Gardening Blog

Vegetable Sowing Chart for Northern Hemisphere

2012-07-24T02:21:00.001+07:00

Northern Hemisphere

Artichoke, Globe

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-September

Temperate: October-March

Cold: January-April

Artichoke, Jerusalem

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-May

Temperate: March-May

Cold: February-June

Asparagus

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: November-January

Temperate: December & January

Cold: December & January

Bean (dwarf)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-April

Temperate: March-August

Cold: April-July

Bean (climbing)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-April

Temperate: March-July

Cold: April-June

Bean (broad)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: October-December

Temperate: September-December

Cold: August & September, December & January

Beetroot

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-April

Temperate: January-September

Cold: March-August

Broccoli

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: September-February

Temperate: June-November

Cold: May-August

Brussels Sprouts

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: None

Temperate: June-September

Cold: April-August

Cabbage

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-April

Temperate: December-October

Cold: February-September

Cabbage (Chinese)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: January-October

Cold: February-September

Capsicum

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-September

Temperate: February-June

Cold: March-May

Carrots

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: January-September

Cold: March-August

Cauliflower

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-August

Temperate: June-September

Cold: May-July

Celery

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-October

Temperate: February-August

Cold: March-June

Choko

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-April

Temperate: February-April

Cold: None

Corn

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-August

Temperate: March-July

Cold: April-June

Cucumber

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-September

Temperate: March-July

Cold: April-June

Eggplant

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: March-September

Temperate: March-July

Cold: May & June

Endive

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: September-February

Temperate: February-September

Cold: March-August

Kale

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: None

Temperate: July-October

Cold: May-November

Kohlrabi

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-November

Temperate: July-September, January-March

Cold: July & August, February-April

Leek

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: October-December

Temperate: March-October

Cold: April-September

Lettuce

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: January-December

Cold: January-December

Okra

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-August

Temperate: March-June

Cold: April-June

Onion

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-November

Temperate: September-January

Cold: October-February

Onion, spring

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: February-November

Cold: February-October

Parsnip

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: September-February

Temperate: January-September

Cold: February-August

Pea (dwarf)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-September

Temperate: August-February

Cold: November-March

Pea (climbing)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-September

Temperate: August-February

Cold: November-March

Potato

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-March

Temperate: July & August, January-March

Cold: February-June

Pumpkin

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-August

Temperate: March-June

Cold: April-June

Radish

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: February-November

Cold: March-October

Rhubarb

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-November

Temperate: February-June

Cold: March-June

Shallot

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-January

Temperate: August-December

Cold: July-November

Silverbeet

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: January-September

Cold: February-August

Spinach

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: October-January

Temperate: August-December

Cold: August-February

Squash

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-August

Temperate: March-June

Cold: April-June

Swede

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-October

Temperate: July-September

Cold: February & March, July & August

Sweet Potato

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-August

Temperate: March-May

Cold: None

Tomato

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: February-June

Cold: March-May

Turnip

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-November

Temperate: July-October

Cold: January-March, July-September

Zucchini

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-September

Temperate: March-July

Cold: April-June

Vegetable Sowing Chart for Southern Hemisphere

2012-07-24T02:20:00.001+07:00

Southern Hemisphere

Artichoke, Globe

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-March

Temperate: April-September

Cold: July-October

Artichoke, Jerusalem

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-November

Temperate: September-November

Cold: August-December

Asparagus

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: May-July

Temperate: June & July

Cold: June & July

Bean (dwarf)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-October

Temperate: September-February

Cold: October-January

Bean (climbing)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-October

Temperate: September-January

Cold: October-December

Bean (broad)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: April-June

Temperate: April-July

Cold: March & April, July & August

Beetroot

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-October

Temperate: July-March

Cold: September-February

Broccoli

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: March-August

Temperate: December-May

Cold: November-February

Brussels Sprouts

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: None

Temperate: December-March

Cold: October-February

Cabbage

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-November

Temperate: June-April

Cold: July-March

Cabbage (Chinese)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: July-April

Cold: July-March

Capsicum

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-March

Temperate: August-December

Cold: September-November

Carrots

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: July-March

Cold: September-February

Cauliflower

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-April

Temperate: December-March

Cold: November-January

Celery

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-April

Temperate: August-February

Cold: September-December

Choko

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-October

Temperate: August-October

Cold: None

Corn

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-February

Temperate: September-January

Cold: October-December

Cucumber

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-March

Temperate: September-January

Cold: October-December

Eggplant

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: September-March

Temperate: September-December

Cold: November & December

Endive

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: March-August

Temperate: August-March

Cold: September-February

Kale

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: None

Temperate: January-April

Cold: November-May

Kohlrabi

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-May

Temperate: January-March, July-September

Cold: January & February, August-October

Leek

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: April-June

Temperate: September-April

Cold: October-March

Lettuce

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: January-December

Cold: January-December

Okra

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: August-February

Temperate: September-December

Cold: October-December

Onion

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-May

Temperate: March-July

Cold: April-August

Onion, spring

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: August-May

Cold: August-April

Parsnip

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: March-August

Temperate: July-March

Cold: August-February

Pea (dwarf)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: March-July

Temperate: February-August

Cold: June-October

Pea (climbing)

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: March-July

Temperate: February-August

Cold: June-October

Potato

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-September

Temperate: January & February, July-September

Cold: August-December

Pumpkin

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-February

Temperate: September-December

Cold: October-December

Radish

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: August-May

Cold: September-April

Rhubarb

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-May

Temperate: August-December

Cold: September-December

Shallot

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-July

Temperate: February-June

Cold: January-May

Silverbeet

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: July-March

Cold: August-February

Spinach

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: April-July

Temperate: February-June

Cold: February-August

Squash

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-February

Temperate: September-December

Cold: October-December

Swede

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-April

Temperate: January-March

Cold: January & February, August & September

Sweet Potato

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-February

Temperate: September-November

Cold: None

Tomato

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: January-December

Temperate: August-December

Cold: September-November

Turnip

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: February-May

Temperate: January-April

Cold: January-March, July-September

Zucchini

Tropical / Sub-Tropical: July-March

Temperate: September-January

Cold: October-December

Food Gardening In Small Spaces

2012-07-24T02:19:00.003+07:00

Food Gardening In Small Spaces

If you live in an apartment or only have quite limited space to grow your food plants, don’t despair. There are numerous solutions to gardening in small spaces.

Space can be at a premium, especially these days when apartments and condos are so popular. A simple solution for those wanting to grow at least a few basic herbs and vegetables is to grow in containers.

Maybe you don’t have the time to maintain a large vegetable garden, or you have a physical condition that prevents you bending down or using the usual gardening tools. Whatever the reason, container gardening can be a great way to produce some of your organic food needs.

You will be pleasantly surprised to learn how many plants will grow quite happily in containers, providing you give them what they need.

And in return you will get wonderful organic food, filled with life energy. I think that’s one of the things I love most about organic gardening – that I can pick something that I know has grown with no chemicals and eat it within 1 – 20 minutes. It’s something nutritionalists and the like don’t seem to consider – the value of the life energy from that plant becomes part of your life energy when you eat it.

It’s little wonder that there are so many health issues these days. People end up eating more and more processed foods that are unrecognizable from their original form. But that’s a whole other topic....

While container gardening may have its limitations, there are some great benefits.

You have the advantage of being able to bring containers indoors through the coldest part of winter, prolonging the season.
Your pots / containers can create a focal point on a balcony or patio area, adding interest, colour or foliage.
Planters can be made from just about any type of container that holds soil and allows adequate drainage.
Potting mediums are easy to work with as they are the correct pH.
Weeds are much less likely to become a problem.
Less likely to be attacked by snails, slugs, insects or soil borne diseases.
The tiniest space – even a windowsill can be used to produce some fresh herbs

Soil

You need to purchase premium potting mix for growing in containers. Don’t be tempted to use soil from the garden in your pots as it will become compact and heavy, not allowing water to drain well. A premium potting medium is a must. It is lighter and so provides excellent drainage.

You will need to provide all your plants nutrients as most potting mixes do not come with organic fertilizer. Remember that more is not better when it comes to applying fertilizer. Too much fertilizer in contact with your plant’s roots will burn them. Always follow the directions on packaged fertilizers. There are many organic fertilizers available to choose from so look for blends suited to the type of plant you are growing - leafy, flowering, vegetables, etc.

Container plants need watering more frequently than normal garden plants, and as a result the water leaches away fertilizers. So container grown plants benefit from liquid feeds on a regular basis throughout their growing season. You can purchase organic liquid fertilizers if you don’t have room or time to make your own. Use them for foliar feeding and drenching the soil around your plants.

Watering

Because container plants are above ground the sun and wind will dry potting soils out quicker than plants grown in the ground. During summer you will need to take care that your pots do not dry out.

Water containers when the soil dries out to a depth of 1-2cm (1/2 inch). Apply water with a soft flow to be gentle on your plants and the soil. In really hot weather I usually re-water about 30 minutes after my initial watering. This is beneficial in containers as plants cannot always take up the water quickly.

It is important to make sure that your containers have adequate drainage or your plants will suffer and ultimately die if the roots are permanently sitting in water. If your containers sit on the ground, bottom holes may not drain readily.

If they are on a patio or are just off the ground, there should be no problem with bottom holes. If you’re not sure, make side holes or sit the pot on up off the ground on bricks or pavers.

Pieces from an old broken clay pot or fly wire placed over the drainage holes will keep the potting mix from packing around the holes and reducing drainage, as well as keeping it in the pot.

You can add some mulch to larger pots in summer to help prevent them from drying out. I like to use pea straw.

Choosing the right plants

When you’re growing in containers you will need to look for varieties that are the most suitable for growing in small areas. Many herbs make excellent container specimens. Try growing several together in one pot that like similar conditions.

As for vegetables you could start with some of the smaller vegetables such as radishes, lettuce, onions, capsicum or chillies, eggplant, short varieties of carrots, bush beans etc. Container planting is ideal to try out some companion planting techniques. You’ll have better success if your plant combinations are happy ones!

You can even grow tomatoes in pots. Look for smaller varieties such as cherry tomatoes or bush tomatoes that don’t require staking.

If you plant in three weekly successions you may be able to achieve continuous production of some plants, such as lettuce and radishes.

Strawberries grow well in containers, particularly hanging baskets if they are not allowed to dry out.

Location

Choose a position for you container plants where they get about six hour sun each day, preferably morning sun rather than afternoon sun.

You may also need to protect your plants from falling over in strong winds. If you have many pots they might provide some protection for each other. Place the tallest plants along walls or trellises.

And if you do have a trellis you can also try some climbing plants providing there is enough support. You might like to grow a passionfruit if you have a sunny wall. Or what about snow peas or sugar snap peas?

If space is really at a premium then you do really need to think about growing vertically. There are dwarf varieties of many fruit trees now that will happily grow in a good sized pot. You could espalier your fruit tree along a trellis if you have one.

Get creative. Hanging baskets could give you extra plant space for strawberries, cherry tomatoes or a basket brimming with herbs.

Many conventional gardeners find themselves with more than just a few plants growing in containers. I wouldn’t think of any other way to grow mints as they are just impossible if they escape into the garden. And how many people have the space for a full grown bay tree, when they only use a few leaves each week?

Tips For Container Growing

Use a premium potting mix
Add a slow release organic fertilizer when you pot up your container
Also add water crystals to help keep the soil moist
Re-pot your plants each spring to encourage vigorous growth (add slow release fertilizer every spring when you re-pot)
DO NOT OVERWATER – allow the soil surface to dry out between watering
And DO NOT ALLOW TO DRY OUT
Keep new growth trimmed to promote bushiness
Choose a sunny position – at least 4-6 hours a day

Yes, container plants take a little extra care, but we are well rewarded with our bounties. Try growing a few pots together. They look great and they provide a suitable micro-climate for each other. Good luck with yours!

Organic Food Profits

2012-07-24T02:19:00.001+07:00

Organic Food Profits

As a beginner to organic gardening you probably won’t have an excess of produce in your first growing season. If you have extra produce that you can’t use fresh, you can try your hand at freezing, bottling, canning, dehydrating and storing.

If you still have an abundance of produce – well done. You are clearly an excellent gardener. Friends and neighbours will be delighted with any organic food you are willing to share with them.

If you decide you want to grow much more produce than your family can use, you’ll be thinking about selling your excess. You need to research your country’s laws for organic certification.

In most cases it takes three to four years of growing to strict organic regulations before you can be certified as organic. In the mean time you can still sell your produce, but you must not call it organic until you are legally certified, but you can say that it has been grown without chemicals.

Of course the main benefit in getting the rubber stamp for organic certification is that your customers have the security of knowing that you definitely grow organically and so you can ask a far greater price for your wonderful, healthy food.

There are many other ways to make money from your garden. Craft items are always a good seller at local markets. Be as creative as you can. You will be able to grow many of the things you might need to create gorgeous gifts.

You could create seasonal or holiday themes, such as gifts for valentine’s day, mother’s day, Halloween and Christmas. I’m sure you could come up with thousands of ideas.

How To Have More Vegetables For More Of The Year

2012-07-24T02:16:00.001+07:00

Succession Planting is the practice of planting the same type of plant, but at timed intervals – for example a month apart. By doing this with vegetables that you use a lot, you will be able to create a much longer supply for your family.

This works best with plants that grow happily for most parts of the year; or if you’re lucky enough to live in a temperate climate, even all year round.

It works like this. Say you plant lettuce at the beginning of September. You only need to grow a short row because you would plant a second row in early October; then another in early November. By the time you’re planting your November succession, your September lettuce are mature enough to eat (I prefer the type where you pick and come again, rather than harvesting the whole plant). If you keep planting a row of lettuce at the start of each month, you will always have lettuce ready to pick straight from your organic garden.

You won’t be subject to availability in the supermarket or price fluctuations. Now you may not need to plant that often if you don’t use a great deal of lettuce. Or you could plant a similar salad crop in alternative months; perhaps rocket, or beetroot, or different varieties of lettuce. Use your own judgement to suit the needs of your family.

Some plants that work particularly well as succession plants include: lettuce, rocket, radish, spring onions, cucumbers and carrots.

Others that work well in the main growing season include: bush beans, corn, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, silver-beet and spinach; even zucchini. Try experimenting with various vegetables that your family loves. If you end up with too much you can always give some to friends and relatives.

That brings me to another way you can be sure to get the most from your organic vegetable garden. You can increase the length of your growing season by using different varieties of the same vegetable.

For example, you can put in an early, mid-season and late variety of many vegetables. That way you’ll have more of your favourite vegetables for more of the year, making whatever space you have available more productive.

You will find many fruiting plants are available in early, mid-season and late varieties too – again making it easier to provide for your family from your organic garden.

The real secret to succession (or successive) planting is planning – as with most things in the garden. Keep a garden diary or journal so you know when to put in your next crop. This will also be of great benefit in seasons to come. You won’t have to rely on your memory to see what worked and what could be improved on this year. And you’ll also know what you grew too much of and what you could have done with more of particular veggies.

I find it really joyful to grow my own vegetables from seed, so try saving some of your own seed too and see how you go with that.

Table Preferences : How much do I plant?

2012-07-24T02:15:00.001+07:00

How much do I plant?

This section is intended as a guide as our food needs are so varied, depending on how many there are in your family, how many meals you eat at home, how much you like to eat, how many visitors you get.

Then there’s your families personal taste preferences to consider. There’s not much point in growing 10 eggplant vines if only one person likes it. But if you like to make your own batch of tomato sauce to see you throughout the year, you’ll want to grow extra tomatoes, onions and garlic to provide your own delicious, organic ingredients.

The following plant numbers are roughly based on the needs of a family of two adults and two children (assuming your children eat vegetables!), so add or take to suit your own requirements.

Some seasons you’ll end up with an excess of some things. I’ve never found it to be a problem when there are so many great recipes for pickles, preserves or sauces – not to mention my friends and family who are thrilled when I turn up a box of goodies for them!

Of course you will also need to consider how much available space you have. If space is limited grow the things you like most – or vegetables that cost the most if you had to pay for them – or hard to get vegetables, that perhaps won’t be particularly fresh by the time they get to your table.

Beans	We usually grow several types – climbing and bush varieties. A seed packet in spring, then another in summer when the last lot is flowering. Grow more if you want to dry some for winter.
Beetroot	12 – 20 plants early spring, the same late spring, and again mid-summer
Broad Beans	Plant blocks of about 2 square meters late autumn / early winter. Grow more if you want to dry some
Broccoli	Twenty or so plants in mid-late summer
Brussels Sprouts	Twelve plants mid-late summer
Cabbage	12 cabbages and red cabbage in spring, plus 20 – 30 small cabbages late summer
Capsicum (peppers)	One dozen plants in spring
Carrots	Plant about a square meter per month, during spring
Cauliflower	20 – 30 plants in late summer
Celery	Around 15 plants, 30 plants if you want a lot for salads
Chilli	2 or 3 plants every other year
Corn	30 – 50 plants (in blocks) in spring, then more throughout summer
Cucumbers	6 plants in spring, then another 6 plants mid-summer
Eggplant	2 – 6 bushes
Leeks	50 – 100 plants, depending on what you use them for
Lettuce	If you eat a lot of salad 6 plants every week most of the year, except mid-winter. Plant extra late in summer for winter lettuces or grow cut & come again lettuce
Melons	6 plants or more! You can grow them among your flowers
Onions	About 400 seedlings + spring onions + chives + garlic
Parsley	A dozen flat leaf & a dozen curly leaf plants – feed well
Parsnips	Parsnip seed only germinates if it is really fresh, so you may have to sow a lot of seed your first time. But then if you let one go to seed and self-sow you’ll always have enough
Peas	At least 3 packets in autumn and 3 in spring – more if you want to freeze some
Potatoes	You’ll need about 200 kg a year. Plant a large sack of seed potatoes. You’ll find you miss gathering some and they will produce some of your next years crop
Pumpkins	10 or 12 vines, include several bush varieties
Radish	Sow a packet of seeds every other month throughout the year
Silverbeet/Spinach	10 – 20 plants, a combination of Silverbeet, spinach & chard
Tomatoes	12 plants (double if you make sauce), 2 grafted plants, a cherry tomato, an egg tomato & a climbing yellow or heirloom variety
Zucchini	2 - 4 plants in spring, 2 mid-summer

How To Grow Perennial Vegetables

2012-07-24T02:12:00.001+07:00

All organic gardeners love the time of year when the last frosts have been, the soil is warming up and the daffodils nod their heads, saying that spring is here. It’s time to start planting your annual vegetable garden.

But what a fantastic supplement to the garden would it be if there were vegetables available that don’t need to be replanted each year? You plant them once, then feed and water them and you can just keep picking them year after year.

Well, there are vegetables that you plant in a permanent position and they provide you with food on an ongoing basis. A perennial is defined as having a life cycle lasting more that two years. They generally die back during the cold winter months and emerge the following spring.

So a perennial vegetable is an edible plant that comes back each year. This way you have less to do, you disturb the soil less and your perennials become more drought and frost hardy as their roots grow deeper every year.

Soil Preparation For Perennials

All perennials will benefit from soil preparation that increases the nutrient levels and the moisture holding capacity of their garden bed. I like to grow my perennial vegetables separate from the annual plots, so that I’m not disturbing them on a regular basis.

If you have clay or heavy soils your perennials will benefit greatly if you use raised beds, as most perennials need good drainage to perform well.

Adding humus or compost to the soil will greatly improve growing conditions in heavy soils that dry out in summer, as well as lighter soils. Improving the soil will also increase the life and productivity of your perennial plants.

You want to prepare the beds well in advance of buying your plants. You want to make all of your amendments long before you bring your perennials home.

When you have got your new plants home, this is how you need to plant them into their permanent positions.

Dig a hole in the soil twice the depth of your plant and fill with water
Mix in a generous amount of mature, rich, organic material or compost to the soil that you took from the hole
Backfill the hole with the humus enriched soil. The addition of the mature organic matter provides extra nutrients below the soil that will also have increased water holding capacity, maintaining the moisture available to the roots of these perennial plants throughout the dry summer months.
Spread a light layer of organic fertiliser on top of the soil to help quickly develop a good root system
Mulch the soil around your perennials, making sure that the mulch doesn’t come right up to the crown or base of the plant as it may cause your plant to rot

Perennial Vegetables you might like to try – bearing in mind your climatic zone, as some of these perennials are not frost tolerant.

Artichokes, Asparagus, Beans (perennial), Broccoli (perennial), Cardoon, Chard (perennial), Chicory, Chives, Chokos, Corn Salad, Dandelions, Fennel, French sorrel, Garlic Chives, Ginger, Good King Henry, Japanese hornwort, Jerusalem artichokes, Lemon Balm, Lovage, New Zealand spinach, Purslane, Rhubarb, Rocket, Sorrel, Sweet potato, Tamarillo, Walking Onions.

Perennial vegetables are a perfect addition to an edible landscape gardening plan or permaculture garden. Many are very attractive and make excellent feature plants as well as give you food.

Remember that since they will grow in the same soil for many years, it is vitally important that they are given a sunny position, with well-drained soil full of organic matter. Planting perennial vegetables is a truly rewarding investment in your organic garden and you kitchen.

Each year as it warms up in spring, give your perennials a generous layer of organic fertilizer, then mulch with a layer of compost, leafmould or straw – or even better, both.

How To Grow Healthy Organic Herbs

2012-07-24T02:11:00.001+07:00

Herbs are such a wonderful gift from mother nature in so many ways. Their uses are many, including culinary; medicinal; household; cosmetic and craft. Not to mention their uses in the garden as companion plants and many can be used as activators in the compost heap.

And there’s no better way to delight in their pungent aromatic qualities than to grow them right outside your kitchen door.

Once you have a herb garden you will fall in love with them. Most herbs are fairly easy to grow. They don’t have to take up much space, Thyme or much of your time.

Herbs don’t suffer much from insect attack and they are not prone to disease problems. Most will survive even if quite neglected – but we want our herbs to grow healthy and vigorously to best serve us. So let’s look at creating the best conditions for your herb garden.

Where To Grow Your Herbs

If you are lucky enough to have plenty of room for a plot dedicated to growing herbs, then that’s great. A creative and practical way to grow herbs together is in a spiral. I like to interplant herbs throughout my garden, taking advantage of their wonderful Companion Planting benefits, as well as having the ones I use most in the kitchen close by for easy access.

Many herbs originate from the Mediterranean and prefer conditions suited to that climate. Such as hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Often the hotter the summer, the more aromatic the oils of the herb become.

Although most herbs will grow in partial shade, they will grow best if you choose a site with between 4 and 6 hours of sunlight per day.

The majority of herbs prefer a well-drained soil, but will cope with varying soil types. You can always improve your starting soil by adding organic matter, including compost and mulching. If your soil doesn’t drain well you might consider building raised beds or growing your herbs in containers.

Most herbs don’t require much in the way of fertilizers. Adding compost as a mulch with a layer of pea straw or similar over the top is enough to keep most herbs thriving.

Growing Your Herbs In Containers

Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow in containers. With some thought to position of the sun, you can grow them quite successfully on patios, balconies, terraces and verandas. This way you can quite literally have them at your back door – or even in your window sill.

Container growing is particularly useful if you live in a very cold winter climate, so that you can over-winter your herbs in containers indoors.

It’s also a great way to grow some of the herbs you use regularly if you’re renting. When you leave you just take your herb containers with you!

You can choose pretty much any container to grow herbs in. You could get quite creative with your container as long as it has enough drainage and is not something that may have any toxic residue. But if you’re not all that creative there are custom planters, large shallow pots that allow several types of herbs to grow together, strawberry pots and window boxes – and I’m sure there are many more options to choose from.

Smaller herbs are going to be the best choice for container plants. You might be surprised at how many types of herbs would be happy growing together in the same pot.

Choosing slow growing herbs will mean that you won’t have to keep them tidy. Snipping what you want for dinner will keep them compact and bushy. Always select healthy herbs to give them the best start. Remove any dead or diseased leaves to keep them healthy.

When potting them up into their container remember that they’ll be there for a while, so choose a good, well drained potting mix. Because most herbs don’t need a lot of fertilizer, choose a potting mix without added fertilizer. Container plants require more attention to watering needs as they will dry out much faster than plants in the ground. On hot, dry days you may need to water small containers twice a day.

Seasonal Care

Keeping weeds out of your herb garden and watering well during summer are the two main requirements to keeping your established herbs healthy. Mulching will be a big help with both of these tasks. This will also help keep your herb roots cool. Apply a thick layer of mulch – about 3 or 4 inches / 8-10 cm to be effective. If you live in an area with severe winters you will need to over-winter some herbs or treat them as annuals and plant new plants in spring.

Golden Oregano

If some of your herb plants start to get “leggy” trim them almost back to ground level at the end of summer. Herbs that will benefit from this include: oregano, marjoram, all the mints, yarrow, lemon balm.

Some of the more shrub-like herbs just need trimming back to encourage bushy growth, such as rosemary, lemon verbena and lavender.

And some herbs should be treated as annuals – in other words pull them up after the main growing season and plant fresh plants next growing season. These include basil, dill, chervil, borage, coriander, cumin.

You will benefit greatly by including herbs in your organic garden. They offer so much, yet ask so little.

Some herbs are best treated as groundcovers, some make delightful edging plants, but I prefer to grow most of my herbs amongst other plants. They truly come into their own when their beauty and aromas can be experienced intimately and often.

Easy To Grow Vegetables

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When you’re just starting out as a newcomer to organic gardening, it’s great to get some successes on the board as soon as possible. I’ve put this list together of my top 10 easiest veggies to grow to encourage you to get started. Once you discover how easy it is to grow your own delicious, healthy veggies, you’ll be scratching your head wondering why you didn’t try it sooner.

So start out with these, then when you’ve had success you can research other veggies, fruits and nuts that you want to try. Always bear in mind the climate zone you live in and when the plants like to grow, so that you are working with Mother Nature.

Radish

Radishes are probably the easiest vegetable to start out with. They thrive in all climates, all year round in temperate zones. The other great thing about them is that they mature really quickly, from seed to eating in as little as 4 or 5 weeks.

They rarely have any pest or disease problems because they grow so quickly.

If you’ve already enriched the soil with organic compost all you need do is keep the water up to them, especially in hot, dry weather – mulch in summer, but not in winter. If you’ve used plenty of seed you may need to thin them as they get bigger. Pick them as soon as they’re a reasonable size or they become woody.

Silverbeet, Spinach or Swiss Chard

This group of vegetables are related and are also quite easy to grow. Spinach grows best in cooler climates, but silverbeet will grow all year round in temperate zones.

If you’re growing them from seed, soak them overnight. Sow seeds about 30cm (12 inches) apart by placing them on the soil surface and poking with your finger to the depth of about 1cm (half inch). Cover with soil and water in well.

Keep them well watered in hot weather and apply organic fertilizer every month, giving them an occasional feed with an organic liquid fertilizer. Mulching with compost or pea-straw will help conserve water, control weeds and feed your soil.

When the leaves are big enough to use, pick from the outside making sure you leave at least 5 or 6 stalks in the centre for the plant to continue growing.

Capsicum (peppers) and Chillies

These plants are also related to each other and enjoy the same growing conditions. They are a warm climate vegetable and will not set fruit if the overnight temperatures are too low. You can grow both capsicum and chillies in pots.

You may need to stake capsicum for wind protection if you grow them vigorously, as they can reach up to 80cm (30inches).

Sow in seed boxes in spring. When your seedlings have reached 15cm (6inches), transplant them into beds prepared with compost at about 50cm (20inches) apart.

Fertilize with organic pellets every 4 or 5 weeks when they start to flower. Make sure you don’t over do it, or you will end up with very healthy plants with lots of leaves, but very little fruit.

You can harvest capsicum at any time, but if you wait for the fruit to turn red (they all start out green) they have much higher amounts of vitamin C.

Leave chillies on the plant to mature, then they can be harvested and used fresh. If you want to dry some just leave them in a dark, dry, airy place for several weeks.

They will store well in glass jars for many years. Remember never to touch your eyes after handling chillies as it is very painful. Wash your hands thoroughly.

Cherry Tomatoes

Tomatoes will grow in most soils and all but the coldest climates. And cherry tomatoes are the easiest to grow, so they suit new gardeners perfectly. They will even grow well as tub specimens. It’s not essential to stake them, provided you don’t mind them sprawling around the place a bit.

They are frost tender, so you can start them indoors if your area has late frosts. When your seedlings get to 15 – 20cm (6-8inches), transplant them into their permanent position, whether it be tub or ground.

If you are going to stake them, get your stakes in first so you don’t damage their young root system. Tomatoes (unlike most plants) actually benefit from being planted deeper than they were in the seedling box. You can even bury the bottom leaves. This actually benefits the plant as they grow roots right up to the soil surface, giving it more stability and accessibility to water and nutrients.

If growing them in the ground, give them at least 50cm (20inches) spacing.

Deep water you plants regularly and give a thick layer of mulch.

Providing you’re planting your tomatoes in a compost-rich soil, you will only need to liquid fertilize when fruiting starts. Use a good organic liquid manure such as Seasol or Maxicrop and use as a foliar spray.

Pick your tomatoes as they ripen, to encourage more fruit.

Zucchini

You will find zucchini one of the easiest vegetables to grow, with amazing yields. They just keep giving! Zucchini are part of the cucumber / melon / pumpkin family and enjoy a warm growing season.

Sow 2 or 3 seeds directly into a mound of richly composted soil in late spring, or after frosts are over. You can train zucchini to grow up a trellis or fence, which can help prevent powdery mildew. When the seedlings are about 10cm (4inches) tall, gently pull out all but the strongest plant.

You’ll need about 3 or 4 mounds (plants) to feed a family of 4 – 6. Give them plenty of water and add organic fertilizer every 4 weeks or so. When the zucchini reach between 15 and 20 cm (6-8inches) it’s time to pick them.

They can grow really quickly – literally overnight – so keep a vigilant eye on them otherwise you’ll end up with inedible veggies. You also want to pick them as they’re ready to keep the yields high.

Butternut Pumpkins

Pumpkins are known for being easy to grow. Belonging to the same family as zucchini, they grow in similar conditions. Again plant seeds in mounds and keep the strongest seedling. Have your mounds about a metre (yard) apart.

Mulch around the mound and keep the water up to them in really hot and dry weather. Feed every 3 weeks with well rotten manure or mature compost.

Here’s where the difference comes in. You need to leave pumpkins on the vine to fully mature. Wait until the vines have died off before harvesting (somewhere between 14 & 20 weeks).

Before any chance of frost, harvest by cutting the stems at least 5cm (2inches) from the pumpkin.

Store in a dry place until needed.

Leeks and Spring Onions

Spring onions and leeks are in the Allium family and grow in very similar conditions. You can grow in seed raising mix or seed directly where they are to grow. If you grow seeds in punnets you can transplant seedlings when they are about 20cm (8inches) tall into well prepared beds (they like a little lime if your soil is acidic), about 20cm apart.

Some people like to “blanch” the stems of leeks to keep them white, but I don’t bother. All you really need to do for leeks and spring onions is give them plenty of water, mulch to keep the weeds down and the soil moist and apply organic fertilizer every few weeks.

Harvest when leeks are about 2cm (an inch) thick, and spring onions as they become big enough.

Bush or Dwarf Beans

There are many different varieties of beans to choose from. When you’re starting out, go for the bush or dwarf varieties. Grow these beans in warm weather as beans don’t like the cold (unless you’re growing broad beans – different story).

Fertilize along the row where your beans are to grow. Don’t let your bean seeds come into direct contact with your organic fertilizer. Sow your beans directly where they are to grow, into damp soil and avoid watering near them for the first few days. (Don’t soak seeds before planting).

Space rows at 60cm (24inches) and push seeds about 2cm (an inch) into the soil, 10cm (4inches) apart. A row about 3 or 4 metres (yards) long should be enough for a family of 5.

To get a continuous supply of beans, start your next sowing when the first crop has grown their first true leaves. Feed with a liquid organic fertilizer when flowering starts. Remember to harvest your beans while they’re young and tender. They taste better this way, but more importantly, they will give you much better yields.

If you want to save your own seeds, leave the healthiest pods on the bush until they have completely dried. Then pick and pod them, storing in a dry place until next season. Remember to label them.

Peas

Peas will yield heavily if you give them what they need. And they are so delicious! Most varieties love the same conditions. Plant in late summer through to late winter, providing your soil is still workable. Peas like a higher pH than most vegetables, so add some lime into the soil along with mature compost or organic fertilizer.

Provide support by giving them something to climb up. Plant seeds every 5cm (2inches) in a well-drained soil with a sunny position and provide support with small sticks or similar until they reach what you want to grow them on.

Keep down any weeds with good organic mulch. Feed with an organic liquid fertilizer every 3 or 4 weeks. Keep moist in dry weather. Pick regularly to increase yields. Save seed the same as you would beans.

Beetroot

I love growing beetroot. It’s so easy to grow – but let me say this up front; it’s quite different from the tinned supermarket kind.

Plant throughout spring and summer. Add lime to your soil a couple of weeks before planting if your soil is a bit acid. Take your seeds and soak them overnight. Sow directly in the soil, about 1cm (half inch) deep and 30cm (12inches) apart. Cover lightly with soil and water them in.

If you want a continuous supply, plant your next crop every 2 – 3 weeks.

At about 4 or 5 weeks, give them a feed with organic liquid fertilizer.

You pull your beets when they have grown to about 6 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches) in diameter, roughly 8 to 10 weeks after planting. Don’t leave them to grow huge as they just become tough and woody.

The young leaves are great in a salad. I love to roast or boil them. They make great juice when added to apple and carrot. I’ve also pickled them and turned them into soup – very unusual, but delicious.

So there you have it – the 10 easiest veggies to grow. If you’re short on garden space you can try growing some of these in pots. You just need to remember to make sure you water when needed.

I wish you every success in getting started gardening organically. If you already garden, have a go at getting your kids (or grandkids) to try growing these veggies themselves. You’ll be surprised at how much more eager they are to eat something they’ve grown themselves.

Natural Insect, Pest & Disease Control

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Natural Insect, Pest & Disease Control

Organic gardeners always prefer to use methods that have the least negative effect on the environment. By growing strong healthy plants we eliminate the threat of having large scale pest invasions.

But when some pest populations do build up in our garden we should be asking “how can I encourage more predators?”, rather than “what should I do about all these pests?”

For every pest you have in excess there is at least one, and probably many predators that would happily relieve you of the excess. Sometimes it takes predator populations a little longer to build than it does the pest it feasts on, so give it a little time before pulling out the big guns – insecticides.

Remember that ‘organic’ does not mean less poisonous and that most sprays are indiscriminate and really should only be used as a last resort. Bearing that in mind, here are some organic ways to deal with a few persistent bug problems.

Bug Juice

A very effective insecticide. Sounds a bit disgusting, but worth trying if you can stomach it!

Collect an assortment of pests – grasshoppers are excellent – from wherever you are having pest problems in your garden.

Liquefy them in a blender with the addition of one part water to about two parts in volume of bugs. Strain and dilute to about 5ml of bug juice per 1 litre of water. Spray on affected plants.

Snails and Slugs

Fortunately there are a few easy ways to deal with these ravenous creatures as they can devour your tender seedlings overnight.

Ducks are great snail and slug hunters and will delight wandering around the garden in search and destroy mode. The only minor damage you can expect is from their heavy feed, but they’ll generally not eat your greens like chooks would.

Of course you can collect the snails and slugs and throw them to your chooks if you keep them – they’ll be delighted! The best time for collection is dawn and dusk when it is moist. You can also make this job easier by having cardboard or similar on the ground where they will gather.

If you don’t have chooks or ducks another method is similar to the bug juice above. You need to gather some snails and/or slugs into a container with some added sugar and water. Allow it to ferment for a few days then place in the blender. You can dilute it further with water if you don’t have much ‘juice’ and sprinkle it around problem areas.

Another method is to make a coffee spray. This works by spraying it thoroughly on and around the seedlings you want to protect. When the snails or slugs cross areas that have been sprayed they absorb the caffeine and die.

Dilute one part strong espresso coffee to 10 parts hot water. When it’s cool, pour into a spray bottle and spray on plants that you want to protect and the immediate area around them.

Then there’s the time honoured traditional snail catcher – yes, the old beer in the jar trap. Partly fill a jar with beer (stale of course, you don’t want to waste the good stuff) and lay it on its side where they are most active. They are attracted to the beer, get drunk and die. What a way to go!

An alternative to this is vegemite dissolved in water. They are attracted to the yeast.

Mealy bugs look like white, fluffy slaters. They are sap-sucking insects that cause leaves to wilt and go yellow. You may find them feasting away on your fruiting plants and ornamentals such as palms, ferns, orchids and succulents.

They prefer the sheltered conditions of a glass house or indoors. Mealy bugs exude a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew which can lead to sooty mould fungus and ants (ants feed on the honeydew).

The best way to deal with them is to prune off the most damaged parts of the plant and then kill any remaining bugs by dabbing them with a cottonwool ball dipped in methylated spirits. This will dissolve their waxy protective coating, they will dehydrate and die.

Scale are also sucking insects that feed on plant sap. They form in thick clusters on the leaves and soft growth of many garden plants. They also produce honeydew as a waste by-product of their feeding. Heavy infestations can cause stunted growth and wilting.

If you only have a small infestation you can scrape them off your plant with your fingernail or a toothbrush. Larger numbers can be sprayed with a solution of homemade oil spray.

You can also use the oil spray to eliminate citrus leaf-miner and red spider mite. When you coat them thoroughly, the pests are suffocated by the oil.

Home-made oil spray.

1. Add 500ml of vegetable oil to 250ml of pure liquid soap to a bowl.

2. Mix together in a blender and then store in a jar.

3. Dilute 1 tablespoon in 1 litre of water. Spray, making sure you get under all the leaves.

Special Note: Have kitchen utensils and a blender that are dedicated specifically for the purpose of spray preparation.

Use all sprays with extreme caution and do not eat from any plant that has been sprayed for at least two weeks.

Controlling insects and pests naturally can sometimes be difficult. Here are some of the best ways to help reduce your losses without resorting to harmful chemicals.

Choose disease resistant varieties

Discard sickly looking seedlings

Keep your plants growing vigorously

Clean up crop waste as quickly as practical

Keep out weeds which encourage insects and disease

Hand-pick insects like caterpillars, hose off aphids

Water at soil level, so plants are not wet at night

Dispose of any diseased plants before they contaminate others

Don’t throw diseased plants in your compost heap

Rotate your garden beds / plots

Encourage natural predators wherever possible

Insect traps can work for snails and slugs

Deterring Pest Birds

Blackbirds are a real pest in my veggie garden here in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. They look for insects and grubs on the ground with their feet and beaks by pushing around mulch and leaf-litter.

This really annoys me when I’ve just laid out a fresh layer of mulch because they make such a mess and sometimes end up burying or damaging my plants.

So I tried a little experiment with several rubber snakes around my veggie plots to see if it makes a difference. Guess what? It actually works, provided I move the snakes to different positions each day.

Remove their nests if you find them under your eaves or verandas, to discourage them breeding around your property. They build medium to large fibre and mud nests.

How To Make Your Own Liquid Fertilizers

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We all need a bit of a “pick-me-up” from time to time and your vegetables, herbs, fruits and soil will also benefit from a boost of liquid tonic every now and then. It’s not a good idea to force your plants to feed when they drink, so I don’t recommend regular weekly feeding, but just as a boost.

We all want the best results from our efforts in the garden. Giving your veggies a liquid boost can provide them with nutrients and trace elements that are not always available to them.

Making your own liquid fertilizer is a simple task that can be done in just a few minutes. Then it’s just a matter of waiting for it to mature, which can take up to a month.

The basic equipment you need is a large plastic container with a tightly fitting lid. The container must never have been used for toxic chemicals.

Make different brews, depending on what you’re wanting to accomplish. When it has matured, dilute to a pale yellow colour, otherwise it may be too strong. Then use as you need it, both on the soil and /or as a foliage spray.

Weeds

Often if you have a particular weed problem in your garden, it is there to help restore the balance of nutrients in the soil. If you make a liquid manure from that particular weed and use it as a foliar spray, it will often reduce the recurrence of that weed.

Also, deep-rooted weeds such as dandelion, dock, yarrow, burnet and wire-weed bring nutrients to the surface that have leached down into the sub-soil.

Nettle ‘Tea’

A brew made from stinging nettles (Urtica) will encourage growth in spring. Use gloves when pulling up the nettles. You need to fill your container with nettles and completely cover with water. Allow the mix to ferment until the nettles have completely broken down.

Fish

Place fish scraps in your container and just cover with water. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid to prevent flies getting to it (and the smell from getting to you). Let it ferment for about a month. It should be mostly decomposed by then. This brew is a rich source of trace elements, so you need to use it very diluted.

Comfrey

If you want to give your fruiting plants, such as pumpkins and tomatoes a boost, try a liquid manure made from comfrey as it is very high in potash. It will break down quickly and with very little solid residue as its leaves contain a high amount of water.

Compost

If you need a fungal preventative, make a tea from compost. The compost must have some animal manure included for this to work. Put some compost in a hessian bag and soak in water for a few days. You’ll need to dilute it to the colour of weak tea, then spray on plant leaves every 10 – 14 days.

Mulching Is A Must!

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The word “mulch” comes from the old English word “melsc” – meaning rotten hay. In today’s language it has come to mean any material that covers the soil to preserve moisture content, prevent soil erosion and inhibit weed growth. For organic gardening I choose materials that will break down over time, feeding my plants and contributing to the amount of humus in the soil.

Many materials are suitable to use as mulch, such as: leaves, pine needles, straw / hay, sawdust, gravel / rocks, paper / cardboard, grass clippings, carpet underfelt and even plastic. Each one has its own benefits and disadvantages.

Dark mulches warm the soil, whereas light coloured mulches will keep the soil cooler. In a cool climate light-coloured straw mulch will hold back the development of many hot season vegetables – so take care with your choice of mulch and the time of year you apply it.

I’ve heard it said that mulches can be a refuge for problem garden pests, but nature balances this with enough predators to consume any rise in pest numbers.

Leaves are the most natural mulch of all. However most of the nutritional content has been taken from the tree before the leaf falls to the ground. Many leaves contain tannins and some have growth suppressants (eucalypts & pine needles for example), so it’s better to either add them to your compost heap or place them in a wire container and allow them to decompose for a year or so and become leaf mould, then use as mulch.

Straw / Hay is my preferred method of mulching in my organic food garden. The main advantage over many mulches is that it slowly releases nutrients to feed the plants it surrounds.

One disadvantage is that hay may contain weed seeds, but they are usually very easy to pull. That is why I prefer pea straw – usually the only weeds are peas and they add nitrogen to the soil. Another problem can be that it may become water repellent. But this is not a problem if you trickle or flood irrigate your food plots.

Sawdust is probably best used by composting it before laying as a mulch as it may rob the soil of nitrogen, especially if your soil is poor to begin with. Also, it can become water repellent. However if you have a good supply it makes an excellent soft, natural looking covering for pathways.

Gravel / Rocks are best used outside of your veggie garden unless you live in a cool climate area and use them around warm climate plants, such as pumpkins and tomatoes. Rocks store heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it through the night.

They can also be used in arid areas around larger plants and trees. Water condenses on the underside of the rocks as they cool during the night helping to keep plants moist.

The disadvantage with rocks is that weeds will grow around them.

Paper / Cardboard are both quite useful as mulches. I often use thick layers of newspaper (which I wet before laying) underneath pea-straw or pine bark. The layers need to overlap about 15cm to prevent weeds from coming through. Don’t use pages with coloured ink as they may contain heavy metals.

Cardboard can make a great mulch under young trees. You can secure it with rocks in a decorative way in addition to straw or bark. Using cardboard beneath sawdust for your garden paths will prevent most weeds.

Grass clippings can be utilised as a thin mulch under trees and shrubs that will feed your plants as it breaks down. Take care not to pile on too thickly though as you will end up with a water repelling, smelly blob!

Carpet underfelt makes an excellent mulch in your organic garden. It won’t blow away, it’s easy to cut to insert your seedlings, it allows air to penetrate and it holds moisture very well. You must make sure that it is the older underfelt though, not the modern foam type.

Black plastic has the advantage of being cheap, easy to install and a great weed suppressor, but its disadvantages are many. It doesn’t feed the soil, it deteriorates with direct sunlight and doesn’t allow the natural gas exchanges between the air and soil.

Whatever your choice of mulch, your garden will be more productive and well balanced if you choose a feeding kind of mulch. Remember too that mulches should not come into contact with the stems of you plants as this may cause them to rot.

Keeping On Top Of Weeds

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I’m sure we’ve all heard the old saying that weeds really are just plants growing where you don’t want them to. Unwanted volunteers (or weeds) can be easily controlled with just a few minutes each week. A hoe makes shallow cultivation very easy, without disturbing your precious vegetables.

Weeds are quite easy to pull when they’re small, especially if they’ve grown through thick mulch – plus they are far less likely to germinate under thick mulch in the first place. So that’s my number 1 tip – always mulch heavily!

Some other ways to quickly get rid of weeds are:

Build a compost heap over them – the heap will heat up and everything underneath will “cook”. Move it to the next patch when it has matured and grow vegetables where the original heap was.
If you have a larger area, build a raised bed over the area. Fill it with layers of good soil, compost and mulch. Any weeds that manage to survive this treatment and poke through the top will be easy to remove.
Grow a patch of potatoes over them – they end up smothering out other plants when heavily mulched.

BUT, it’s not always such a bad thing having some weeds in your garden. “WHAT?” I hear you scream. Well it’s true. There are a number of benefits for having weeds in your garden.

Firstly, many weeds attract beneficial insects – that is insects that prey on pests that might be causing problems in your garden. Some weed flowers are a food source for insects such as hoverflies, bees and wasps. These beneficial insects eat aphids and other pests. Can you see how it could be a good thing to have them on your team? Besides, it’s always easier to work with Mother Nature, than against her. And after all, that is the premise of organic gardening.

Secondly, if you do some research you will find that many plants that may now be considered weeds, were once considered food. These include dandelion, horseradish, nettles – and yes, they are still quite edible. My mother makes a great veggie soup, and with the addition of nettles means it will be rich in iron.

And thirdly, some weeds are really deep-rooted. They excel at mining minerals from deep down in the soil, which are then stored in their leaves. You can use their leaves in your compost heap, where the minerals will then be released and made available to your vegetables as you add the compost to them.

Deep-rooted plants also help break up heavy soils, leaving tunnels when the plant dies and breaks down, for air and water to penetrate deeply.

You can either harvest their leaves by hand or you can mow them and then add them to your compost heap.

If you keep harvesting the leaves and don’t allow the “weed” to go to seed, you will eventually weaken them over the years and they will die. You just have to be vigilant and not allow the weeds to flower and produce seeds.

Growing Your Food From Seeds and Transplanting Established Plants

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Growing Your Food From Seeds

Propagating plants from seed is what nature does all the time. Most seeds have certain basic requirements to germinate successfully – the right amount of moisture, warmth, air and light, although most will germinate in the light or dark.

Larger seeds can usually be successfully sown outside, directly in your garden beds, but for the rest you can give them the best start by sowing them under glass or in seedling trays or pots. Once seeds have germinated, light is essential for healthy growth.

You need to have an idea of the best time of year to sow particular seeds for your area. Talk to other gardeners nearby, friends and family. If your area suffers from frosts throughout winter it is best to leave sowing your spring / summer vegetables until the last of the frosts. Use the charts at the end of this book as a general guide.

Of course if you have a glasshouse or a sunny spot inside you can get a bit of a head start. Some plants are meant to be grown through the winter, such as most peas and beans, onions, many root crops – and others will cope through milder winters, so your location is very relevant.

All in all, growing your own food and saving the seed is a very rewarding pastime. I must emphasise again that good record keeping is essential in all aspects of organic gardening, but especially for seed collection and saving.

Your garden diary and the seeds you save can become a great legacy to leave for your children – along with the love of gardening and giving your body healthy fuel.

I developed my love of gardening from watching my grandpa in his garden. He truly loved to spend time in it. It would have been wonderful if he had kept a journal of some kind. But he did save seeds, which I was given when he passed over. Those memories, along with his saved seed encouraged me to create my own organic garden.

I encourage you to get growing with your own seed, your neighbour’s seed, seed from anyone who’s willing to share, or even purchased seed.

Transplanting Established Plants

Enrich your soil.

Before you reach for your spade, consider if you have chosen the best position for your plant – does the spot you’ve chosen have enough shade or sun for that particular plant? Have you allowed enough room to accommodate the height and width of the plant when it is mature?

If you have poor soil where you intend to place your lovingly selected plant, you’ll give it the best chance of thriving by improving the soil before planting. You can do this by making several successive applications of organic matter to the soil around where you are planting.

You can use compost, well aged animal manures, lucerne hay, worm castings etc. Apply each layer to the soil surface, about 10cm (4inches) deep. Don’t dig it in – worms and soil microbes willingly take on this task for you. It will take a while and several applications over a few months for your soil condition to show improvement, but it will happen!

When you’re ready to plant, dig the hole about double the width of the pot, but only slightly deeper. Loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole and score the sides of the hole with your garden fork.

Push a little of the soil back into the hole and settle your plant onto it, making sure that it is no deeper or higher in the ground than it was in the pot. If the plant was a little pot-bound, tease the roots and spread them out over the mound of soil in the hole, removing any damaged roots with a sharp pair of secateurs.

Gently back-fill the hole around the plant and water in well.

Cover the soil surface around the plant with a 10 cm (4inch) layer of mulch, such as wood-chip, compost, pea straw or well rotted manure. Your plant should quickly adapt to its new home.

Don’t add compost to planting holes.

We are often advised to add generous amounts of compost in the planting hole. I recommend against this for several reasons. For one, it can be particularly harmful in poorly drained soils.

The natural process is for leaves and other organic matter to fall onto the soil and break down slowly, which nourishes plants and builds up the topsoil.

Filling your planting hole with a concentration of topsoil can lead to problems.

If the organic matter isn’t fully composted, the composting process will continue underground, removing nutrients and oxygen from the soil, rather than enriching it.

If the surrounding soil is poor, the plant’s roots will not explore further than the hole it was planted in, virtually making it ‘pot-bound’ in the ground.

As the organic matter continues to break down it will decrease in volume, causing the plant to sink in the planting hole. If it was planted in poorly draining soil, the plant will be sitting in a ‘plug’ of water and most likely suffer root-rot.

Back-fill the hole with the soil you removed. Add compost or mulch to the surface and water in well.

Gardening : Create a Small ‘No – Dig’, Raised Plot

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This method of vegetable gardening is what I prefer. As you might have guessed, it doesn’t involve digging. This method is particularly suited to older people or people with physical disabilities. But I just prefer it because I think it’s better for the soil and easier to manage.

When soil is turned over it destroys the soil structure. When you create a no-dig plot you are not disturbing the topsoil at all. This means that the soil microbes, worms and other creatures can continue doing what they do best in your garden.

For the best results in your garden, you want to aim for no compaction of the soil as well. Water, air and nutrients travel through the soil by pathways made by worms and plant roots. When soil is compacted these pathways are destroyed.

I don’t even walk on my veggie beds. By designing your plots to be no more than say 1.25metres (4 feet) across (and however long you want) you can avoid having to stand in it. You should be able to reach in from both sides to do your planting, mulching, fertilizing and harvesting.

If you start with a small bed, (say 1.25m x 2.5m / 4’ x 8’) you can plan it so that you can expand when you are ready.

No matter what your location, no dig vegetable gardens are a great option. It means that it doesn’t matter what sort of soil you are starting out with as the layering of materials over the surface will continue to feed and condition your soil.

Eventually you will end up with dark, nutrient-rich soil.

A No Dig garden bed is made on top of the ground. It can be built over existing garden beds, lawns and even hard or rocky ground – even concrete. It should be situated in an area that receives at least six hours sun (preferably morning sun) a day and that has good drainage.

When preparing the plot it is not necessary to pull up lawn or an existing garden, you will be ‘smothering’ what is already there.

Building your plot

I like to install irrigation before building my plot as I find it saves me so much time and trickle irrigation (on a timer) is a far better way to water than by hand or sprinkler.

One thing to always remember when handling manures, soil or any organic matter is to always wear tough gloves to protect you from bacteria getting into any cuts. Then wash your hands thoroughly when you’re finished in the garden.

1. Form the outside walls of your plot. You can use logs, old planks (make sure they haven’t been treated), pavers, bricks, stones, sleepers etc. If you have disabilities you may need to get help with this.

2. Lay down a thick layer of wet newspaper (I use an old baby bath filled with water to soak the newspaper), making sure it completely covers the enclosed area. It should be at least 6mm (quarter inch) thick and overlap by about 75mm (3inches). This will kill off any weeds or grass and prevent more from growing. Only use newspaper as glossy, coloured paper has chemicals.

3. Lay down pads (or biscuits) of lucerne hay or pea straw, making sure there are no gaps between the pads.

4. Add a 20mm (¾inch) layer of good organic fertilizer (mature chicken manure is great).

5. Cover with about 200mm (8inches) thick of loose straw.

6. Add another 20mm (¾inch) layer of good organic fertilizer (blood & bone etc).

7. Finish off with a top layer of compost, about 100mm (4inches) thick.

8. Water well and allow to settle.

9. Plant out seedlings after 2 or 3 weeks (not seeds).

Some of the benefits of creating a no-dig, raised plot include:

can be built anywhere, any time to any design
keeping your garden tidy, with easy access
stops birds from scratching your mulch everywhere
it mirrors nature by creating a rich, organic environment for your plants
once set up, it’s virtually maintenance free
helps prevent destruction from snails, rabbits etc.

In your new raised garden bed the best veggies to start with are potatoes, lettuce, brassicas (cabbage / cauliflower family) and cucurbits (cucumber family), depending on the time of year. Root crops are better after a few seasons, when your plot has matured.

Keeping your beds topped up with compost and / or mulch helps prevent weeds, retain moisture and nourishes your plants, promoting steady healthy growth.

This is how my plot started – very humble beginnings. Just to quickly recap; no digging, just build a structure and start adding the good stuff.

This photo was taken on September 2^nd.

This is the very same plot just 10 weeks later – photo taken on November 11^th.

We’re already enjoying some vegetables on our dinner plates.

Basic Tools For Veggie Gardening

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Basic Tools For Veggie Gardening

You don’t need to race out and buy hundreds of dollars worth of brand new gardening tools to get started. But you will need the basics. If you’ve got a shed, then chances are you’ve already got some of the tools you will need to start your organic veggie garden.

Firstly, there’s your garden variety, versatile spade. This will perform a wide range of tasks; from moving compost around the yard, to harvesting your first crop of potatoes, to digging holes for planting your fruit or nut trees.

You’ll also need a good quality garden fork. This will come in handy for turning over your gorgeous compost and a heap of other tasks.

A rake is a necessity when it comes time to give your planting area a level surface with a nice tilth for your seeds to go in.

There are such a wide range of hoes available in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but essentially a hoe is a blade on a stick. You’ll need it to weed around your plants, so I prefer one with a smaller blade, so that I’m not disturbing the tender roots of my young plants.

If you can only afford to pay for one thing of real quality, make it your secateurs. They will last a very long time if you treat them with respect and they are an essential part of gardening maintenance.

The other things you will also need straight away are a hand trowel, hose and / or irrigation system, labels and a 2B pencil.

Most other tools you can buy as you go, or as you discover a need for a particular tool. You can improvise with things from the kitchen or shed until money allows you to go and get something designed for the job.

What type of heap to build?

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You can make compost simply by adding compostable organic items to a compost heap when you feel like it. It will all rot eventually but it can take a long time, may not produce a very pleasant end product, and could smell.

With a little extra attention - taking the ’COOL HEAP’ option outlined here - you could improve things dramatically.

If you want to produce more compost in a much quicker time, and are able to put a little more effort into it, follow the ’HOT HEAP’ option.

The Cool Heap

1. Collect together a batch of compost materials. Try, if possible, to get enough to make a layer a minimum of 30cm / 12inches or more in the compost bin. Weed the garden, mow the lawn, empty the kitchen scrap bucket; whatever it takes!

Aim for a mix of soft and tough items. It may help if you place a few woody plant stems or small twigs on the bottom first, especially if using a plastic bin, as this will improve the air circulation and drainage.

Go to Step 2, or jump to the ’HOT HEAP’ Step 2 if you can make the time.

2. Start filling the bin. Spread the ingredients out to the edges. Alternate soft and tough items, or mix them together first. Unless items are already wet, water well every 30-60cm.

3. Continue to fill the container. Items can be added individually, but a bigger batch is preferable. If most of what you compost is kitchen waste, mix it with egg boxes, kitchen paper, loo roll middles and similar paper products to create a better balance.

Go to Step 4, or take a detour via the ’HOT HEAP’ Step 4 on the way if you are energetic enough to turn it.

4. When the container is full - which it may never be as the contents will sink as it composts - or when you decide to, stop adding to it. Then either just leave it to finish composting or go to Step 5.

5. Remove the container, or everything from the container. If the lower layers have composted, use this on the garden. Mix everything else together well; add water if it is dry, or add more dry material if it is soggy. Replace in the bin and leave to mature.

The Hot Heap

1. Gather enough material to fill your compost container or area in one session. Bring in manure, scraps from the market, neighbours’ weeds and so on to make up the bulk. Make sure you have a mixture of soft and tough materials.

2. Chop up tough items using shears, a sharp spade (lay items out on soil or grass to avoid jarring) or a shredder / mulcher.

3. Mix ingredients together as much as possible before adding to the container. In particular, mix items, such as grass clippings, that tend to settle and exclude air, with more open items that tend to dry out. Fill the container as above, watering as you go.

4. Give the heap a good mix.

5. Within a few days, the heap is likely to get quite hot to the touch. When it begins to cool down, or a week or two later, turn the heap. Remove everything from the container or lift the container off and mix it all up, trying to get the outside to the inside. Add water if it is dry, or dry material if it is soggy. Replace in the bin.

6. The heap may well heat up again with the new supply of air you have mixed in. This allows the fast-acting aerobic microbes, ie those that need oxygen, to continue with their work. Step 4 can be repeated several more times if you have the energy, but the heating will tend to be less and less.

When your compost no longer heats up again, leave it undisturbed to finish composting.

When is it ready?

Compost can be made in six to eight weeks depending on what time of year, or it can take a year or more. In general, the more effort you put in, the quicker you will get compost.

When the ingredients you have put in your composting container have turned into a dark brown, earthy smelling material, the composting process is complete.

It is then best left for a month or two to ’mature’ before it is used. Don’t worry if your compost is not fine and crumbly. Even if it is lumpy, sticky or stringy, with bits of twig and eggshell still obvious, it is quite usable.

Tips To Really Get Your Compost Heap Cooking

It seems that most organic gardeners love the idea of making their own compost, but some gardeners have trouble making it really happen. Don’t give up! There are ways to give your compost heap a boost and get it heating up again – creating beautiful, nutritious humus for your veggie garden.

OK, so after six months your ‘compost’ has remained unchanged from it’s original state? Remember there are certain conditions your heap needs to be able to actively turn it’s ingredients into compost. They are air and moisture. Here are some things you can try.

1. Turn your heap over, exposing it to air, watering if dry.

2. If your heap dries out it will stop breaking down. Water the heap every few days in summer if conditions are hot and dry.

3. Add ingredients that are as small as possible. Use a shredder, mulcher or lawn mower to chop up larger ingredients such as prunings and larger leaves.

4. To speed up the composting process add lots of nitrogen-rich ingredients such as clover, manure laden straws, herbal activators (see below), washed sea-weed or fishmeal.

Herbs As Compost Activators – some herbs are well known as particularly impressive compost activators. Add them to your heap to speed up your results.

Comfrey(Symphytum officinale) is rich in calcium, nitrogen, phosphates and potassium. It has large hairy leaves that break down very quickly.

Dandelion(Taraxacum sp) also accelerates the breaking down of materials in the heap. It is rich in copper, potash and iron, all valuable goodies in your compost.

Valerian(Valeriana officinalis) has a reputation for attracting earthworms to the compost heap. Its leaves are also rich in minerals.

Yarrow(Achillea sp) can have the most dramatic effect in your heap, even in small amounts. It will enrich your compost with nitrates, potash, phosphates and copper, so is a very valuable addition.

Tansy(Tanacetum vulgare) has the ability to concentrate potassium from the soil where it grows. Adding Tansy to your compost means adding potassium.

If you have the room, it’s best to have two or more compost piles on the go. One that you are preparing by gathering materials, one that is semi-matured and one that has already turned into that gorgeous, black, earthy plant tonic – ready to use.

One more tip is to make sure air can get to the middle of your heap, especially if you don’t plan to turn it often. Place garden stakes or pvc pipes through the middle of your heap so that you can ‘jiggle’ them every few weeks allowing air to get to the centre of your heap.

Try some of these tips and I’m sure you will speed things up for your compost heap and you will be topdressing your veggies with your own compost in no time.

How to Make Your Own Compost

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Credit to : blog.yourgardeningtools.com

So Why Make Compost?

There are so many benefits to creating your own compost that I think it’s not only worth the effort, but an integral part of your organic gardening system.

1. Wherever you make your well made compost heap it will get so hot that the soil underneath it ‘burns’, along with any weeds – so it will even kill Couch or Kikuya grass. Native soil life can bury down under the hot surface area to survive. Enough nutrients leach down into the soil under the heap for them to feed on. This area under your compost pile becomes a very fertile, cleared planting bed – too good to waste by building the next compost pile in the same place. Consider building your next compost pile where you want your next planting area.

2. Compost gives an initial quick boost to the population of soil micro-organisms when you are first establishing an area. Using compost to plant out (at least for the first time) provides your garden beds with starter cultures of micro-organisms.

3. Use your compost to create your own seedling raising and potting mixes. Combined with worm castings and river sand, compost based seedling raising mix has the right texture, water retaining and draining qualities and is nutrient-rich enough to give seedlings and cuttings a great start.

4. To provide additional nutrients in the garden when planting out heavy feeders following another heavy feeder.

5. To incorporate organic matter into the garden that isn’t suitable for feeding to the chooks. So many household and garden materials can go into creating wonderful nourishment for your plants that would have to be otherwise disposed of. By turning it into compost instead, you are greatly reducing the burden on the environment while keeping yourself fit in the process.

6. Compost is often used as a nutritious layer of mulch, reducing evaporation and helping keep down the weeds.

The Simple Science of Making Compost

Compost is a living culture – a colony of micro-organisms that convert organic matter into humic acid, locking up nutrients in large molecules that are not readily water-soluble.

This means that they don’t leach out of the soil like soluble fertilisers do, and that the nutrients are not ‘force-fed’ to your plants as they take in water. Plants can absorb and digest these nutrients with their feeder roots, taking just what they need for healthy growth.

Making compost is a process of cultivating micro-organisms. As with all living things, for them to do well they have specific needs which have to be met. Your compost heap will flourish if the micro-organisms are given enough water, air, carbon-rich food, not too much nitrogen-rich food, micro-nutrients, an acid environment and heat.

Water comes from wetting down each layer of the pile when making (and turning).
Air comes from allowing holes in the pile, using some ingredients that are bulky (providing air pockets), not compressing the pile and turning it over etc.
Carbon-rich food comes from dry-ish or woody plants like hay, straw or dried leaves, cardboard and paper.
Nitrogen comes from green plant materials (such as lawn clippings, comfrey, azolla and legumes) animal manures and human urine. (Urine needs to be diluted and allowed to stand for 24 hours before use).
Micro-nutrients come from mixing in as broad a variety of materials as possible, including herbs, weeds, seaweed and waterweeds.
The acidic environment occurs on its own accord, providing you do not add lime, dolomite or wood ash to your pile.
Heat is generated by the compost micro-organisms themselves. You need to help conserve it. You can do this by having the minimum surface area – the best shape that does this is a sphere, but a dome shape is close enough.

What Can I Compost?

If it can rot it will compost, but some items are best avoided. Some things, like grass clippings and soft young weeds, rot quickly. They work as ’activators’ or ’hotter rotters’, getting the composting process started, but on their own will decay to a smelly mess.

Older and tougher plant material is slower to rot but gives body to the finished compost - and usually makes up the bulk of a compost heap. Woody items decay very slowly; they are best chopped or shredded first – the smaller the ingredient, the quicker it will break down.

For best results, use a mixture of many types of ingredients. The right balance is something you will learn with experience.

Compost ingredients

1. Activators :

Comfrey leaves
Yarrow
Young weeds
Grass cuttings
Chicken manure
Pigeon manure
Human Urine

2. A balanced diet

All biodegradable kitchen waste
Tea bags
Coffee grounds
Old flowers
Bedding plants
Old straw & hay
Vegetable plant remains
Strawy manures
Young hedge clippings
Spent hops
Feathers
Seaweed (Kelp preferably – washed)
All nut shells and husks
Egg shells
Prawn heads, crab & crayfish shells
Vacuum cleaner dust
Human & animal hair and nail clippings
Soft prunings
Perennial weeds
Gerbil, hamster & rabbit bedding

3. Other compostable items

Cotton rags (unprinted)
Cheesecloth
Cardboard
Jute bags, Hessian and Canvas
Paper towels & bags
Butchers’ paper
Cardboard tubes
Egg boxes

4. Slow cookers - very slow to rot

Autumn leaves
Tough hedge clippings
Woody prunings
Sawdust
Wood shavings
Old under-felt (not chemically treated)

5. Do NOT compost

Coal & coke ash
Cat or Dog litter & faeces
Disposable nappies
Glossy paper or magazines

Credit to : blog.yourgardeningtools.com

How to Feeding Your Soil

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Feeding your soil organic matter is one of the foundations of gardening the organic way. By adding organic nutrients to the soil we are emulating nature.

The ways that we can provide nutrients organically to the soil include adding mature or well composted animal manures, green manure cover crops, mulch, compost, or mixed organic fertilizer.

It is a critical step to growing food organically to maintain a supply of nutrients ready for your plants to take up as they need them. This way your plants will grow vigorously, which helps prevent attacks of pests and disease.

It also means that you will benefit from higher yields and quicker growing times.

Benefits Of Building Up Your Soil With Organic Matter

1. Improvement of the condition and structure of your soil;

2. Improves the ability of your soil to hold water;

3. Provides additional nutrients to the soil;

4. Allows nutrients to be released slowly;

5. Improve the soil’s microbiological activity;

6. Releases insoluble natural additives such as ground rock into plant-usable forms;

7. Helps dispose of your organic waste materials.

8. Encourages earthworms and micro-organisms.

How To Create Healthy, Fertile Soil

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In your organic garden it is very important to have fertile soil to create the best possible growing conditions for healthy, tasty vegetables and great yields. Soil fertility is best when essential nutrients are available to your plants and when the humus levels are at 5% or more.

Humus is the stable decomposed remains of plant tissue. It is a product of composted vegetable matter, or if you like, your mature compost. The cellulose in humus acts like

a sponge and holds moisture in the garden soil, making it available for growing plants, creating better drought tolerance. It has a water-holding capacity of up to five times its own weight.

It helps prevent water-soluble nutrients from being leached from

the soil via watering or rainfall by binding itself to the nutrients, but at the same time making them available to plant roots.

It helps bring about a loose, crumbly structure in heavy clay soils, while allowing free drainage during excessive rain; and provides cohesion in sandy soils.

So you see that humus is really the best way to overcome whatever problems you may have with your soil. Humus is also necessary to maintain healthy levels of essential soil organisms, fungi, bacteria and earthworms.

Making your own compost is an integral part of organic gardening.

Sandy soils

Sandy soil has large, freely draining particles. Any nutrients present are quickly leached by watering and / or rainfall.

If you have sandy soil you will need to apply to the surface, or dig in, large amounts of humus to retain water and provide nutrients. All organic matter breaks down over time, so sandy soils will benefit from a large amount of compost, which will need replacing regularly.

Always mulch well to reduce evaporation. Did you know that a 20cm (4 inch) layer of mulch can reduce evaporation by up to 70%?

Sandy soils can become non-wetting soils, where any amount of irrigation will just run across the surface. If your soil is like this, you will need to add copious amounts of organic matter to correct this nasty problem.

Some organic soil wetting agents include vegetable soaps, plant and seaweed extracts and microbial wetting agents. When you’re buying a wetting agent, just check to see if it’s certified organic. Then you know that it’s safe to use on your garden.

Clay soils

Clay soils are made up of tiny particles. It will hold water well, but the spaces between the soil particles are so small, there’s little room for air, or space for water to escape. Clay soils tend to become boggy in wet weather, and dry out and crack in hot, dry weather. Clay soils often have high reserves of mineral elements, but roots are unable to mine them from the clay.

Gypsum is a well known clay breaker. Dig it into the soil for good effect. The clay will become friable and can then be made more workable by incorporating river sand and organic matter. You may want to construct raised beds to increase drainage.

Testing Your Soil

So what kind of soil do you have? Most soils are somewhere between the two extreme soil conditions above. A very simple, but effective way to test your soil is to use a glass jar. Add a handful of your soil, fill it with water and shake vigorously. Let it stand untouched for a few hours (or overnight) until all the suspended materials have settled. You will see quite distinct layers.

Course sand will be the lowest layer, then finer sands, silts, clays and lastly organic matter.

A good garden loam will have approximate equal proportions of clay, sands and silt, with a good percentage of humus or organic matter.

These jars are samples from my own yard. The sample on the left is from my vegetable plot, which has been built up with compost and organic matter. The layers are not so clear in the photo, but it is very good soil.

The sample on the right is the soil I started with here on this property – taken from an area where I haven’t made any improvements. You can clearly see the bottom layer is very distinct and is mostly course sand, the rest being a small amount of clay and organic material. This is very difficult soil to work with as any watering just runs over the surface, without penetrating the soil.

If you have this type of soil I would recommend creating raised beds and bringing in loam with a generous top layer of compost. That way you’ll have excellent drainage and fertile soil for your plants to thrive in.

Soil pH

The acidity or alkalinity of your soil is also an important consideration. The measuring of the acid / alkaline balance is called pH. The scale is from 1, being very acid, to 14, being very alkaline. 7 on the pH scale is considered neutral.

Most vegetables need a neutral to slightly acidic soil for optimum growth, with a pH of about 6.5. If your soil pH isn’t right, then some nutrients will be unavailable to your plants. It really is a good idea to find out the pH of your soil so that you can correct it if necessary.

You can buy a pH testing kit at your local nursery or hardware store – they are cheap, very easy to use and can be used over and over. They come with full instructions. You will need to test your vegetable patch every year. Plus it will come in handy when you include other food plants with specific pH preferences.

If you discover that your soil is particularly acidic, say around pH5, you can add lime or dolomite (lime and magnesium) to bring up the pH. If your soil is too alkaline, around pH8 or higher, you will need to add iron sulphate or flowers of sulphur. You can also reduce alkalinity by adding leaf-mould, peatmoss or old pine needles.

If you’re starting with bare soil just follow the instructions on the whatever product you are using. But if there are already plants growing where you need to amend your soil, you will need to do it in stages so that you don’t shock the existing plants.

The really great news is that no matter what kind of soil you are starting with, the continued addition of humus and other organic materials will correct nearly ever problem kind of soil. Even your pH levels will balance out over time.

Preparing Your Soil Before Planting

Organic fertilizer and soil conditioning materials can take a while to be effective. To make sure they are doing the job you want them to, they should be mixed into the soil at least three weeks ahead of planting.

Another thing to be aware of, is that any organic materials that are not properly composted can actually absorb nutrients from the soil as they continue to break down, robbing your young seedlings of precious and essential nutrients. This can sometimes result in nutrient deficiency and possible soil-borne diseases problems such as “damping-off” of your young seedlings.

So make sure your compost is mature before adding it to your garden. You can do this by grabbing a handful (yes, it’s wonderful).

If it feels quite hot in your closed hand it needs to be turned over and allowed a little longer to “cook”. Mature compost won’t be hot in your hand. It will smell sweet and earthy and have a fairly even texture.

Perennial Herbs

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Credit to : blog.yourgardeningtools.com

Bay Leaf Tree - Laurus nobilis

The bay Leaf has long been used for cooking and was a holy tree for the Greeks and Romans. Bay trees grow into a small evergreen tree or bush up to 10 m (30 ft) high and up to 6 m (18 ft) wide. Their creamy white scented flowers appear in May. The flowers are followed by black berries which arenotused for cooking.

Cooking With Bay Leaves

The aromatic flavour of Bay leaves is used to round off soups and gravies, fish and meat dishes or to marinate venison. It is also an ingredient that can't be missed when pickling the likes of cucumbers or onions.

Add the whole leaf while cooking and remove it before serving. You can use dried or fresh leaves.

How to Grow Bay Leaf Plants

Being of Mediterranean origin bay trees like well drained soils. Avoid places that are exposed to cold, drying winds. The bay laurel is hardy to -10 C/14 F for short periods so they might not be suitable for areas with very harsh winters. Sun or part shade is ideal for a Bay Leaf plant.

Bay leaf trees can successfully be grown in containers for years and years. Mature plants of course need a large container which can be a problem if you have to shift the containers into a sheltered place for the winter. They can be shaped easily into either pyramids or ball shapes. Trim them in late summer and of course use the clippings for drying.

Allow young trees to grow and build up strength before you start using the leaves or shaping it. Otherwise the plant will be stunted and grows very slowly.

Tips :
Never let your Bay tree go too dry for a prolonged time. Once the leaves have withered the plant will die! So remember to water your plant at least twice a week. Large plants in small containers might need more regular checking during the hot summer months.

Overwintering

If you live in a very cold climate (below -10 C/14 F for a long period) you have to overwinter your bay tree somewhere inside. The place for this should not be too warm, maximum up to 15 C/60 F.

Choose a bright place with lots of light. An unheated stairwell, cool conservatory or glasshouse is ideal. Reduce the watering to once a month.

Harvesting And Preserving

You can harvest the leaves any time you need them. There is no need to dry them before using them although some people claim that the flavour is better if you do so. I use them both ways. If I run out of dried ones I just use the fresh ones. Best time to collect loads of the leaves is of course when you trim your bay tree.

Dry the leaves individually on a tray in a shaded but warm place. Once they are dry store them in an airtight container. You can also tie some branches into little bunches and hang them upside down until they are dry.

Pests and Diseases

Scale Insects can be a real problem particularly if you keep your bay tree inside. This pest is difficult to treat successfully because you always miss a few of the little buggers and it starts all over again. They sit on the underside of the leaves, on top and on the branches. Look out for brown little scales that sit near the centre rib of the leaves and on the stems.

The best way to get rid of them is to spray the whole plant thoroughly from top to bottom with an organic pest spray that contains fatty acids. Then follow up with beneficial insects. They will kill the ones that you have missed.

The problem with a scale insect infestation is that you will get a black fungus growing on the sugar that the scales excrete. This is a sure sign that you are dealing with scale insects. Leaves that are covered with a sticky layer of fungus are not very appetizing.

Quick Guide

Position:sun to part shade

Watering:water regularly

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:from cuttings

Cooking:add leaves while cooking

Preserving:dry

Chives - Allium shoenoprasum

This herb is known by many and is a must-have! Chives are probably one of the easiest herbs to grow and they are very popular for their versatility in the kitchen.

Cooking With Chives

The spicy onion like flavour is great to enhance soups, soft cheeses, omelettes, pancakes or potato dishes. It is best added after cooking. The pretty pink flowers are also edible. Sprinkle them into salads, soups or use them as decorations.

How To Grow Chives

This perennial herb can be grown in the garden or in pots or window boxes. Choose a spot in sun or part shade that is not too dry.

You can grow chives from seed or buy it in pots at your local garden centre. You also often see pots of chives offered in supermarkets. Keep them on the window sill for a while and plant them out when they go tired. You can also pot them into a bigger container if you have no outdoor space.

Give the plant some time to recover before you start harvesting again. If you like to use a lot of chives it is best to have several Chive plants so as to have some you are using and others that are re-growing in parallel.

Growing Chives from seed is a very cheap way to produce a lot of plants and it grows easily and reasonably quickly too.

Tips :
Sow the seeds close together so as you end up with a dense chives plant. Await harvesting until the plant is strong. If you harvest too soon the plant will die. Cut off only half of the length and wait until they re-grow before taking from them again.

Another way to propagate chives is to split existing clumps. Do that either in the spring or autumn. Lift up the clump or take it out of its container. Separate it into clumps of 12-15 bulbs and replant them.

Chives like a bit richer soil than most other herbs so add some compost. Feed the plants regularly with some organic plant food particularly if you grow them in a pot.

How to grow chives in the winter

Chives are a great herb to grow inside on the window sill. It will keep you supplied with fresh Chives all winter. Lift some Chives up from the garden in the autumn. Let the bulbs dry off for minimum 4 weeks. Replant them into a pot and bring them inside. They will start growing again after a short time. Put it back into the garden once the plant goes tired.

Harvesting And Preserving

If you have surplus chives you can easily freeze them. Wash and chop the chives, fill them into sealable containers and put in your freezer. You can now take as much as you need out of the containers when you are cooking. Allow a few minutes for defrosting for salad dressings.

Garlic Chives

If you like a bit of variation try garlic chives. This is a cross of chives and garlic and they have a mild garlic flavour. You use and grow them the same as Chives. They add a nice bit of garlic flavour to your salad bowl and are great in cottage or cream cheese.

Quick Guide

Position:sun to part shade

Watering:keep moist but not wet

Feeding:every 10 days

Propagation:from seed or division

Cooking:add after cooking

Preserving:freeze

Lemon Balm - Melissa officinalis

This hardy perennial herb has been in cultivation for over 2000 years. Lemon balm grows to about 2 feet high and 1 1/2 feet wide. They produce lots of leaves. One plant is usually enough for a family. The small white flowers that appear during the summer are great for bees.

If you like a splash of colour try the golden leafed forms Melissa officinalis 'Aurea' or 'Allgold'. These varieties are best planted in part shade.

Cooking With Lemon Balm

The lemon scented leaves are used for teas or to flavour soups, salads, herb sauces, fish and rice. It is best added after cooking. Crush the leaves to release their entire aroma.

How To Grow Lemon Balm

The plant likes a well drained soil that can be on the poor side. Important is to plant it in a sunny spot as it likes full sun. Add some compost once a year if you grow them in the ground. For pots use an organic liquid fertilizer every two weeks for the growing season.

If the plants go tatty and tired looking during the summer don't hesitate to cut them down to the ground. They will re-grow quickly with nice fresh foliage.

Choose a big container if you plan to grow Lemon Balm on a patio because the plants can grow quite large. It is also better to grow it on its own in a pot. It is probably not the most decorative herb but you will soon love it for its delicate lemon scent that it releases in the sun.

Lemon Balm plants are very hardy and can be overwintered outside. Just cut all the stems back to the ground and you are done.

Growing Lemon Balm Indoors:Lemon Balm plants are real sun lovers so put it on a south facing window sill. You can harvest the lemon scented leaves from spring until the autumn.

Overwintering Inside:The plant needs a rest period in the winter. It will die down in the autumn. The best way to overwinter Lemon Balm is to cut it right back to the ground and store in a cool room until the spring. You can keep it in a dark room. Water it a little bit maybe once a month to prevent it from completely drying out.

Bring the plant to a bright place again in March and start watering it regularly. It will start growing again soon. This is also the time to pot it up or split it. If it is a mature plant it would benefit from being split because they can get pot-bound quickly

Take it out of its pot and remove any loose soil. Cut it into several pieces. A bread knife is great for this job. A mature plant can easily be cut into 3 or 4 pieces. Replant the pieces into individual containers with fresh potting soil and water them in well. Plant surplus pieces into the garden or give them to a neighbour or friend.

Harvesting And Preserving

Take the soft young leaves and shoots for cooking or teas. They can be picked from late spring until the autumn. Use the fresh leaves whenever you can. Preserve them for the winter through drying or freezing.

Quick Guide

Position:sunny

Watering:little

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:division

Cooking:add after cooking

Preserving:freeze or dry

Lovage - Levisticum officinale

This herb always reminds me of my grandmother. She always had lots of it growing in her garden and I remember being fascinated by its very intense flavour and scent. It would remind you a bit of celery.

Lovage is a perennial herb and can grow for many years in a garden. It prefers a richer soil than most other herbs and can be added to a herbaceous border. Lovage will grow up 5 ft high and gets very bushy. It produces a greenish yellow flower during the summer.

Cooking With Lovage

The flavour of Lovage leaves is very strong and dominating. You need very little of it and one plant is definitely enough for a family...and maybe the neighbours. You can use it for soups, salads and stews either cooked or raw.

Growing Lovage from seed is a bit difficult and wouldn't be worth it. It is easier to buy a plant or maybe you have a nice neighbour that will give you a piece of a plant. To propagate Lovage split the root-ball in the spring.

How To Grow Lovage

Lovage likes a rich soil so add plenty of compost or an organic fertilizer to the soil. Plants in pots need to be fertilized regularly with a liquid fertilizer and regular watering is a must. Plant them in the sun. Part shade will also be tolerated.

Cutting the plant back after flowering will produce nice new foliage. If you want to use the seeds let them develop before you cut the plant back. You can use the leaves and seeds for a tea that will help with digestive problems and bloating.

Container Growing

Choose a large, deep pot for them and don't mix them with other herbs. Lovage does not make a good companion plant because of the strong smell that it also excretes through the roots.

Lovage needs a rest during the winter. Let the stems die back and cut them off in late autumn. Then store the pot in a cool place until spring.

In March you can prepare the plant for the next season by re-potting it with fresh soil. Start watering it regularly and you will soon be rewarded with tasty fresh leaves. Split the plant every third season to keep it from going too large.

Harvesting And Preserving

You can harvest the fresh leaves from late spring until the autumn. Preserve the leaves through drying or freezing. You can also make an aromatic herb salt with chopped Lovage leaves.

Warning:Don't use Lovage if you are pregnant!

Quick Guide

Position:sun to part shade

Watering:regularly

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:division

Cooking:cooked or fresh

Preserving:freeze or dry

Marjoram And Oregano - Origanum

I decided to group Marjoram and Oregano together because they are so similar and closely related. Often there are varieties that are crosses between the two so that makes it hard to keep the two apart. They both belong to the same species.

There are many cultivated varieties. Very decorative and also useful in the kitchen are for example the Golden Marjoram (O. vulgare 'Aureum Crispum') or the gold tipped Oregano (O. vulgare 'Gold Variegated').

Cooking With Oregano And Marjoram

Both are used a lot for Mediterranean cooking, Pizzas, Soups, meat and cheese dishes. Add the chopped leaves to your dishes while cooking.

Origanum vulgare is the common Oreganowith a spicy and intense flavour.

It is perennial and overwinters well if covered with a layer of leaves. If you live in a very cold area you can bring it in and over winter it in a cool dark room. Oregano dies off for the winter so cut it back to ground level in late autumn.

Oregano has lovely pink flowers during the summer and attracts lots of bees and butterflies with them.

Origanum majoranaor Marjoramhas a milder and sweeter flavour than Oregano. Marjoram is not cold tolerant or frost hardy and is often treated as an annual. If you grow it in a container try over-wintering it indoors in a cool but bright place.

How To Grow Oregano and Marjoram

Both varieties like a dry, slightly alkaline soil with good drainage. Plant them in full sun for the best flavour. Ideal are slopes, rockeries or on top of walls.

Container Growing

They both grow very well in containers. Try them in pots, window boxes or hanging baskets. You can combine them with other Mediterranean herbs like Sage, Thyme or Rosemary.

If you grow them inside choose a south facing window sill for best results. The same applies outside: they love the sun!

Let the plants dry off in between the watering. They don't like wet soil and start rooting if you are not careful. Add some organic plant food to the water once or twice a month during spring and summer.

Marjoram and Oregano can be grown from seed successfully but you would only do this if you need a lot of plants. It is easier to buy a couple of plants in the beginning. If you have some mature plants you can propagate them by splitting them in early spring.

Harvesting And Preserving

Harvest the leaves and tips from late spring until the autumn. Cutting back parts of the plants during the summer will ensure that young shoots with nice foliage will be produced. You can also use the flowers for cooking.

Marjoram and Oregano can be preserved by freezing or drying. You can also use them to flavour oil together with Rosemary, Sage and Thyme. Air tight containers are best for storing the dried herbs.

Quick Guide

Position:sunny

Watering:regularly

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:division

Cooking:cooked

Preserving:freeze or dry, in oil

Mint - Mentha piperata

Mint is another easy to grow perennial herb. Some gardeners might be cursing it because it can get quite invasive if it likes a place. To avoid that, plant it into a container or into a garden area where it can be allowed to spread. If you want to plant it into the ground use a bucket without the bottom to restrict it from travelling.

Cooking With Mint

Mint has many uses in the kitchen. Add it to lamb, summer drinks, teas and salad dressing. Mint sauce of course would not exist without it. You can use mint fresh or cooked.

There are lots of mints available with different scents and flavours and if you like them you can build up a nice little collection. Here are some varieties for you to try:

Maroccan Mint(M. Spicata 'Maroccan') - great for Mint sauce and drinks

Peppermint(M. x Piperata var.Piperata) - you can get this one also with curly leaves

Eau-De-Cologne Mint(M. x piperata var. citrata) - reddish leaves

Apple Mint(M. suaveolens) - nice apple scent

Bowles Mint(M. x rotundifolia 'Bowles') - has hairy leaves and is great with new potatoes

Ginger Mint(M. x gracilis) - nice ginger flavour, also available in a variegated form

Mints are a nice addition for the herb garden. You can get them in many varieties with different coloured foliage. The nice pale pink flowers are a real bonus.

Mint plants are best bought from a garden centre or nursery because most of them are hybrids and won't come true from seed. They also multiply and grow fairly fast so there is no need to have a load of plants.

How To Grow Mint

Mint likes a well drained soil that does keep some moisture during the summer. In very dry soils they get weak and you can get problems with rust and mildew. The soil should be rich so add plenty of compost.

Cut part of the shoots back during the summer to encourage fresh growth with new leaves. These will be more tender than the older leaves.

Choose a spot in the sun to part shade for your mint plants. Their flavour will be better in a sunny place.

Container Growing: Choose a large sized container or bowl for mint. The more vigorous varieties of mint are best grown on their own.

Cut the plants back to the ground before over-wintering the pots in a cool place. Mature plants should either be re-potted or split in the spring.

You can propagate mint by taking off runners or splitting the plant in early spring before the growth starts.

Harvesting And Preserving

Harvest the tips of the shoots with the young leaves. They are more tender than the leaves at the bottom of the shoots. You can dry or freeze the leaves.

Warning:Babies and toddlers don't tolerate Mint well!

Quick Guide

Position:sun to part shade

Watering:regularly

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:division

Cooking:cooked or fresh

Preserving:freeze or dry

Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis

This is definitely one of my favourite herbs. If you like to cook Italian food you just can't be without it. It is a nice evergreen herb that can easily be grown in a container in a sunny spot on a patio or balcony. The pretty blue flowers that open along the twigs in the spring cover the whole bush and are a great feed for bees.

There are many different varieties available. You can get white, pale pink or blue flowering ones. A very interesting one is the creeping Rosemary (R. prostratus) that will hang down walls or large containers. The leaves are a bit smaller but still very useful in the kitchen. Rosmarinus o. 'BBQ' has nice broad leaves on an upright bush with blue flowers.

Cooking With Rosemary

You can use Rosemary for all Mediterranean cooking, roasted meats, lamb, chicken, pasta, tomato dishes and vegetables. Add it to the dishes while cooking to get the full benefit of it. You can also sprinkle it into the fire if you have a barbeque.

If you don't like chewing on the 'needles' you can use whole Rosemary twigs and remove them after cooking. Alternatively you can use a grinder for dried Rosemary.

How To Grow Rosemary

Rosemary likes a slightly alkaline soil that is well drained. It should not be too rich or heavy. If you grow it in the ground you should plant it into a raised bed, slope or a rockery in full sun.

Growing Rosemary from seed is doable but you have to have a lot of patience. It could take up to 3 years before you have a plant that is big enough to harvest from. It is a lot easier to buy a couple of plants and pot them into a nice container or into the ground.

You can take cuttings from your mature plants. Once your plants are over 5 years old they will start to go slow and produce less. You should replace them with new ones.

Rosemary is not very frost hardy and will only tolerate temperatures down to 23 F/-5 C. If the temperature is going below that it is safer to over-winter it inside in a cool but bright place. You can bring it out again once the frost has passed.

Container Growing:Feed plants in containers about once or twice a month with some organic plant food. Plants in the ground should not need any feeding. Regular watering is also important for containerized Rosemary.

The ideal potting soil mix for Rosemary contains some small pebbles or sand and a little bit of lime. It won't tolerate waterlogged conditions for a very long time. This is often the cause of failure with Rosemary.

A round or square planter will be better than a window box or shallow bowl because a Rosemary will grow into a sizeable bush.

You can combine Rosemary with other herbs like Thyme or Marjoram. Small flowers like Violas, Pansies or some Alpines can spruce up a pot with an individual Rosemary plant in the centre.

Harvesting And Preserving

Rosemary can be harvested all year round. Pick the young shoots and tips and you can shape your plant that way. If you take too much your plant will go stunted and too tired. Give it some time to re-cover. You should also reduce the harvesting during the winter because they are not growing actively.

If you are like me and use a lot of Rosemary you better have several plants so you can give them a rest every now and again. If you have surplus Rosemary you can dry or freeze it.

Quick Guide

Position:sunny

Watering:keep moist

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:cuttings

Cooking:cooked or fresh

Preserving:freeze or dry, in oil

Sage - Salvia officinalis

This evergreen herb forms a nice shrub that produces pretty purple flowers during the summer. This is a very decorative herb to add to your container herb garden. Choose a nice large pot and you will have a real looker! A good sized container is important because Sage will reach a size of two foot high and wide fairly quickly.

Also colourful and attractive are the purple and the tricolor Sage (Salvia o. 'Purpurascens' and 'Tricolor'). Another good choice is the variegated Sage (Salvia o. 'Icterina') with golden variegated leaves. They are a great choice for large mixed herb containers because of their attractive foliage and of course they are edible too.

Cooking With Sage

The elongated silvery leaves are great for Mediterranean dishes, pasta, meat or teas. Try frying some fresh leaves in a bit of butter for ravioli or gnocchi and top with Parmesan cheese. You can use the leaves fresh or dried.

How To Grow Sage

If you want to grow Sage in the ground choose a really well drained spot in full sun. In areas with wet winters it is a good idea to mix in some sand and gravel to ensure that the water can run off quickly.

Container Growing

Mixing some sand into your potting soil if you grow Sage in a container will ensure that the soil drains well and the roots are protected from rotting.

Feed potted Sage plants about once a month from spring until late summer. Plants that have outgrown their containers should be re-potted in the spring.

You will get the best flavour out of your Sage leaves if you plant them in the sunniest spot you have. If you grow it indoors choose a south facing window sill.

Sage can be grown from seeds but the coloured varieties have to be propagated from cuttings. If you are impatient like me you will buy a plant from a garden centre. Most people have enough in one Sage plant because of the size it grows to. There is enough supply in one good sized plant for one family so growing from seed is hardly worth it.

Sage benefits from being pruned lightly after flowering. Large plants can be pruned in the spring or in late summer.

Should winter temperatures drop below -10 C/14 F cover your Sage plant with some bubble wrap toprotect it from frost damage. In very cold areas with prolonged frost periods you are better off to over-winter it in a cool but bright spot.

Harvesting And Preserving Sage

You will have plenty of leaves to dry when you are cutting back your Sage plant. Spread the leaves onto a tray and dry them in a warm shaded place until they are dry. Store them in airtight containers and crunch them up before using them.

You can harvest Sage all year round but the flavour will of course be more intense during the hot summer months. Just pick the leaves as you need them. The more tender leaves from the younger shoots are nicer than the older ones at the bottom!

Quick Guide

Position:sunny

Watering:dry, not wet!

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:cuttings

Cooking:cooked

Preserving:freeze or dry, in oil

Tarragon - Artemisia dracunculus

Be careful when buying Tarragon plants because there are two varieties of it with quite different flavours.

The French Tarragon(A. dracunculus) is more aromatic but less cold tolerant. Often the flowers don't open and the plants won't produce seeds particularly if summer temperatures are low.

It can only be propagated from root cuttings and runners. Take some of the runners and put them into pots during September. Over-winter the pots indoors near a bright window.

Don't be tempted to harvest too soon from the young plants. Give them time to establish. Come spring you will have strong new plants that will keep you supplied for the season.

Take potted plants indoors if you live in a cold area. Keep them in a bright place so you can keep harvesting fresh Tarragon leaves.

The Russian Tarragon(A. dracunculus ssp. dracunculoides) is less aromatic but much more tolerant to frost and cold weather. This variety is also more vigorous and can grow up to 5 ft high. You can easily propagate this Tarragon from seeds in the spring. Sow the seeds inside in the spring and transplant the well rooted seedlings into large pots or into the ground.

Cooking With Tarragon

Tarragon is used for salads, fish, chicken, soups and fines herbes (French herb mixture). It is best added after cooking. If you add it too soon the flavour is going to be destroyed. Tarragon is also great to flavour vinegar. Buy a good cider or wine vinegar for this.

How To Grow Tarragon

Tarragon is easy to grow. It likes a bright spot with good drainage and fertile soil. Cut plants back to ground level in the autumn. Protect the plants from heavy frosts by covering them up with leaves or branches. Plants last usually 4-5 years before they go tired. Replace them in time with a new one.

Container Growing

Choose large planters for Tarragon. The plants grow big and need a lot of room. Place the pots in a very bright place. In front of a sunny wall is the perfect place for Tarragon.

Tarragon needs more fertilizer than most other herbs. Feed them every 10 days during the growing season with some liquid organic plant food.

Water the pots liberally during dry weather. Make sure that the soil is never waterlogged or too wet.

Harvesting And Preserving

You can harvest Tarragon leaves nearly all year round from plants grown indoors. The plants will go tired much quicker than plants grown in the ground and need to be replaced in the spring. Plants grown outside will die off for the winter. The leaves that are cut off in the autumn can be used to flavour vinegar. Freeze any surplus leaves in ice cube trays or in freezer bags.

Quick Guide

Position:sunny

Watering:regularly but not too wet

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:division, seeds

Cooking:add after cooking

Preserving:freeze, in vinegar

Thyme - Thymus vulgaris

Thyme is probably one of the most popular herbs for cooking and if you have ever used fresh Thyme for a chicken dish you know why. The flavour of fresh Thyme leaves is quite different to the dried ones. If you want the real Thyme flavour you must grow a few plants for fresh leaves.

Growing Thyme is easy and does not even take up a lot of room. This is a herb that can be grown in a hanging basket, wall mounted container or window box without any trouble.

This evergreen little shrub reaches a height and width of only a foot. Small pink and alsoedibleflowers appear in early summer.

Cooking With Thyme

There are numerous varieties of Thymes with different exotic flavours like lemon or orange. There are also creeping varieties but a lot of them have no flavour and are not suitable for cooking.

Here are some good varieties for the kitchen:

Thymus vulgaris- this is the regular Thyme. It is great for all Mediterranean cooking, stews, lamb, pasta and venison.

Thymus v. 'Silver Posie'- a silver leafed Thyme with good flavour

Thymus x citriodorus(Lemon Thyme) - this one has a strong lemon flavour which is great with chicken, lamb or fish dishes.

Thymus x c. 'Silver Queen'- a variegated leafed Lemon Thyme

How To Grow Thyme

This is another Mediterranean herb that needs a lot of sun and really good drainage to perform well. If you grow it in the garden plant it into a rockery or on top of a wall in full sun. Some sand and gravel mixed in will help if your soil is heavy.

Container Growing:Add some pebbles or sand into your soil mixture and some lime for growing in containers. Thyme can be planted into window boxes or bowls together with other small herbs or flowers. The plants that you combine Thyme with have to be able to stand dry conditions because that is what this plant likes.

Thyme needs little feeding. Use a liquid organic fertilizer for your potted Thyme once or twice a month during the growing season.

Potted plants should be taken indoors in the winter if you have severe frost over a long period.

You can propagate Thyme with cuttings taken during the summer or from seeds. The cultivated forms though have to be propagated from cuttings.

Keep your plants bushy and compact by cutting a third of them in early autumn. The pruned cuttings should of course be used for drying.

Harvesting And Preserving

You can harvest Thyme nearly all year round. Pick the soft shoots or small branches. That also helps to keep the plant neat and bushy. You can keep harvesting while the plant flowers and use the flowers as well.

What you trim back in the autumn can either be dried or frozen. Thyme can also be used to flavour oil or vinegar.

Quick Guide

Position:sunny

Watering:slighly moist

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:cuttings, seeds

Cooking:cooked

Preserving:freeze or dry

Credit to : blog.yourgardeningtools.com

Annual Herbs

2012-07-22T00:24:00.001+07:00

Credit to : blog.yourgardeningtools.com

Basil - Ocimum basilicum

Even if you do not know the first thing about Italian cooking you should learn how to grow basil. This plant is often referred to as the Royal Queen of herbs and it is one of the easiest edibles for anyone to grow at home.

There are a wonderful array of different varieties of basil that you can select from including Spicy Globe, Genovese basil, Thai basil, Lemon basil, Sweet Basil, Mexican Spice, Lettuce Leaf, Magical Michael and many others. Italian cooks are well aware that the sweet, savory flavors of Genovese Basil are the perfect accompaniment for Italian cooking.

Thai and other Asian dishes are enhanced by the spicy, aromatic Thai Basil. Although most varieties of basil have culinary uses there are a few that are highly prized for their ornamental value.

Growing basil indoors:

This wonderful aromatic and hardy herb can be successfully grown in almost any setting. If you live in a very cool climate it might be best to cultivate basil varieties in a greenhouse environment or inside your home. Basil performs admirably when the temperatures are above 60 degrees both during the day and night. Plant your basil plants into 2 to 3 liter containers and place them in your sunniest spot. Water them only through a saucer, never from the top. Pinch out the flowers as they develop.

Warm, dry weather will never daunt the perky green foliage and mature plants are able to withstand drought with minimal watering. Basil is a sun loving plant that should never be set out in shady areas.

Gardeners add these as companion plants in a vegetable or flower bed but basil is equally at home in a visually appealing herb garden. Some people even plant these herbs in rock gardens or use them as specimen plants. This resilient little herb can be grown indoors or outside and you can even set them out in containers of almost any size and basil will happily produce fresh, fragrant leaves throughout the growing season.

How to grow basil:

Start off basil seeds indoors or in a glasshouse in the spring. Cover them only lightly with fine seed compost as basil seeds are very small. The seeds need minimum 10 degrees for germination.

Transplant the basil seedlings when they start to produce their second set of leaves. If you grow basil in pots you can plant 5-10 basil plants into a container.

Watering Basil:

The water requirements for growing basil are relatively slight and once a week watering is more than adequate for the needs of these plants. Should you grow a very mature plant in a very warm and sunny place in a container the water requirements might be higher.

Tips :
Never overwater your basil plant and allow the soil to dry out completely in between watering. If you always let the soil remain a bit on the dry side it will help you prevent any root or plant rot.
Misting or sprinkling the outdoor garden basil with a little water is one way many gardeners choose to handle the watering chores. If you have basil growing in a container watering the plants from the top should be avoided, although you may want to add some water to the bottom overflow saucer and allow the plant to absorb the water that is needed.

Pests and Diseases:

Aphids and whiteflies can attack your basil but both of these pests can be handled without resorting to harsh chemical pesticides. A little soapy water and a cloth or sprayer is all that should be required to eliminate these tiny insects from your bountiful basil garden.

Remember that lacewings, lady bugs, walking sticks and the praying mantis are all beneficial insects that can be an asset when you want to keep harmful bugs away from your herbs, flowers or vegetable gardens. You can order beneficial insects online.

Cooking And Preserving:

The leaves from a basil plant are packed with savory, rich flavor when you use them immediately after harvesting. Always use basil that is freshly picked and only add it to the meat, sauce, stew or vegetable dish after the food has been cooked.

The fresh taste of basil should not be subjected to the high heats needed for cooking and should only be incorporated into the cooked dishes shortly before they are served at the table.

Preserve fresh Basil leaves through freezing in ice cube trays or make a delicious pesto.

Quick Guide

Position:sunny, south-facing

Watering:little, from the bottom, never too wet

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:from seed, cuttings

Cooking:add after cooking

Preserving:Freeze, Pesto

Chervil - Anthriscus cerefolium

Chervil is probably a lesser known annual herb but it deserves a spot in your kitchen herb garden. It is easily and quickly grown from seeds. The Romans used this delicate looking herb with the fern like foliage. The flavour of chervil is very aromatic and would remind you of aniseed.

You can get curly and flat leafed varieties of chervil. Both are equally good and taste the same.

Cooking With Chervil

Chervil is very popular in French cooking. Use the leaves fresh and add them after cooking. Heat or drying will destroy the delicate flavour.

Chervil is used with Fines Herbes (French herb mixture), Bouquet Garni, salads and soups. They are also a great addition to potatoes, eggs or fish dishes.

How To Grow Chervil

Chervil likes a rich but light soil in a partly shaded spot. Too much heat, sun or dry soil will cause it to bolt and go to seed.

Don't be tempted to store Chervil seeds for too long. Only fresh seeds less than a year old will germinate readily. Sow the seeds thickly into boxes or bowls. Sow them in rows in the ground. They will germinate within a week or two. You can start harvesting approximately six weeks after sowing.

If you let some plants develop seeds you have a supply of fresh seed for the next season.

Chervil is fairly cold tolerant so you can make your first sowings in March. A late sowing in late summer will produce a crop for winter and early spring. If you let some plants go to seed they might start self-seeding and produce a ground-covering carpet of seeds.

Chervil is short lived so sow seeds every two to three weeks for a continuous supply. Use fresh potting soil every time if you grow chervil in pots.

Keep your plants well watered and protect them from drying out. This will cause red leaves and pre-mature bolting. The flavour is also suffering if the plants are under stress. Feeding is hardly necessary because of the short lifespan.

Chervil can be grown like cress on the window sill. This is particularly useful in the winter because it will keep you supplied with delicious and healthy fresh greens when other fresh herbs are scarce.

Harvesting And Preserving

Always harvest the young tender leaves. They have the most flavour. Harvest before the plants start flowering. After flowering the flavour is not as strong.

Freeze surplus Chervil leaves in ice cube trays or freezer bags.

Quick Guide

Position:part shade

Watering:moist, not too dry

Feeding:not required

Propagation:from seed

Cooking:add after cooking

Preserving:Freeze

Coriander (Cilantro) - Coriandrum sativum

Coriander became popular in the western world only in the last two decades. In Asia and the Middle East it has been used for over 3000 years! This annual herb can easily be grown from seeds. It is a great herb for containers or a window sill herb garden.

Cooking With Coriander

The fresh Coriander leaves are added to dishes after cooking. The Coriander seeds can also be used but have a different more lemony flavour than the leaves. They are an ingredient of curry. Use them as well for pickling or baking.

The chopped coriander leaves can be added to Asian dishes particularly in Thai and Indian cooking. They are also popular for Moroccan and Tunisian dishes like Couscous, Rice dishes or Harissa.

How To Grow Coriander

If you are growing Coriander in the garden choose a sunny spot with good drainage and fertile soil. Part shade is also suitable and might produce a better leaf crop. Keep the plants moist at the seedling stage otherwise they will bolt and go to seed very quickly. Once they bolt you have very little leaf and have to start over again.

Cilantro plants don't like too much heat. During the hot summer months choose a spot that is a bit shaded. A great advantage if you grow cilantro in a pot is that you can keep it out of the hot afternoon sun by moving it around. Find a spot that gets morning or evening sun but is shaded for the hottest hours of the day.

Coriander is short lived so make sowings every few weeks if you want an ongoing supply. Sow the seeds in containers or into the ground and cover them with some soil. Keep them moist (but not wet!). If you keep them too dry they won't produce many leaves and bolt right away!

Put the seed right where you want to keep the plant! Cilantro does not transplant well so don't uproot them. This can cause the plant to bolt. Sow them right into containers for pot growing and not into seed trays first.

Any sort of stress like drought or transplanting will make cilantro go to seed. This is of course not what you want if you plan on harvesting lots of flavourful leaves. So avoid stress at all cost.

Harvesting And Preserving

Harvest the young and tender leaves and use them fresh. The seeds can also be harvested when they are ripe. They can be used whole, crushed or ground.

Store the seeds in airtight containers after drying. If you have surplus coriander foliage try freezing it in ice cube trays.

Quick Guide

Position:sun to part shade

Watering:moist but not wet

Feeding:very little

Propagation:from seed

Cooking:add leaves after cooking

Preserving:Freeze

Garden Cress - Lepidium sativum

Cress is a fun little herb to grow. You can grow it literally anywhere and anytime. It is child's play to grow and if you want to start kids on gardening growing cress is a great project. Within two weeks you will have fresh greens that are loaded with Vitamin C. You can watch it grow!

Cress can be grown outside or indoors at the kitchen window all year round! It is a great herb to grow in the winter when other fresh herbs are scarce. It takes very little effort to grow this tasty herb. Your rewards are tasty salads or sandwiches in the middle of winter and a boost to your immune system.

Cooking With Cress

Cress has a peppery flavour and would remind you a bit of Radish. It is used fresh for salads, sandwiches, yoghurts, eggs and as a garnish for soups. Don't cook it.

How To Grow Cress

Cress is an annual herb and grown from seeds. The seeds germinate within two or three days. Sprinkle the seeds onto moist peat, sand or potting compost. Cress is a very short crop so the growing medium does not really matter. You can literally grow it on damp cotton wool or kitchen towels. Cress can also be used as sprouts.

You can grow it on plates, shallow bowls, plastic containers, yoghurt pots, egg cartons...anything that will hold a handful of potting soil.

Cress needs light for germination and is therefore only sprinkled on whatever growing medium you choose. Don't cover them with soil. The seeds can be sown close together so you end up with a dense carpet of cress.

Start with the first sowings in March if you grow cress outside and choose a semi-shaded spot. Sow new seeds every 8 days to keep you supplied with fresh cress.

If you grow cress indoors a north or west facing window is better than a hot south facing window sill. Too much heat and sun will make the cress bitter. Keep the seeds moist all the time. Feeding is not necessary.

Harvesting Cress

Cut the cress with a knife or scissors when it is about 4-5 inches high. Discard of the roots after cutting it. It won't re-grow.

Preserving is not necessary because you can grow it all year round.

Quick Guide

Position:part shade

Watering:moist

Feeding:not necessary

Propagation:from seed

Cooking:add leaves after cooking

Preserving:not necessary

Dill - Anethum graveolens

Growing Dill plants is easy and these plants may even become a self-seeding part of any garden or yard landscape. Tall, delicate blue-green leaved plants with a large flower head that is umbrella shaped, light yellow green in color with very tiny flowerets.

Thetime to plantdill depends on the area in which you live as it is not frost hardy but the seed can be planted in two or three week intervals until mid-summer.

The seeds prefer to germinate in cooler temperatures and if Dill has self-seeded you may have to remove some of the plants to prevent crowding. Growing Dill plants do not transplant well, so plan carefully if you will allow this plant to self-seed.

How To Grow Dill

When planting Dill remember this is a tall, slender-stemmed plant that may reachthree feet in height. Planting this culinary plant behind smaller flowers or shorter herbs will allow you to enjoy it without it hiding other plants. They easily self-seed and may show up in other areas of any garden and occasionally other locations completely as the wind carries away the small seed.

Unlike some culinary plants, learning how to grow dill can be as easy as filling a decorative pot with soil and setting a few seeds in the dirt. Dill can grow indoors and outdoors providing year round leaves for those who live in regions where it gets cold. You can harvest dill for both leaf and its seed.

When growing Dill indoors keep in mind that it prefers warmth so keep it in a warm room where it can get sunlight. Dill prefers a soil that is about pH 6, although a little over or under will not harm it.

Dill invites good insects including parasitic wasps that lay their eggs on plant eating caterpillars. Dill also attracts bees which are great for pollination of all plants especially vegetable plants. Tachinid flies which devour other pest insects including moths, beetles and fly larvae are also attracted by Dill.

Growing Dill outside during the summer and in a pot indoors during the winter will provide fresh Dill leaf year round.

Companion Plants

Dill grows well with lettuce, potatoes, cabbage, onions and cucumbers, and helps protect those plants from bugs that feed on them. Dill stalks can also be harvested and may be used fresh or dried as a substitute for Dill weed in refrigerator pickles and herb tea.

Cooking With Dill

Each part of the growing Dill and dried plant has a unique flavor. Here are some cooking suggestions for Dill:

* Add it to salads, scrambled eggs, omelets and rice.

* Use Dill to create refrigerated vegetable pickles where you add flavored vinegar, dill weed and a touch of oil to raw vegetables and allow it to marinate in the fridge.

* Add it to vegetable dips, chip dips and sauces.

* Season fresh herb butter with fresh garlic and Dill to make a magnificent spread or for toast.

* Dill leaf makes a nice tea.

* The dried seeds have a different flavor and you may add them to pickles, some varieties of sauerkraut and relishes.

* Ground up Dill seed can be used instead of table salt

* Roasts seasoned with crushed Dill, Garlic and Coriander have a very interesting flavor

* Soups, especially potato, tomato and cream based soups flavored with crushed Dill seed are a way to add variety to these soups

Harvesting and Preserving

Dill leaves can be snipped off using a small pair of scissors at any time but be careful to leave the small flowerets.

You can dry dill leaf in a dehydrator, on a counter top or in a sunny windowsill. Freezing also works well.

Harvest dill seeds once they have set by clipping off the entire seed head. Be sure that the seeds are fully developed prior to snipping. If you do not want Dill to grow the next year, timing is important otherwise it will self-seed.

Quick Guide

Position:head in sun, root in shade

Watering:keep moist but not wet

Feeding:little

Propagation:from seed

Cooking:add leaves after cooking

Preserving:dry or freeze

Nasturtiums - Tropaeolum majus or nanum

Most people would look at Nasturtiums as being a flower but it is edible as well as very decorative and colourful. The bright orange, red or yellow flowers appear during the summer. New selections include compact varieties with deep red flowers (T. majus 'Empress of India') or speckled variegated foliage (T. majus 'Alaska').

There are two varieties to choose from depending on what you want them to do. T. majus has long shoots often 3 ft or longer. T. nanum in comparison grows more bushy and compact. There are many new cultivars out there so check the seed packet for size and growth habit.

Cooking With Nasturtiums

You can use the leaves, flower buds and flowers of Nasturtiums. The flavour is similar to cress but less peppery. Chop the leaves into salads, soft cheese, eggs and yoghurts but don't cook the leaves.

The flowers can be used as colourful edible decorations and garnish. The unripe seeds can be used like capers and can be marinated in a salt brine or vinegar.

How To Grow Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are annuals and have to be started from seeds every spring. The seeds are quite large and can be sown right into the ground or pots about 3/4 inches deep. If you want your Nasturtiums to flower early start them off indoors in March or early April. Plant them out or into the ground or bigger containers, hanging baskets and window boxes once there are no more frosts at night.

Nasturtiums don't do well inside. They arenot suitable for an indoor herb gardenbut are great in larger containers on patios and balconies, for under-planting large container plants and edging of flower beds. Don't hesitate to shorten the shoots if they get too long.

Plant Nasturtiums in a sunny place. The ground should have good drainage but should not be too rich. Rich soil will encourage a lot of leafy growth but few flowers. Plants in pots should be fed moderately but watered regularly.

Nasturtiums will produce a lot of flowers until the first frost kills them off. They leave a lot of seeds behind though and usually self seed if the place suits them. You can also save some seeds and keep them for the following year.

Green and black flies like Nasturtiums. They are often used to attract these pests and keep them away from other cultivated plants.

Harvesting And Preserving

Harvest the young leaves and use them fresh. They are not suitable for preserving. The flowers can be used for Nasturtium vinegar. The unripe seed pods can be used as a substitute for capers and can be marinated in a salt brine or vinegar.

Quick Guide

Position:sunny

Watering:water regularly

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:from seed

Cooking:add leaves after cooking

Preserving:unripe seeds like capers

Parsley - Petroselinum crispum

Learning how to grow Parsley is not at all difficult, once you have got it started, and parsley is certainly one of the most versatile and useful herbs.

It can be grown in the open ground between other crops in the vegetable garden or even between flowers in a flower bed, since it is a very attractive and decorative plant. It can be grown in pots on the patio or close to the kitchen door. It can be grown indoors if you don't have a garden, on a sunny windowsill or a balcony.

And, perhaps best of all, it can be grown at all times of the year provided you can protect it from freezing conditions. It is a trouble free plant, which is seldom attacked by pests or diseases.

Cooking with Parsley

The Two Types of Parsley Herb: Flat Leaf Or Curly Parsley

You can have either flat leaf Parsley or curled Parsley. Some people believe that flat leaf Parsley has a stronger flavour, but whatever type you prefer (and you can, of course, grow both) you grow them both exactly the same way.

Add chopped Parsley to salads, potatoes and vegetables, sauces and egg dishes. Add it after cooking.

How To Grow Parsley Plants

As with most plants, Parsley likes being in full sun although it will tolerate some shade. If you are growing it indoors, put the pot on a south-facing windowsill.

Parsley should really be grown as an annual herb with fresh seed being sown every year. It is actually a perennial, which means that it continues to grow year after year, but from the second year on, it will have a tendency to shoot to seed, growing long coarse stalks that carry seed heads. Although there will always be some leaves worth picking, on the whole it is better to have young fresh plants each year.

If you are growing parsley in a pot, it is best to fill the pot with good general potting compost and add some vermiculite, which you can buy in a garden centre. Vermiculite is a natural mineral that absorbs water and then releases it gradually to the plant. I also like to choose a deep pot for Parsley plants because they have a long tap root.

In open ground, Parsley will grow in almost any soil provided it has been reasonably well dug over and loosened beforehand.

Sowing Parsley Seed

Seed can be sown out of doors from early spring until late summer and sown indoors at any time of the year.

Seed should be sown thinly on the surface of a finely raked soil and lightly pressed into it. The seedbed or pot should then be lightly watered with a very fine spray. Parsley seed can take up to six weeks to germinate and the soil must be kept moist throughout this period.

For planting Parsley in a pot, cover the pot with a sheet of glass or a polythene bag to keep conditions inside moist. Out of doors it can be helpful to cover the seeds with some horticultural fleece.

The main point with growing Parsley is not to give up after sowing the seed - it may look as if nothing is happening but be patient!

How To Care For Parsley Plants

Once the Parsley seeds have germinated and the little green shoots are big enough to handle, you need to thin out the plants so that they are about an inch apart. After that, there is no further care you need take with outdoor plants, apart from keeping it free from weeds.

Indoor plants must be kept reasonably moist. Once the plants are half an inch high, you should no longer water from above, but let them drink up water by pouring water into the tray the pot stands in. You only need do this once a week, unless the soil seems very dry.

Harvesting And Preserving

Pick the Parsley stems at the base. If you leave the stems they will wither and look ugly. Dead plant material is also a food source for fungi like Botrytis.

Preserve Parsley by drying, freezing or use it for a herb salt.

Quick Guide

Position:sun to part shade

Watering:water regularly

Feeding:every 2 weeks

Propagation:from seed

Cooking:add leaves after cooking

Preserving:freeze, dry, herb salt

Credit to : blog.yourgardeningtools.com

Make Your Herb Garden Attractive

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A lot of people think that a herb garden is 'only' useful but not pretty. I think that this is very wrong. You can make a container herb garden attractive and colourful. A herb garden on a patio can be a nice relaxing place that stimulates all your senses.

Different herb plants have a variety of textures and foliage colours and some of them of course have the added bonus of flowers. Yes...sometimes you have to take a closer look. The beauty is often in the detail and more subtle. After all herbs are not like Petunias or Geraniums that shout at you from the distance desperately looking for attention.

The art is to play with different combinations of plants, containers and accessories. You can get very creative when it comes to this. For example an old chair that you picked up ages ago at a garage sale can be painted in a nice colour and used as a plant stand.

There are loads of great looking containers available today. My favourites would be terracotta or wooden pots.

Lots of things can be turned into unusual plant containers like old watering cans, baskets or wooden boxes. Just make sure that they have drainage. If necessary drill some holes into the bottom.

Things like that add uniqueness and character to your herb garden.

Add some colour with flowers...

Edible flowers like Nasturtiums or Calendula can add dots of colour to your herb garden.

Some commonly used container flowers like Petunias or Geraniums are 'too loud' for combining them with herbs. Also their needs for care and feeding make them not a good choice as herb companions. You want plants that have similar needs. Alpines like Campanulas, Thrift, Dianthus, Bellis or Aubretia fall into this category.

My favourite choices for flowers that combine well with a culinary herb garden are Lavender, Violas, Alyssum, Pansies, Primroses, Echinacea, Coreopsis and Peruvian Lilies. You can have them in separate pots or plant up combinations.

Here are some herb and flower combinations for you to try:

For a 60 cm Window Box:

2 pots of Chives
2 Calendula Plants
4 small Alyssum Plants
2 Viola Plants

For 60 cm Round Pot

1 Rosemary plant (should be a good sized specimen)
2 Pansies
3 Alyssum
2 Alpine Strawberries

Put the Rosemary in the centre of the pot and arrange the other plants around it. You can also do the same with a Sage or Bay Leaf.

For a 60 cm Hanging Basket

1 Lemon Thyme
1 Regular Thyme
1 Alpine Strawberry
1 Alyssum
1 Viola

Arrange the Thyme more to the centre of the basket and the other plants around the edges.

For a 90 cm Trough 30-40cm deep

1 Sage (try a purple or tricolor one)
1 Prostrate Rosemary (Rosmarinus prostratus)
1 Oregano
2 Thyme
2 Aubretia
2 Bellis
2 Campanula (try either 'Blue Clips' or C. garganica)

Arrange the Sage in the centre and the Rosemary and Oregano on the ends. Fill the gaps with the Thyme and the flowers.

Harvesting And Preserving Herbs (Growing Culinary Herbs In Containers Series – Part 8)

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Credit to : blog.yourgardeningtools.com

Once you are used to having fresh herbs available for cooking all the time you will want to make sure that you have a supply ready for the winter months. Even if you grow herbs only in a small scale you will be surprised how much of them you can save.

You might also have surplus herbs during the summer that will go to waste if you don’t preserve them for later use.

Harvesting Your Herbs

Allow young plants to build up and grow to a good size before you start taking anything off them. If you start harvesting too soon you will weaken the plants and they will grow and mature very slowly. Being patient and waiting will pay off in the long run.

Never take all the shoots off a plant unless you plan on discarding it afterwards. Herbs like Basil, Savory or Oregano will re-grow again if you cut them down to a height of 3-4 inches.

Tips :
Harvest your herbs carefully without damaging or crushing the foliage. This will ensure that the flavour stays at its best. Use a sharp knife or a pair of small scissors for this. Also important is to process your herbs immediately afterwards. Don't leave them lying around for hours.

Take only the young, soft shoots off the top from herbs like Tarragon, Mint or Lovage. Lemon Balm, Oregano and Mint will benefit and grow fresh new shoots if you remove some of the branches at ground level.

From woody herbs like Rosemary, Thyme or Sage you should never take more than one third off a shoot. If you cut too low into the woody part the plants might not recover from it.

The best harvest time for harvesting herbs is aroundnoonafter the plants have dried up. Choose a sunny day for it. The essential oils in the plants that give the flavour will be very high and you will have the best quality.

Prepare the herbs for preserving : shake the herbs a bit to get rid of insects and other creepy-crawlies. Check also the undersides of the leaves. Wash the herbs only if they are dirty and dry them off well afterwards on a clean towel.

There are several different ways to preserve herbs depending on which one you are preserving.

You can dry, freeze, salt or marinate herbs to preserve their flavour. It depends on the type of herbs and your personal preference which way you choose.

Here are my suggestions:

Basil : freeze, marinate in oil, pesto
Bay Leaf:dry
Chervil:freeze
Chives:freeze
Dill:Marinate in vinegar or freeze, seeds can be dried
Lemon Balm:dry or freeze
Lovage:dry, freeze or as herb salt
Marjoram:dry, marinate in oil
Mint:dry or freeze
Oregano:dry or freeze
Parsley:dry, freeze or as herb salt
Rosemary:dry but can be harvested all year round
Sage:dry
Savory:dry or freeze
Tarragon:marinate in vinegar or freeze
Thyme:dry or freeze
Drying Herbs

This is probably the oldest method of preserving herbs. It is also easy to do.

For air-drying tie your herbs into a small bunches and hang them upside down in shaded but airy place. Just remember that the kitchen is not a good place for this because of steam and grease in the air from cooking. Individual leaves can be dried on sheets or towels in a shaded but warm place.

Once they have dried you can crush them up and store them in airtight containers.

If you don't have a suitable place for air-drying you can also use your oven or dehydrator. Place them onto a sheet or rack and heat your oven up to 50 C/122 F. It is important to leave the oven door open a little bit so the moisture can evaporate. Your herbs should keep a nice green colour. If they turn grey or brown the oven was too hot or they were in there for too long. This would impact on the flavour of course so keep a close eye on them.

The time in the oven varies depending on the moisture content and the type of herbs you are drying. It is best to do only one variety at a time to have an even result.

Freezing Herbs

Freezing is my preferred method of preserving herbs because it is so easy and quick. You can freeze them in small portions and just take out what you need when you are cooking.

Frozen herbs can just be added to your dishes while you are cooking. The only time you may want to defrost them before using them is when you do something like salad dressings.

Using Ice cube Trays

Ice cube trays are very useful for freezing herbs. Chop the herbs and portion them into the tray. Put a little bit of water in it just to cover the herbs and pop them into the freezer. After freezing remove them from the ice cube tray and put them into a Ziploc bag. This makes using them so easy and you will have dishes that taste of summer in the middle of winter!

Tips :
Make your own herb mixes for freezing. For example if you like cooking tomato sauces with herbs make a mixture of Sage, Thyme, Rosemary and Oregano and freeze them in the ice cube tray. You now only have to take one cube out of the freezer to have a great tasting pasta sauce.
Basil is best frozen individually because it should be added after cooking. If you cook basil it completely loses its flavour.

Freezing Herbs In Plastic Bags

This is another very easy way to preserve your herbs for the winter particularly if you are under time pressure. The nice part about it is that you can place the twigs and all into the freezer bag. After freezing just crush the herbs with your hand and remove the twigs. You can now either leave them in the bag or put them into plastic containers into the freezer.

Marinating Herbs in Oil Or Vinegar

Buy a good quality vinegar or olive oil for this method. The best vinegars to use are cider or wine vinegar. If you use some nice decorative bottles this even makes a nice present!

The herbs flavour the oil or vinegar which can be used for salad dressings. The oil can also be used in cooking.

Pick some nice looking twigs and wash them carefully. Dry them well before placing them into the bottles and fill them up with the oil or vinegar. Important is to cover the herbs completely so they are not exposed to air. Once you start using the oil or vinegar remove the herbs from the bottle or keep it topped up.

To make the oil even more flavoursome you can add garlic cloves, chilies and peppercorns.

Place the vinegar bottles for two weeks on a sunny window sill before using them. The oil has to be kept for four weeks in a warm place to take up the aroma from the herbs.

Salting Herbs

For salting herbs you need a wide, sealable container and a good quality sea salt. Parsley and Lovage are great herbs for producing a herb salt that will keep for up to two years. You can use this salt instead of regular salt for cooking.

How to make herb salt

Wash and dry your herbs. Then chop them and layer with the salt into the container. Tap down each layer with a spoon. Use one part of salt to five parts of herbs.

Credit to : blog.yourgardeningtools.com

Dealing With Pests And Diseases (Growing Culinary Herbs In Containers Series – Part 7)

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Although herbs are pretty tough plants they can get affected by bugs and diseases. And nothing will put you off more than greenflies and other creepy-crawlies on herbs that you want to eat. The best prevention of pests is to keep your plants healthy and vigorous but there will be occasions when you will discover unwanted creatures on your plants.

Healthy strong plants are not attacked as easily because their cells are tougher. The bugs will try to find an easier victim. So it pays to mind your herbs well and make sure that feeding and watering is optimized. Don't get discouraged by failures...we all live and learn. Just persist and try again. You can't beat experience!

Keep checking for pests...

Often pests go unnoticed for a longer period and build up a big population. Make it a habit to check your plants closely particularly the undersides of the leaves. At the early stages of an infestation you might be able to just remove the pests or some infected shoots before they spread everywhere.

The most common pests to look out for are greenflies, blackflies, scale insects and some caterpillars.

Organic Ways To Treat Pests

Spraying with chemicals is not really an option when growing herbs for consumption. The best is to find organic ways to deal with the problem.

Depending on the plant the easiest thing to do is to get rid of it. I know that this might sound harsh but some plants particularly some annual herbs are simply not worth the time and effort. Just start new ones from seed and get rid of the infected ones before they spread the pests onto all your other plants!

Your more valuable perennial herbs of course you don't want to throw away. You can treat pests like greenflies or scale insects with organic sprays that contain fatty acids or pyrethrin. These organic sprays kill insects but you have to make sure to hit all the pests. Make sure to reach the undersides of the leaves as well as the stems of the plants. After treating your plants it might be better to wait for a couple of weeks before you use them to make sure that the sprays have been broken down.

Neem oil works as a repellent and kills the bugs as well after a period of time. It is very useful to keep the bugs away in the first place. Try a 1-2% solution depending on the severity of the problem. Keep in mind that it won't kill the insects instantly and works over a period of time.

Tips :
A quick first emergency measure is to just take the hose and wash the insects off you plants. Another way is to hang the plants upside down into a bucket of water for two hours. Use two sticks to hold the root-ball on the bucket. This of course only works for smaller plants.

Another organic way to deal with pests is the use of beneficial insects. This is a very efficient and an environmental friendly way of dealing with this problem. You order the insects online and release them onto your plants upon arrival. The most popular ones are Lady Bug larvae or Green Lacewings for controlling greenflies. They just eat away on the pests until they are all gone!

Fungi and bacteria attack plants that are planted too closely or are kept too moist. Both problems can be solved easily by allowing more air in between the plants and reducing the watering.

Believe it or not but milk is a very effective way to treat fungi like mildew. Mix one part of milk to nine parts of water and spray it onto the foliage once a week. Very cheap, not poisonous and very effective!