Growing A Container Herb Garden

Growing a container herb garden has many advantages over regular outdoor gardening. The greatest advantage of an herb container garden is that you have the option of bringing your herbs indoors during wintertime. One of the most important things about container herb gardening is that you must make sure you keep the soil moist (but not too wet) and that you place the containers where they can get the right amount of light for the herbs they contain.

In nature, the soil regulates the amount of moisture and the nutrients provided to herbs but when you grown them in a container you have to make a bit more of an effort to insure your plants get everything they need.  One thing is critical - you must know the light, water and fertilization need of the herbs you plan to grow.

Many herbs are flexible when it comes to the shape and size of container they will grow in - an advantage to anyone with an interest in container gardening. Two examples are basil and rosemary. Both are equally at home in traditional planters or hand-painted teacups. Thyme, dill, sage, lavender, and mint can all be grown in containers as well.

Begin with seeds of good quality because they can spoil just like other natural food products. The airborne spores can attack and there are a wide range of organic compounds that oxygen reacts with. To get them and to keep them fresh is easy, but you need to check the dates on the package. It is also necessary to throw away any wet seeds.

Not only does your container herb garden need the correct soil and moisture balance , but it also need to be placed in an appropriate location. Plants may need full sun or partial sun. For example, Basil thrives in warm soil and dry air and struggles in the cold. A window would be a great place for a Basil plant, but be sure that the windowsill does not get frosty or icy in the winter time.

In the Northern Hemisphere’s most populated areas sunlight comes in at a more southern angle. Sun-loving plants should be placed in areas with southern exposure. Remember, your herb container garden doesn’t have to be all in 1 spot so place your pots accordingly.

Proper preparation and maintenance of the moisture content of the soil is very important for container herb gardening. A mix of both sandy and clay soil is best. Clay chips do a great job of retaining moisture, but in a container, they can absorb and hold water for long periods resulting in their job being done too well.

One thing to remember about container herb gardening is that you must water your plants carefully. Root rot due to excessive moisture is the most common issue found among container plants. Some plants are fine if they remain wet at all times, but herbs are more comfortable if things are kept slightly dryer. Sage much prefers dry soil, while peppermint prefers moisture.

It is important to remember that having the soil moist does not mean it should be soaking wet.  Feel the surface of the soil in each pot in your herb container garden with your thumb. If it feels a bit springy, that’s moist while dry soil will feel hard to the touch. The most accurate way to test the moisture level under the surface is with a moisture gauge, but you can also use a toothpick inserted into the soil. Pull it out again to see if you have dry or moist soil under the top layer.

With a little bit of planning, you will find that growing a container herb garden is quite easy and you will be well rewarded with fresh herbs for your kitchen!

Growing Culinary Herbs

Growing culinary herbs has been a practical past time for thousands of years. Extensively used in cooking around the world, herbs can accommodate even the most discerning of tastes with a multitude of flavors and scents that will supplement your favorite recipe.

Here are some herbs for cooking that you might want to try growing:

Almost everyone has added parsley to their fish dishes. Parsley is also great in dishes made with cheese, chicken, and lamb. It should be used for much more than just a garnish on the side. It also gives great flavor to soups and salads.

Thyme comes from the leaves of a small, woody-stemmed plant. It is a versatile herb when it comes to cooking. Just a few uses are in sauces spread over beef, stews, grilled chicken and even tuna casserole.

Basil is likely the most frequently used additive used to prepare Italian food. It adds the perfect touch. There are a wide variety of uses for basil, ranging from pasta to pizza to soups. When fixing tomato paste, simply sprinkle a bit on to create a delicious dish.

Two related herbs with spice are tarragon and aniseed. Tarragon’s spicy narrow leaves work well on fish or add it to mayo for a tangy alternative. Anis’ taste resembles licorice (and is actually used in artificial licorice) and also provides a new twist to a traditional recipe.

Growing culinary herbs isn’t very difficult.  They require only the same things that any type of herb does - sunshine, water and soil.  In fact, they are rather hardy and quite resistant to disease.  It’s true, growing herbs for cooking is quite easy!

Another popular thing that you can grow in your garden is coriander. Coriander can be yielded from the plant which forms the base of cilantro. It is known for having a strong, citrus-like flavor and is regularly used on pork or in curry. The sweet zing coriander offers is popular in chutney as well. Another herb often found in chutney is dill. Dill has a slight tanginess that lends itself to pickling, topping salads, or even adding to olive oil.

There are a number of popular herbs in the mint family. Rosemary and sage are two such herbs that are regularly incorporated into dishes. Peppermint can often be used in dishes to create a zesty odor and taste. Finally, mint is regularly used with veal or potatoes, in soup, and to make jellies.

Anyone feeling a little adventurous might want to try the more uncommon herb, saffron. The unique pungency complementing its honey-like flavor produces results that are just a tad different from the more typical flavorings. Used for a traditional rice pudding by the Turks, it’s also great in fish and chicken dishes.

Using herbs for cooking can be great fun, and you’ll discover once you give them a try that they can help you turn a mundane dish into a culinary work of art. Growing culinary herbs will help you add just the right flavor to your recipes, whatever your cooking style.

Medicinal Herb Gardening

Natural medicine is a big industry today, now that people distrust the prescription drug market. But, are herbs used for medicinal purposes really effective? Not all herbs work, but some do and have been used to treat many ailments for thousands of years which is why medicinal herb gardening is becoming so popular today. Here are some plants you might want to include in your homeopathic medicinal herb garden:

Chamomile

Most people have heard of chamomile, which is an herb derived from the dried chamomile flower. It’s well-known for the tasty tea that it makes. Chamomile tea is a soothing drink with gentle sedative powers. Some people claim that it reduces inflammation and fever, but that remains unsubstantiated. Other studies suggest that chamomile inhibits bacteria involved in stomach ulcers, but that remains unsubstantiated as well.

Some people are allergic to chamomile’s pollen, but it is safe for the majority of people - despite it not quite being a “miracle cure” as certain claims state.

Echinacea

Echinacea is one of the herbs used for medicinal purposes that is rather well studied.  It is a perennial plant with a whole host of ingredients that have been studied thoroughly. It is believed to aid the immune system in its natural functions, and is often employed in treating upper respiratory issues triggered by colds. However, more evidence is still needed before proving its immune system properties conclusively.

There have been some studies on Echinacea that suggest that it can ease the symptoms and length of the common cold. Other studies also showed that it can help reduce the chances of catching a cold.  Since there are so many factors that go into someone actually getting a cold these statements are very hard to prove. At the very least this herb is generally thought to be safe for people to take. If this herb amounts to nothing else it could be used as a decent placebo.

A trained physician is the only person who should be sought out to learn whether or not medicinal herbs are safe or not for individuals with certain ailments, such as diabetes.

Feverfew

Anyone familiar with medicinal herb gardening probably knows about Feverfew,  a lush perennial that has ingredients like parthenolide and glycosides, believed to aid in treating inflammation and migraine headaches. Though it isn’t conclusive, there is something to this idea. Feverfew is known to reduce the incidence of blood clots.

There are many uses for this homeopathic medicinal herb, but some of the potential side effects include, skin inflammation, mouth ulcers and high blood pressure. Another side effect may be the reduction of iron absorbed into your body.

Ginseng

This ancient herb was utilized by people in China and India for thousands of years. It comes from the ginseng plant and can take many forms. Research has shown that it may lower blood sugar and increase ‘good’ cholesterol.

It has never been proven that it will enhance sexual performance. It may have a placebo effect on the user, and that might be just as helpful in this particular situation. There are compounds that act like estrogen in ginseng, so woman who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take it. If a person takes a lot of ginseng, they might induce an asthma attack or lower their blood sugar to an unhealthy level.

It’s important to research any herbs used for medicinal purposes, because they can be a health risk in some cases. People have shown that some herbs have very helpful benefits, but it’s nearly impossible to be objective about anecdotes, so be careful.

Medicinal herb gardening can be done in any home garden, in pots or in the soil.  It’s not any harder than growing any other type of perennial and you will have fresh homeopathic medicinal herb plants that you can use for what ails you!

Making A Potted Herb Garden

Making a potted herb garden offers a number of benefits that outweigh those of outdoor gardening. It will let you bring plants indoors for the winter, or grow plants in your house all year long. When growing an herb garden in pots you have complete control over the soil quality, amount of water and sunlight.

There is a lot more to growing an herb garden in a pot than just throwing in the seeds and watering. You need to do your research on moisture, soil and nutrients before you begin because in a controlled environment Mother Nature isn’t going to do it for you. With a little research you will find that many herbs, including sage, mint, dill and basil will do well in pots with the proper care.

Make sure your seeds are of the highest quality, because seeds can spoil just like food. Check the dates on the packages, and make sure you avoid using any that got wet. Air has spores that will invade the seeds and oxygen will react with them as well.

Just because you making a potted herb garden rather than a backyard garden doesn’t mean your plants can’t grow outside. Since your herb garden in pots is portable, they can be moved from inside to outside when they would benefit more from the sunlight if needed. Try to plant groups together in the same pots according to how much shade and sunshine each group needs.

Properly maintaining the soil is a big key for your plants to prosper. The moisture content needs to be consistent to meet the plants requirements. Although lavender needs a lot of sunlight, the soil needs to be kept dry. Using clay chips in the pot can help hold the moisture in, but it needs to be monitored or it will stay too wet. Mixing in some sandy soil with it will help make the soil content the best.

Rotting roots is a very common problem for plants in containers. Some plants can tolerate being wet a lot of the time, but most of the herbs out there will want dryer soil. You can check the soil to see if it’s moist - not too wet, not too dry - by pressing your thumb on the soil surface. When it’s moist, it will be springy, and if it’s dry, it will be hard. To check the soil beneath the surface, use a toothpick or a moisture gauge to see whether the soil is dry or moist.

Making a potted herb garden will allow for fresh herbs year round. Herbs for cooking, for example, will get use even out of season. In the summer the pots can stay outside, and in the winter your herb garden in pots can decorate your kitchen windowsill.

Drying Garden Herbs

The main purpose of growing some herbs is just because they are beautiful to look at and have a lovely scent. But other herbs are grown and harvested for medicinal, seasoning, or aromatic purposes. This means that they have to be preserved in the right way, usually dried. There are various ways of drying garden herbs using bag, trays, air drying, and even new techniques like microwave drying.

Here are some tips on how to dry fresh herbs:

Bag

There are many herbs that have beautiful flowers, but they also have seeds which can be easily harvested. The easiest way to do this is to simply let the flowers dry on a piece of paper and then roll the paper up and shake the seeds out into a container. To save the leaves of the plant, there are a few other steps that need to be followed.

Once the flower and roots are removed from the stalk, rinse the stem and leaves in water and let them soak until any soil remaining on them will loosen and fall off without damaging the plant. When this is done, simply take them out of the water and let them air dry on a paper towel.

Place the plant inside the paper bag. Make sure that the flower end is at the bottom of the bag and the stalks stick a few inches out of the bag. Use a string or rubber band to tie around the top of the bag and put it down with the stalks sticking out of the top. Oil from the stems go through the capillaries and into the leaves, saturating them with their unique taste and smell.

The proper method for drying garden herbs is to place them in an atmosphere of moderately dry air for about two weeks. When the leaves become brittle and crumble easily, separate and place them in an air tight jar. They are then ready to use as potpourri or seasoning for foods.

Tray

Every herbalist should know how to dry fresh herbs in a tray. When undertaking tray drying, there is no need for the stalks - just the stems and leaves. Clean as above and arrange them without overlap on the tray, then place the tray into a cool dark place. Every day, take the tray and flip the herbs over so they will dry evenly. In just a few days, they will be appropriately dried.

Microwave

If time is short, using the microwave oven to dry herbs is an option. Place the herbs on a paper towel or paper plate (doing so will help absorb the moisture better than a microwave-safe plate will). Set the microwave to medium power for about two minutes (altering the time based on the type and amount of herb).

Rub a leaf between your fingers to check its dryness. It should be quite brittle and crumble with little pressure. If that is not the case, check again at 30 second intervals until the proper level of dryness is achieved.

Caution: After so much time in the microwave, the herb is no longer drying. Since microwaves stir up water molecules in the food, causing them to heat up and then evaporate, once the moisture is gone you may cause damage to your microwave by keeping it going. And if you have the power too high when drying garden herbs or you cook for too long, you may end up cooking the herb. Keep trying until you get it just right.

So there you have it, 3 different methods on how to dry fresh herbs!