HERBS TIPS AND TRICKS
Tips and tricks
Whether you're new to growing plants or a seasoned expert, our collection of 25 herb gardening tips should help. Enjoy!
1. To make parsley sprout faster, soften the seeds by soaking them in warm water overnight.
2. Thyme plants should be started from seed every two to three years. Older plants are of poor quality for cooking or other uses.
3. Harvest mint frequently to encourage vigorous growth, but grow it in a container or it will take over your garden.
4. Growing sustained, harvestable amounts of herbs indoors requires long periods of bright light. Plenty of light is also required for the plants to produce the oils that give the herbs their flavor.
5. Parsley is credited with all kinds of benefits, including relaxing smooth muscle tissue (especially important for asthmatics), maintaining good vision (contains lutein and zeaxanthin), and promoting good circulation and heart health.
6. Rubbing lavender leaves with your hands can remove strong odors like garlic or onion.
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7. Many herbs such as dill and sage self-sow if the flowers are not removed.
8. Add comfrey to the compost pile. Its leaves are rich in nitrogen and help break down organic materials.
9. Mints need more water than most herbs. They want fairly moist but not soggy soils.
10. Mulching around herbs will prevent weed growth and maintain soil moisture.
11. In many cases, adding garden compost to the top soil surface in the spring is all the fertilizing herbs will need for the year.
12. Rosemary is a great addition to the grill with meats and vegetables. You can grow it in the ground as a perennial plant or include it, for example, in a window box that is replanted annually.
13. In general, collect cooking herbs just before they bloom. This is when they have the most flavor.
14. The seeds often take longer to dry than the leaves, up to 2 weeks for larger seeds. Place the seed heads on a dry paper towel. When they really start to dry out, rub the seeds gently between the palms of your hands to remove any dirt and husks. Then spread the cleaned seeds in thin layers on a cloth or paper until completely dry.
15. Another way to dry herb seeds is to hang the plant upside down inside a paper bag (make sure it's paper! Plastic will make drying difficult). The bag will catch the seeds as they dry and fall out of the pod.
16. When storing herbs, do not use a paper or cardboard container. This material, over time, will absorb all the aromatic flavor.
17. If you're not confident in your seed starting abilities, one of the best places to get organic herbs and other transplants is your local farmer's market. Quite often, the person selling them is the person who grew them in the first place.
18. Anise and basil are just a few of the herbs known to attract beneficial insects to your garden.
19. Herbs are a great candidate for your first foray into formal gardening. Try an English knot garden with your favorites.
20. Do not use garden soil as a potting mix in containers. It can drain poorly and is likely to contain insects, diseases, and weed seeds.
21. If you're interested in companion planting, try basil alongside tomatoes. It really helps slow down the bugs.
22. Repeat plantings of chervil if you want to harvest it all summer.
23. So popular in pork and stuffing, sage is the most recognized winter herb. It is quite hardy, but is best grown in containers so it can be brought indoors during those frosty months.
24. The best time to harvest herbs is early in the morning on a sunny day.
25. Oregano is hardy to zone 5 and can be overwintered in zone 4 with a thick layer of straw or mulch. It is a perennial plant and will provide tasty leaves and flowers for years before it becomes too woody and strong-tasting.
Nimra Rana
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