they'll need a certain amount of area, alongside them and within them. Planting too many within a confined space will make that difficult. Thinning may be required later as more plants than you expected develop.
Soil preparation is minimal for herbs, but minimal doesn't mean non-existent. A good compost or mix of sandy loam and clay will support a wide range of herbs. You'll want to make sure it has adequate drainage. Many herbs are originally natives of the Mediterranean, so they'll do well in rocky, relatively dry soil. They evolved in conditions of good drainage. But all herbs need some water. It should be moist, but not wet.
Lavender and Sage, just to pick two, can get by in most areas with no manual watering at all. The occasional rainfall is enough. Peppermint will want a little more, which can easily be supplied by an automatic drip system.
You'll want to minimize weeds, possibly by laying down some landscape fabric. You'll want to avoid having to dig weeds up later or deal with the problem by using herbicides. That can kill the herbs along with the weeds (many are biologically similar). It also means you're spraying chemicals onto plants that you may later plan to eat.
Herbs resist insects well, but you may want to help by being prepared to sacrifice some for the sake of preserving others. Dill will make for a good 'trap crop', this is one which attracts pests away from other plants such as tomatoes. If your goal is growing Dill, a small amount of insecticide will take care of the problem, but use the minimum possible.
Plan when you want to plant by judging which herbs will do well by beginning at various times of year. Some can be sown anytime, others should be planted at intervals of four weeks, still others should begin as early as possible after the snows melt.
Plan ahead and you'll find your herb garden easy to care for and thriving with very little effort.
Saturday, 10 February 2007
Herb Gardening - Culinary
Deciding on which Herbs to grow for use in cooking can be a difficult task. Probably the best place to start is with your favorite recipes and make a list of the herbs used in these. Once you have done this pick two or three to start your garden off with then after a while you can expand the range of herbs you grow. By taking this route you will have herbs growing that you will use and it won't be a case of "What can I use that in?"
Until next Time Happy Herb Gardening
Until next Time Happy Herb Gardening
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