| Advertisement ID | : | 1364743 |
| Category | : | Outdoors and Gardens |
| Location | : | Laguna |
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| Date Updated | : | 5 days, 8 hours ago (posted May 16, 2009) |
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GROWING HERBS FOR THE HOME GARDENER
An herb is any plant used whole or in part as an ingredient for health, flavor, or fragrance. Herbs can be used to make teas; perk up cooked foods such as meats, vegetables, sauces, and soups; or to add flavor to vinegars, butters, dips, or mustards. Many herbs are grown for their fragrance and are used in potpourris, sachets, and nosegays; or to scent bath water, candles, oils, or perfumes. More than 25% of our modern drugs contain plant extracts as active ingredients, and researchers continue to isolate valuable new medicines from plants and confirm the benefits of those used in traditional folk medicine.
Herbs as a group are relatively easy to grow. Begin your herb garden with the herbs you enjoy using the most. For example, choose basil, oregano, and fennel for Italian cooking; lavender and lemon verbena for making potpourri; or chamomile, peppermint, and blue balsam mint if you plan to make your own teas.
The optimum growing conditions vary with each individual herb species. Some of the herbs familiar to North Americans, such as lavender, rosemary, thyme, bay laurel, marjoram, dill, and oregano are native to the Mediterranean region. These herbs grow best in soils with excellent drainage, bright sun, and moderate temperatures.
When growing herbs follow these basic guidelines:
Plant herbs in average garden soil with organic matter added to improve texture and drainage.
Choose a site that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun each day.
Avoid ground where water stands or runs during heavy rains.
Compensate for poor drainage with raised beds amended with compost.
Apply balanced fertilizers sparingly to leafy, fast-growing herbs. Heavy applications of fertilizer, especially those containing large amounts of nitrogen, will decrease the concentration of essential oils in the lush green growth.
Plan your herb garden by grouping herbs according to light, irrigation, and soil requirements. Most herbs enjoy full sun, but a few tolerate shade. Herbs can be classified as either annual, biennial, or perennial. Be aware of the growth habits of the plants before you purchase them. Some herbs, such as borage, anise, caraway, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, and fennel, should be direct-seeded, because they grow easily from seed or do not transplant well. Other herbs, such as mints, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and tarragon, should be purchased as plants and transplanted or propagated by cuttings to ensure production of the desired plant (do not come true from seeds). Additional information on specific herbs can be found in Tables 1 and 2.
Table 1 Growing Requirements, Propagation and Uses of Annual Herbs
| Plant | Height | Spacing | Light | Propagation | Uses |
| Anise | 24" | 10" | Sun | Grow from seed. | Leaves in soups, sauces, and salads; oil for flavoring; seeds for seasoning cakes, breads, and cookies. |
| Basil, sweet | 20 to 24" | 6 to 12" | Sun | Grow from seed; grow transplants for early-season harvest. | Leaves in soups, stews, pasta sauce, poultry and meat dishes; flavors vinegar; teas. |
| Borage | 1 to 3' | 12" | Sun | Grow from seed; self-sowing. | Edible flower; leaves in salads, teas, and sandwiches; attracts bees. |
| Calendula (Pot Marigold) | 12" | 12 to 18" | Sun, partial shade | Grow from seed. | Flower petals give color to soups, custards, and rice; cookies; vinegars; crafts. |
| Caraway | 12 to 24" | 10" | Sun | Grow from seed; biennial seed bearer, some cultivars are annual seed bearers. | Leaves in salads, teas, stews, and soups; seeds for flavoring cookies, breads, salads, and cheeses; roots can be cooked. |
| Chamomile, sweet false | 1 to 2 ½' | 4 to 6" | Sun | Grow from seed. | Tea, potpourris, garnish, crafts. |
| Chervil | 1 ½ to 2' | 15" | Partial shade | Sow seeds in early spring; needs light to germinate; does not transplant well, not heat tolerant. | Leaves in salads, soups, and sauces; teas; butters. |
| Coriander (cilantro) | 24" to 36" | 12 to 18" | Sun, partial shade | Grow from seed; goes to seed quickly, so plant frequently. | Entire plant is edible; leaves in stews and sauces; stems flavor soups and beans; seeds in sauces and meat dishes, potpourris, and sachets. |
| Dill | 3 to 5' | 3 to 12" | Sun, partial shade | Sow seed early spring. | Teas; seasoning for butter, cakes, bread, vinegars, soups, fish, pickles, salads, etc.; flowers in crafts. |
| Nasturtium | 15" | 6" | Sun | Grow from seed; does not transplant well. | Leaves, stems, and flowers have a peppery taste; use in salads. |
| Parsley | 6 to 18" | 6" | Sun | Sow seed early spring; slow to germinate; soak in warm water; is a biennial grown as an annual. | Garnish; flavoring for salads, stews, soups, sauces, and salad dressings. |
| Perilla | 36" | 3 to 6" | Sun | Grow from seed. | Decorative plant; flavoring oriental dishes. |
| Summer savory | 12 to 18" | 10 to 12" | Sun | Sow seed in early spring, cuttings. | Mild peppery taste; used with meat, cabbage, rice, and bean dishes, stuffings, teas, butters, vinegars. |
Table 2 Growing Requirements, Propagation and Uses of Biennial and Perennial Herbs
| Common name/ | Height | Spacing | Light Requirement | Propagation | Uses |
| Angelica | 2 to 3' | 3' | Partial shade | Grow from seed. | Stems raw or in salads; leaves in soups and stews; teas; crafts; closely resembles poisonous water hemlock. |
| Anise hyssop | 3 to 5' | 12 to 24" | Sun, light shade | Grow from seed or division. | Attracts bees; edible flowers; leaves for flavoring or teas; crafts; seeds used in cookies, cakes, and muffins. |
| Artemisia | 2 to 3' | 24" | Sun, partial shade | Division. | Wreaths and other crafts; aromatic foliage. |
| Bee balm | 2 to 3' | 12 to 15" | Sun, partial shade | Grow from seed or division; invasive rhizomes. | Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; teas; flavors jellies, soups, stews, and fruit salads; edible flowers; dried flowers in crafts. |
| Burnet, salad | 12" | 18 to 24" | Sun, well-drained soil | Grow from seed or division. | Cucumber-flavored leaves used in salads, vinegar, butter, cottage cheese, and cream cheese; garnish. |
| Clary sage | 5' | 24" | Sun | Grow from seed; biennial. | Leaves in omelets, fritters, and stews; flavoring of beers and wines; oil. |
| Chamomile | 2 to 8" | 18" | Sun, partial shade; well-drained soil | Grow from seed, division, or stem cuttings. | Dried flowers for tea; potpourris; herb pillows. |
| Catnip | 3 to 4' | 12 to 18" | Sun or shade | Grow from seed or division. | Teas; fragrance for cats. |
| Chives | 12" | 12" | Sun, partial shade | Grow from seed or division. | Edible flowers; leaves for flavoring, eggs, soups, salads, butter, cheese, dips, spreads, etc. |
| Comfrey | 3 to 5' | 3' | Sun | Grow from seed, cuttings, root division. | Safety of ingestion is highly questionable. Large, rambling plant; dyes, cosmetics. |
| Costmary | 2 to 4' | 12" | Sun, light shade | Division. | Garnish; fragrance. |
| Echinacea | 1 to 2' | 18" | Sun | Grow from seed or crown division. | Ornamental plant; used medicinally. |
| Fennel | 4 to 5' | 4 to 12" | Sun | Grow from seeds, difficult to transplant. | Entire plant edible; seeds in sausage and baked goods; leaves used with fish, vegetables, cheese spreads, and soups. |
| Feverfew | 2 to 3' | 12" | Sun, partial shade | Grow from seed or division. | Tea, crafts, dyes . |
| Geranium, scented | 12 to 24" | 12 to 24" | Sun | Grow from stem cuttings. | Teas, potpourris, sachets, jellies, vinegars, desserts. |
| Germander | 10 to 12" | 8 to 10" | Sun, partial shade | Slow to germinate from seed. Stem cuttings, layering, division. | Attracts bees, decorative plant. |
| Horehound | 24" | 15" | Full sun | Grow from seed, cuttings, or division. | Attracts bees; tea; flavoring in candy, crafts. |
| Hyssop | 24" | 15" | Sun | Grow from seed, stem cuttings, or division. | Attracts bees and butterflies; mostly decorative usage, potpourris. |
| Lavender | 24 to 36" | 18" | Sun | Grow from seed or stem cuttingsv | Potpourris; herb pillows; crafts, vinegars and jellies. |
| Lemon balm | 3' | 2' | Sun, light shade | Grow from seed, stem cuttings, or division. | Teas; flavors soups, stew, fish, poultry, vegetables, and meat dishes; garnish; potpourris. |
| Lemon verbena | 2 to 5' | 12 to 24" | Sun | Grow from stem cuttings. | Potpourris; herb pillows; lemon flavoring for drinks, salads, and jellies; teas. |
| Lovage | 3 to 5' | 2' | Sun, partial shade | Sow seeds late summer; division. | Seeds in breads, butters, and cakes; teas; leaves in soup, stew, cheese, cookies, and chicken dishes; root edible. |
| Marjoram | 1 to 2' | 12" | Sun | Grow from stem cuttings, division, or seed. | Flavoring for meats, salads, omelets, vinegars; jellies; teas; flower head for crafts. |
| Oregano | 24" | 8 to 12" | Sun | Grow from cuttings or division. | Flavoring for tomato dishes, meat, poultry and pork stuffings; vegetables and sauces, etc. |
| Peppermint | 36" | 18" | Sun, light shade | Cuttings and division recommended; invasive rhizomes. | Teas, fragrance. |
| Rosemary | 3 to 6' | 12" | Sun | Seeds slow to germinate; use stem cuttings, layering, or division. | Teas; flavoring for vinegar, jam, bread, butters, stuffing, vegetables, stew, and meat dishes. |
| Rue | 3' | 12 to 18" | Sun | Grow from seed, stem cuttings, or division. | Decorative plant. |
| Sage | 18 to 30' | 12" | Sun | Grows slowly from seed; stem cuttings, division, layering. | Seasoning for meat, vegetable and egg dishes; stuffings. |
| Sage, pineapple | 2 to 3' | 24" | Sun | Stem cuttings. | Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies; teas; potpourri; cream cheese; jams, jellies. |
| Santolina | 24" | 2 to 3' | Sun, needs good drainage | Slow to germinate from seeds. Stem cuttings, layering, or division. | Dried arrangements and potpourris; accent plant. |
| Sorrel | 3 to 4' | 12" | Sun | Grow from seed. | Flavoring of soups, butters, omelets; some species of sorrel are toxic. |
| Southernwood | 4' | 18" | Sun, well drained soil | Stem cuttings, division. | Teas; sachets; potpourris. |
| Spearmint | 18" | 18" | Sun, partial shade | Cuttings or division recommended; invasive rhizomes. | Teas; flavors sauces, jellies, and vinegars; leaves in fruit salad, peas, etc. |
| Sweet marjoram | 8" | 12" | Sun | Grow from seed, division, or cuttings . | Flavors tomato sauces, eggs, etc. Leaves in salads, sauces, pizza, and meats. |
| Sweet rocket | 3 to 4' | 24" | Sun | Grow from seed. | Salads. |
| Sweet woodruff | 8" | 12" | Partial shade | Division. | Tea; sachets, dyes. |
| Tansy | 3 to 4' | 2 to 3' | Sun | Grow from seed or division. | Toxic oil in leaves; decorative plant; crafts. |
| Tarragon | 24" | 12" | Sun | Division or root cuttings, stem cuttings are slow to root . | Sauces, salads, soups, omelets, meat, vegetable, and fish dishes. |
| Thyme, common | 4 to 12" | 6 to 12" | Sun | Cuttings, seeds, or division. | Teas; attracts bees; sachets; potpourris; flavoring for poultry, fish, stews, soups, tomatoes, cheese, eggs, and rice. |
| Valerian | 2 to 5' | 12 to 24" | Sun | Division is recommended over seeding. | Roots for flavoring; ornamental plant. |
| Yarrow | 8" to 5' | 12" | Sun | Seeds or division. | Crafts. |
| Winter savory | 24" | 18" | Sun | Grow in light, sandy soil from cuttings or seed; cut out dead wood. | Leaves used to flavor meat, fish, salads, soup, stew, and sausage. |
| Wormwood | 36" | 12 to 36" | Sun | Seed germinate slowly; use stem cuttings or division. | Bitter flavor; toxic if consumed in large quantity; ornamental plant, dried arrangements; insect repellent. |
To conserve moisture and prevent splashing mud, mulch your garden after planting. Use 1 to 2 inches of organic material. Many growers mulch with hardwood bark or a mixture of bark and sawdust. The use of a landscape fabric covered with mulch has proven to provide excellent weed control and slows down the spread of invasive herbs, such as mints. For Mediterranean herbs, mulch with white "concrete" sand or gravel to provide drainage and light reflection.
When grown outdoors and given ample air circulation, sunlight, and water drainage, herbs rarely suffer severe disease or insect damage. Natural predators and parasites usually keep mite and aphid populations below damaging levels. This is especially true in gardens with a wide diversity of plants. Traditional synthetic pesticides are not labeled for use on culinary herbs, so rely on cultural, biological, and physical control techniques. Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil are useful against severe outbreaks of aphids, mites, and whiteflies. Hand-pick larger pests such as beetles and caterpillars.
Growing a diverse group of herbs can be attractive; they can provide color, fragrance, and interest throughout the season, and they can help keep pest problems to a minimum. You often will find populations of predators and pests co-existing in a balanced situation.
| Posted by | : | pearlvinn |
| Member Since | : | September 6, 2007 |
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