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We
have over 75 herbs listed on 8 pages, they are listed by their common
name, click on the first letter above to take you through.
If
you have not discovered all the wonders of herbs yet then now is a good
time to start. We can all grow a few favourites these days as they sell
pots of herbs in supermarkets but for the real chefs amongst you these
pots are not even enough for a snack lunch. This can only mean one thing
and that is start sowing some seeds now. The varieties these days are
mind boggling so if you have not grown herbs before I would suggest you
start with the ones you enjoy eating the most and one or two new ones
as an experiment. We grew rocket in the garden last year, it was easy,
prolific and did equally well in salads and lightly blanched. The flowers
also made a fragrant edition to our salads, it must be slugs most favourite
food too so watch out if you dont want to share it.
To encourage a shop bought potted herb to grow, pot it on to a larger pot as the roots are usually escaping through the holes and need more soil. Buy at least three plants and rotate the eating so that they have time to recover and nip out the tips first to encourage growth from below.
To encourage a shop bought potted herb to grow, pot it on to a larger pot as the roots are usually escaping through the holes and need more soil. Buy at least three plants and rotate the eating so that they have time to recover and nip out the tips first to encourage growth from below.
CARING
FOR YOUR HERBS IN BRIEF (for individual
care see index above)
- Herbs can easily be incorporated anywhere in the garden.
- Mix some light grit or sand in with your soil as herbs like good drainage.
- Sow annual herbs when the soil has warmed up in mid to late spring.
- June is the time when most herbs are at their best, freezing is one option which works very well or the traditional drying.
- If herbs are picked regularily it will encourage further growth.
- Cross breeding can occur between Fennel and Dill, Dill and Coriander and some Mints so keep them apart if you can.
- It is important to keep your herbs organic as the properties they contain are the reason for growing and eating them. Chemical fertilisers are not needed to keep herbs healthy.
- To keep your slugs from becoming the most fragrant and robust in your area the best way to control them organically is to go out with a torch at night and lift them off. Transplant them to an area where they will not munch harmfully.
- If you have lots of plants in your garden that are in pots, check underneath them regularly, slugs will hide under their favourite plants as they are then close to their evening meal.
- Plant sympathetic pest control plants such as buddlia mint which attract hoverflies whose diet is whitefly.
- Liquid seaweed is the best organic fertiliser as it contains small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium as well as trace elements, everything needed for thriving herbs.
- Spring as always is the best time to repot into a pot one size larger and trim back the old growth to promote new shoots.
- Some herbs do not like sun all day so position them where they will get some shade.
- Tender herbs should be bought in before the frosts and given a top dressing of fresh soil for the winter.