Growing herbs

J

jdoll

Cathlete
Do any of you do this? How difficult is it? I don't have a very green thumb, so if herbs are high maintainence, then i will stick to the pre-washed ones in the produce section:p Do they need alot of light? How often do you water them? Which herbs are easiest to grow? I am specifically interested in growing basil, parsley and rosemary.

TIA


jes:7
 
Me too! I have never had luck growing anything except 1 lonely african violet that I've had for 2 years now, and 1 orchid that is also 2 years old. Everything else dies.

I'd like to grow herbs, salad greens, and tomatoes in a container garden on my patio but have absolutely no idea how to go about it.

Michele
 
Right now I have parsley, rosemary, cilantro, and mint growing in my outside garden. From my personal experience different herbs grow better in different seasons. Parsley and cilantro grow best in the cold months. Rosemary grows well during both hot and cold weather. Basil thrives in intense heat and sun light. During the winter I just let them go except for weeding, and in the summer I water as needed. It's fun growing herbs because I love to cook and I just go outside and cut an herb when I need it. I have also had success growing thyme, sage, and lavender (inside). BTW, I live in Georgia and my herbs are planted in a full sun area.
 
Jes-
I've grown a few herbs over the years, but I live in NY so my experience may not help you.

Basil requires a lot of sun and water. maybe it will like the Texas sun? I tried to grow it indoors in the winter with out a plant light and it died.

Parsley is more forgiving in colder weather.

I can't grow cilantro at all. It dies every tiem.

Sage and thyme grow well in containers for me.

And mint literally grows like a weed.


Judy "Likes2bfit"


If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.
Success is acheived by early preparation


http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce27b3127cce94279e1404fa00000016108AatHLZo3buN

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce27b3127cce9426d0892
 
at this point i can't even get a chia pet to grow :eek:

kassia



When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be
disappointed to discover they are not it -- Bernard Bailey
 
Most herbs like full sun, regular water, but not too much. Don't drown them or let their roots sit in overly damp soil. Most are pretty tough and easy to grow.

Basil is a piece of cake. If you buy seedlings, just stick them in the ground and take good care of them until they get established. After that, you won't be able to stop them. They also grow very easily from seed. Wait until it warms up and all chance of frost is past. Stick a few seeds in pot and watch them grow. Full sun, but if you live in a very hot climate, it'll help if they can get some shade in the worst afternoon heat. Basil absolutely will not tolerate cold. The first frost destroys them.

Parsley - don't know. I've never gown it.

Rosemary - very hard to grow from seed. Buy a seedling at the store. I've had the same rosemary plant growing in my yard for several years. It's about waist high and a couple of feet wide. It's even blooming right now and looks very pretty. No special care - mine is growing in the ground, no special soil or anything. Just keep it watered in the summer. If you live in a cold climate, plant it in a protected corner so it'll have a better chance of surviving the winter.

Salad greens - most are easy to start and since they have shallow root systems, they grow well in containers. Just sow the seeds and baby them while they get established. Lettuce tends to bolt when it gets hot - that means it goes to seed. A tall stalk will shoot up from the middle, and the plant will get pretty ugly. Also at that point, the leaves get bitter. Most salad greens are cool-weather crops.

Tomatoes - if you want to grow them in containers, try the cherry type, which are smaller. If you want a full-sized tomato, you'd better get a darned big pot. They can be grown in containers and lots of people do it that way, but their root systems are extensive. I always have better luck growing them in the ground. maybe you can put some in a flower bed??
 
Rosemary should grow well for you in Texas - it may even stay all year long for you. Both rosemary and basil like lots of sun and staying dry. I was wildly successful with parsley last summer (in fact I had way too much) but I think it requires staying a bit cooler.

I think herbs are so much fun to grow because, they can withstand a lot more neglect than other vegetables and flowers. And that's great for me, because I always go into spring planting with grand aspirations, and by mid-July when it's hot and humid out, my interest seems to be more in staying next to the a/c with a cool drink and a magazine.

Many herbs are perennials, so you need to plan in your head how much they can be expected to grow and leave enough room. Other herbs that are really low maintenance are oregano, thyme and sage all of which will keep coming back. I like to mix in the oregano and thyme around the other plants because it is low-ground cover and looks pretty and helps keep weeds out. However, you have to wash it really good before using it!

To get nice big, fat basil leaves you have to be pretty regular about nipping out the little flower buds that will grow, or the plant will get too scraggly. This happens about the time that I have lost all desire to swat bugs and play in my garden, so I've never been to successful with basil and tend to just buy big bunches of it at the local farmers market. That way I can feel good about supporting the local economy and stay cool!

Tracy

ETA: Jes, do give herbs a try...they are quite easy and much cheaper than buying at the store. There is a great on-line site for seeds called www.nicholsgardennursery.com that has tons of different types of herbs.
 
Thanks all! I think i am going to try a few in big pots. That way i can move them around for different sun and see if i can manage NOT to kill them all:)


jes:)
 
>Jes!! You sly fox you!! Oh wait a minute. It says herbs.
>With an s on the end. Never mind}(

Ditto to shells thought! My mind started in the gutter...ahem...garden.


"you miss 100% of the shots you never take"


Debbie
 
LOL at Kassia and the Chia pet;)

Hey Michele...I heard Orchids are hard to grow so I'm very impressed:)

Robin:)
 
>LOL at Kassia and the Chia pet;)
>
>Hey Michele...I heard Orchids are hard to grow so I'm very
>impressed:)
>
>Robin:)


Actually, orchids thrive on neglect. All we do is water it once every 7 or 8 days with a maintenance dose of fertilizer. You thoroughly soak it and let it drain--that's it! It's between blooms right now and could be several weeks before it blooms again. Trust me, I'm like Kassia with a chia pet--LOL!

Michele
 
Herbs are quite easy to grow (many of them are basically tasty weeds!). Some are TOO easy to grow (after planting chives one year, I now have to dig chive plants out of my yard/garden every year---just don't let it go to seed! And mints can spread like mad!).

Herbs do love sun. I grow them in my front yard (which is all garden, no grass!). But you could grow them in planters and put them outside for part of the day or move them around for best sun.

FOr water, I pretty much let mother nature take care of that (herbs are quite hardy), but if they are in planters, they need more water. You can get some crystals that retain water. They look like large salt crystals, and when you water, they swell up to look almost like ice cubes. Then they gradually release water as the plants need it, so you don't have to water as often.
 
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