Monday 21 April 2008

Things To Know About Herb Gardening

There are important things to know about herb gardening that will surely give you the opportunity to succeed in this area. Whether you are planning for container herb gardening; indoor herb-gardening , or the other type, you need to establish an effective herb gardening management so that all you desire will be attainable.

You may not know it, herb-gardening, indoor herb gardening is becoming more and more popular and one of the reasons for that is its practical value. Why? Aside from its uses in kitchen, herb garden also offers a decorative view that flowering plants can do. In other words, herb garden serves for a double purpose.

Another essential part of herb gardening, whether an indoor herb gardening or container herb-gardening is that, you can dry herbs so that they can be used during winter or off-season. To have this done, you may cut,wash, and hang up-as the process of preservation. Then, after a couple of weeks, you can put them in a jar after drying in an oven. Though this can be laborious in your part, proper herb gardening management can make it simpler for this procedure.

One of the most planted in herb-gardening is Basil. This offer a decorative view like ornamental flowers and also can be used in your kitchen. Specifically, this can be added to tomato juice and paste to add flavor.

Another is the herb called Chives that is similar to grass. They are much stronger, more than their appearance and can be grown up to the most dry season- drought. Whether in container herb gardening or not, you can add this as part of your herb garden. Chives are being used in egg-dishes, salads and several types of sauce.

Mint is also one of the most planted and this is very simple to grow. This is commonly used in mint juleps; mint jelly; lemonade and other kind of drinks.

Another is the Lavender and this perhaps the best smelling herb from all. This is used to produce scented candle, as a perfume scent and for improving the linen chests. Herb gardening really have several uses and that is the fact that can not be denied.

There are a lot more of herbs that you can plant in your garden. These will surely make your garden beautiful like ornamental and other decorative plants; these also give you the things that you need to add in your kitchen stuff like salads and other foods that need herbs for additional flavor. You can achieve its full benefits if you learn more knowledge regarding their particular usage.

And one thing is for sure, herb gardening can be an ideal hobby that you can have. So, it is practically essential that you are able to have an herb gardening management strategy to maximize its benefits.

Bercle George is an expert gardener and has published an excellent rose growing and gardening resource at

http://www.rosegrowingguide.com/

Propagation in Herb Gardening

Before you start thinking about herb gardening you you should know how they are propagated.

Propagation refers to how new plants are created. There are several ways to propagate plants. The first is by seeds. Seeds should be planted in a rich planting medium made of one part potting soil, two parts vermiculite, and one part peat moss. This soil is light and allows seeds to grow easily. Do not use soil from your yard because it is contaminated and is usually doesn't allow a seed to germinate easily.

Propagation by Seed

Some seeds need special care before you can plant them. They mean you'd to be soaked in water to soften their outer shell or they may need to be frozen or refrigerated for a time. Some seeds may need extra heat to help with germination. Plant your seeds in seed trays or tiny pots, then they can be planted in the ground after germination.

Seeds should be planted six to eight weeks before the last frost of the year. This gives the new plants enough time to grow and get used to being outside before being planted in the ground. This is called "hardening off" - a gradual exposure to weather and sun.

Place seeds in your containers, and prepare them according to their needs. Some herbs will just need to be put into the potting soil while others will need special care. Put plastic or glass over the top of the containers and keep them moist by placing water in a tray below the container.

You can also water by removing the plastic and misting gently with a spray bottle, then replacing the cover. The plastic or glass will keep the soil moist so you won't need to water for several days.

Some seeds will need bottom heat. There are several ways in which this can be done. You can purchase a commercial seed bottom warmer, install florescent or grow lights, or use a water bed heaters. Never use a heating pad because if it should get wet, you will have big problems.

As soon as the plants have sprouted, remove the glass or plastic covering. Pull the weakest of the seedlings, and leave the strongest and healthiest of those to flourish.

Place your seedlings under grow lights or place them in indirect or filtered sun. Do not put them in direct sun because that will burn them up. If you are going to put them in the sun, turn them every day saw that they will grow straight.

The second set of leaves that a plant grows are its true leaves. As soon as they appear, it's time to plant them into bigger pots. Since these are temporary pots, you can use margarine containers. Poke holes in the bottom and use the lids as trays.

When your plants have three or four rows of leaves and are a few inches high, they are ready to be hardened off. Now is the time to get them accustomed to the weather, sunlight, or lack of sunlight.

When the temperature outside reaches about 65 to 70 degrees, place your containers outside in a shady area or a few hours. Each day, leave them out a little bit longer, then began to move them into the sunlight. They will soon be ready to plant.

Layering

Layering is very time consuming but also very reliable. It is done in the summer using low growing herbs. Choose an outer branch of the plant and strip it of its leaves near the base. Do not cut this branch, but press it into the soil next to the plant. Secure it down by pinning it down with a U-shaped wire.

Once the new plant is established, cut the connection to the original plant and then transplant.

Division

This method is best done in early spring. Herbs will have underground roots, bulbs or tubers. Carefully dig up your herb. Cut or separate the clump into smaller sections, about the size of your fist, with a knife. Immediately replant into the ground or in pots.

Stem Cutting

Stem cutting is best done in spring or late summer. Mature stems should be about three to four inches long and have no blooms. Strip leaves from the stem bottom, dip in water, and then in rooting hormone. Set in a pot containing rooting medium, water well and cover with a plastic bag.

Make sure the plastic bag doesn't touch the plant by inserting popsicle stick or pencil and propping the plastic bag on top of them. Again, you can use plastic margarine containers for the pots.

When your plant develops new growth you know that the roots have developed. Then, you can remove the plastic bag, water normally, harden off, and plant.

Root Cuttings

In the spring, carefully dig up a portion of an established plant and remove a root. Cut this root into 2 inch pieces. Fill a pot with a mixture of one part sand and one part peat moss and place the root section into it.

Cover with 1 inch of the mixture. Moisten with a mist and place a plastic bag over the top preserve humidity. Place the pot in indirect sun and keep moist. When you see sprouts, remove the plastic bag and water normally until the cutting is big enough to plant outside.

For more information on Herb Gardening visit GuideForGardeners.com, a website that provides tips and information on all types of gardening.

Herbs Are Easy To Grow!

Want to grow your own produce but don't have much time or experience? Then a herb garden could be the answer. With very little space or expertise you can cultivate sweet smelling, pretty plants that give your cooking or well being a lift, all year round.

Herb gardens have been popular in the UK since Roman times in private plots, monastery gardens and of course the kitchen gardens of great houses and castles. The plants were grown not only for culinary purposes but also for medicinal, cosmetic and symbolic reasons and to create soothing aromatic areas for relaxation and contemplation.

Its good to start with some perennial, evergreen herbs such as sage, thyme, bay and rosemary. These will not only flavour your roasts and casseroles throughout the year but will give a good visual structure to your layout. You should then decide which herbaceous perennials you'd like. These include chives, fennel and tarragon. They will die down during the winter, leaving empty spaces, but will reappear in the Spring and grow throughout the Summer.

Then there are biennials such as parsley and angelica which have a two year growing period, and lastly the annuals which can be showy but only last a year. Amongst the annuals are basil, rocket, coriander, chervil and borage.

There are all sorts of interesting inspirations for herb garden design. For instance a "pizza garden" concentrates on Italian cooking - with marjoram, basil, bay and rosemary prominent. If you enjoy traditional English cooking you will want parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme. For those who love French cuisine sorrel, tarragon, sage and chives would be the main focus. Or if you can't choose, then divide up the herb garden into global zones - include coriander, thai basil and pak choi for oriental cooking and chilli peppers for a Mexican flavour.

A modern choice is to grow a bed of edible flowers. Celebrity chefs are increasingly encouraging us to add flowers to salads, cakes and desserts - just make sure you check that whatever flowers you plant are in fact edible. Nasturtiums and lavender are well known choices.

Alternatively you may want to highlight herbs used for medicinal purposes or those that children will enjoy growing, such as colourful nasturtiums. Or maybe you want a herb garden to produce your own pot pourri or cosmetics.

Of course whatever design you come up with, you will have to make sure it is a sensible choice for your particular garden. The best site for any herb garden is one in full sun with shelter from wind. This can be provided by a fence, hedge or wall. Also, get an idea of your soil type and how fertile it is. It's worth preparing the soil and improving its general fertility before planting it up. As for location, if you're planting a herb garden for use in the kitchen, you will use it most if it's near your backdoor.

Herbs tend to require quite a bit of looking after especially in the summer when many need regular watering, especially if planted in pots which can dry out very easily. And regular picking will encourage new strong growth and maintain the shapes of your plants. Try and pick evenly from the plants so that there is a balance of use - the plants will benefit. If you are planting herbs with edible leaves then it's important to pick flowering stems and buds as soon as they appear, to encourage the plant to keep producing the leaves that you want. At flowering, and after flowering the essential oil content of the leaves is reduced, making them less palatable.

Growing herbs is rewarding and satisfying and if you're a keen cook it is handy to have herbs readily available. They can be grown in pots or flower beds, so make some space for them and start cultivating.

Expert gardener India Cooper explores the rewarding activity of growing herbs awakening the gardener in each of us. To find out more please visit http://www.ratedpeople.com/find/gardener