Grow Herbs Today » growing herbs

Growing One’s Own Herbs

Herbs Today — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 14:55:03 +0000

If you’re not the type of person that desires to spend their time managing an elaborate fruit or vegetable garden, you may consider planting and maintaining an organic herb garden. As the product perhaps may not seem as significant, you’ll still benefit from the constant accessibility to fresh, delicious herbs to flavor meals with.

First you’ll desire to choose the herbs you will plant. You could have a hassle carrying this out due to the huge scope of herbs available. However the most convenient way to choose would be to do what I did; just have a look at what you have in your kitchen. By planting your personal collection of these herbs, you can save money buying them from your market while experiencing the added benefit of freshness. A few of the herbs you could possibly start with include rosemary,sage, basil, dill, mint, chives, and parsley among others.

When selecting a space to place your herb garden, you should never forget that the soil needs to have extremely good drainage. In the event the dirt gets watered and stays completely saturated, you haven’t any possibility of ever growing a healthy plant. Among the best approaches to fix the drainage problem would be to dig a foot deep in the soil, and put a layer of crushed rocks down before replacing all of the soil. This would allow all that water to escape, thus saving your plants.

When you are prepared to begin planting herbs, you may be tempted to buy the more costly plants from the store. However, with herbs it is much easier to cultivate them from seed than with other plants. Therefore you can help to save a bundle of money by sticking with seed packets. Some herbs grow at a dangerously fast rate. As an example, in the event you plant a mint plant in anopen space then it’s going to dominate all of your garden in just a few days.

The best way to stop this challenge could be to plant the more aggressive plants in pots with holes at the bottom to allow for drainage, as expected).

When it comes time for you to harvest the herbs you’ve labored so hard over, it could be fatal for your plant to remove too much. If the plant isn’t well established, it isn’t healthy to remove any leaves whatsoever, even if it looks like its not using them. You ought to wait until your plant happens to be well established not less than many months before taking off any leaves. This wait will definitely be of great benefit, because by growing unabated your plant will produce healthily for quite a while.

Once you’ve harvested your delicious home grown herbs, you’ll desire to use them in cooking. Why else might you have cultivated them? Well first the process begins with drying them out. This really is easily achieved by placing them on a cookie sheet and baking them 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 4 hours. After they’re sufficiently dried for use in cooking, you’ll be able to consult the nearest cookbook for instructions on using them to effectively flavor a dish.

If you would like to store them for later usage, make sure you place them in a plastic or glass container. Paper or cardboard is not going to work, since it will absorb the flavour from the herbs. Through the first couple of days of storage, you should regularly check the container and find out if any moisture has accumulated. If there is, you must remove all the herbs and re-dry them. If moisture is left from your first drying process, Ä±t is going to encourage mildew while you store your herbs. Nobody likes mildew.

Therefore, if you like herbs or gardening, or both, then you certainly should probably consider settingup an herb garden. It might require a little bit of work initially to put it together for optimal drainage, and pick what herbs you desire to cultivate. But after the initial hassle, it’s just to do with harvesting and drying your own favorite herbs.

Should I grow my herbs in pots or clay?

Herbs Today — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:51:20 +0000

While often planted directly in the ground, herbs can be grown in containers, pots, Double-Hung Window Replacement boxes or hanging baskets. Growing herbs in pots allows the herb gardener the flexibility of growing herbs year-round and growing the herbs indoors, outdoors, or in a greenhouse. Growing herbs in pots requires the herb gardener to mind the same growing needs for light, soil, pH, fertilizer, water and drainage the herbs would have if sown in the ground.

The proper balance of sunlight, soil and water are essential to all plants. Herbs grown in pots must be matched to their position in sunlight to be certain they get enough sun. Most herbs will need a sunny location and are labeled for partial to full sun. The best spot indoors is a south- or west-facing Double-Hung Window Replacement. If the sunlight is still not ideal, you can buy special lamps designed for plant growth that give the full spectrum of UV rays needed. Remember to keep a day/night schedule.

To avoid root-rot, you must provide your potted herb with a soil that drains well. A mix of one part perlite or sand to two parts sterilized potting mix will drain just right. Add a teaspoon of lime to the mix for indoor plants, to change the pH the way herbs like it. Place stones or pot shards over the drainage hole, then an inch of gravel at the bottom of the pot. Next place your soil mix and the plant, then layer pebbles across the surface to keep in moisture.

Air circulation around a pot or hanging basket dries the soil quickly, so growing herbs in pots requires the gardener to pay closer attention to watering. If the pot drains properly, the water you put in will seem to all run out as soon as you pour it; what you want is damp soil around the roots of the herb. Mist the pebbles on top of the soil as well to give humidity to the leaves.

Growing herbs in pots allows you the freedom to transport them from one area to another and move them from indoor to outdoor. Annuals are happy indoors all year long, but perennials prefer to be outside during warm weather. Be sure to bring potted herbs indoors before the first frost or they will suffer a loss of foliage. Exceptions to this are tarragon, mint and chives, which will grow fresh leaves after a touch of frost.

While all herbs can be grown in pots, some herbs will adapt to container life better than others. Some herbs are classified as ‘invasive,’ such as mint, and are recommended for containers to prevent garden take-over. Large woody-stemmed herbs like lavender may do better in the ground than in a pot.

Maintenance of your potted herb garden is fairly easy. As the herbs grow, they may need a light feeding of fertilizer or repotting. Check which of your herbs are perennial and remember to move them outdoors in spring and summer. A small pot of cooking herbs on the kitchen Double-Hung Window Replacementsill keeps them handy when needed.

Pruning plants encourages new growth, and herbs are no exception. Potted herbs should be kept small and shrubby. Trimming the ends of each branch forces growth to the center of the plant, producing more of the foliage you want from your herb. Harvest often, and give away what you don’t use. Dry some for another time and store it. The possibilities are endless with growing herbs in pots.

Runing promote growth of new plants and herbs are no exception. Herbs in pots should be small and shrubby. Cut the ends of each branch of growth in the center of the plant produce more foliage you want your grass. Harvest frequently and give what you Don ‘T use. Dry for some time and save it. The possibilities are endless with herbs growing in pots.

Stop! Before You Start Your Herb Garden Designs…

Herbs Today — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:41:39 +0000

Before you begin turning the soil in the garden and prepare planting herbs, start by planning the design that will grace your growing herbs. It will also help you organize the space, take into account sunlight exposure and the various sized of the herbs you will be growing which are all important points.

Shorter growing plants that loves to bathe in sunlight must not be overshadowed by taller plants, of course, it would be quite ironic if the taller herb also happen to prefer shade. Placing the plants in a manner that respects height order will contribute not only in overall health and favor growth but also in beauty and dimension. These are all to be considered in your herb garden designs.

Before you start designing the space you plan to use for your herb garden, it would be wise to begin by listing the reasons why you wish to start a garden.

Here are some of the tips to help you put your plan together :

know the herbs you will be growing. How they look, the color scheme, the fragrances and what you should expect from the mix of several herbs.
also research the size and the height of the various plants for proper placement.
compare the size of herbs to the area available of the garden to get a ”good feel” of spacing and aesthetics.
where and how you will be arranging the plants to favor their varying environmental needs.

The visual arrangement of plants :

will the herbs be in pots casually arranged on the patio
a designer container, modular or attached
single containers such as ceramic or terracotta pots
you may want to recycle an old tire or a wheel barrel of any odd object that can be used to contain various herbs, be careful when using these type of basis for it will set the tone of your garden.

Once you have established all the requirements, you can start visualizing the garden or even draw a little plan of the various elements you wish to place and start putting the elements into place.

Take some time to run your ideas in your head, have fun with it and enjoy placing the various elements around and create different forms. redraw the foundation then place the different plants taking into account colour, height and fullness of individual herbs. Also remember to consider the sunlight or shading needs of your plants to place the in a proper order.

To assure success, make sure that the following 3 main rules are respected :

be certain that your plants receives enough light to grow healthy.
that the plants get watered according to their need.
the soil will drain well.

No matter how you wish your garden to look like, you should always plan the desired effect on paper before actually getting the whole project done. There are many possibilities you can look into. For more great info on the subject, have a look are other articles on my website.

No Garden Space? Grow Your Herbs in Pots

Herbs Today — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:23:46 +0000

Want to have your own fresh herbs to pick from a garden, but live high up in a downtown apartment or in a townhome with a pocket sized yard? We have just the solution for you… start growing your herbs in pots! Yup, with a sunny window or balcony, you can have fresh, organic herbs right at hand to clip and use for all your gourmet cooking and refreshing herbal teas.

Just imagine… it’s close to dinner, and the pasta is cooking. You step out on the balcony and clip a few fresh basil sprigs for your special recipe pesto. Blended with a little extra virgin olive oil, some fresh garlic and parmesan cheese – yum!

All you need is a little imagination, a few containers, and your carefully selected seedlings from a reputable nursery, herb farm or farmers market grower. Then just supply the 3 necessary requirements: a well-draining soil, a few hours of sunlight and water. It is really easy to control all these essential elements when you use containers for planting. All plants need light for photosynthesis (remember that term from school?), so place your potted-up herbs on a sunny windowsill or a south or west facing balcony. If you face east or north, don’t despair You can always supplement the light with a high-intensity grow light and still have those fresh herbs to enjoy.

So the soil in your containers drains well (herbs hate soggy soil, and will die on you), put an inch of gravel in the bottom of the pot before you add the soil. Use a sterilized potting soil, mixed with some perlite to keep it loose and light. After you have potted up the starter seedlings, get a plastic or metal tray, and put a shallow bed of gravel in it. Place your plants on the gravel, and add water to the tray. Your plants will now have their own instant humidifier. A weekly misting with clean water will make them grow even better.

As far as knowing when your herbs need watering, it is really simple. Just poke your finger about an inch into the soil. If it is dry, water the plant. But… never overwater. If you check them frequently, you will soon know just how often they need watering. Occasionally, you may want to add a little liquid fertilizer to the water(something natural, like a seaweed extract), but most herbs don’t need a lot of feeding.

The advantage you have if you are growing herbs in pots is the freedom to move them around, indoors or outdoors. They can be placed close to the kitchen, or right on the kitchen windowsill, where they are handy for cooking. You can move them to get the best light, or be near the water faucet. You can keep your herbs indoors all year, but many of them will definitely do better in an outdoor location. Give them a summer outside, and bring them inside in fall.

Soon, you will have pots of fresh herbs you have carefully chosen and cared for. Use them frequently so they keep a compact shape and stay lush and green. Use your branching herbs, like basil and oregano, by pinching back the growing tips. This encourages even more growth. Use outer leaves of parsley and coriander. If you find you have more than you can use, freeze or dry the excess. Enjoy!

Italian Herb Garden – Secrets to an Abundant Planter Box

Herbs Today — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:36:51 +0000

Italian food is all about the spices. You start out with your base of pasta and then add flavorful sauces full of tomatoes, cheese, and fragrant Italian herbs. Whether you are replicating the cooking your grandmother did or just love the hearty aroma of Italian cooking, you know that you need the proper flavors from an Italian herb garden in order to make the right dishes. There are many herbs that make up the Italian canon. These include: basil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, fennel, chives, and oregano. You can spend a lot of money and buy these herbs fresh or dried from the store, or you can grow your own Italian herb garden in a planter right in your kitchen no matter where you live, be it in the country or in a small city apartment, but there are some secrets to a bountiful Italian herb garden that one should know.

Italian herbs aren’t all that different from any other type of plant you want to grow in your container garden. They need the right amount of sunlight, the best type of soil, adequate water and drainage in order to flourish. The requirements for an Italian herb garden may vary from species to species, but these are the basic components of any happy plant. Drainage is especially important -and unfortunately often neglected- so ensure that your planter has holes at the bottom for excess water to drip out.

As you set up your Italian herb garden planter box, you should pair herbs that have similar growing requirements. Did you know that rosemary likes a hot climate whereas parsley enjoys a colder environment? As a result, rosemary and parsley would not do well in the same container. However, if you want to know the secret of abundance of basil and garlic here it is: the two herbs have very similar soil and sunlight needs, therefore you should grow them in the same pot.

Some herbs love to spread wildly, for example thyme, a favorite of any Italian herb garden, will continue to grow until there is no soil left and it will choke out all the other herbs, therefore thyme should definitely be given its own container.

Once you have set up your Italian herb garden planter box and the herbs are growing nicely, the secret to keeping them abundant is to regularly harvest them. By harvesting the ends of your herbs it stimulates new growth and also you have the added bonus of obtaining a large amount of fresh oregano available for adding to the pasta sauce or for freezing.

You can also keep your supply of Italian herbs steady by taking cuttings from mature plants about once every two months and repotting them as this ensures that your Italian herb garden is growing and also that you will have replacement herbs when some die off. For instance, basil takes about three months to reach its best harvesting growth and when cut off it then takes about three months to grow back, therefore one should always keep three pots of basil growing in rotation so that there is plenty for your pizza.

Once you gain some real life experience with growing an Italian herb garden in planters you will see that producing bountiful herbs is not really so secret after all, they are just commonsense tips that allow you to create and maintain the best growing environment for your Italian herb garden.