Posts Tagged ‘Herb’

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An organic herb farm can be rewarding financially, physically, and emotionally. Even a small organic herb farm can produce a good harvest. You can use the herbs yourself, or sell them for profit at a farmer’s market. You will want to plan, of course. You will need to learn a number of things before getting started with an organic herb farm.

Organic Herb Farm Plans

Organic herb farm plans begin with determining how large a space you will allot to growing organic herbs. Herbs do not require as much space as many organic vegetables require. You can reap a good harvest in a small space.

You will want to plan, too, what types of herbs you will plant. There are three main categories.

1. Culinary – herbs valued for their taste
2. Medicinal – herbs valued for healing power
3. Scented – herbs valued for their fragrance

Organic herb farm plans often use all three, but some limit the farm to one type. Some organic herb farms grow only one herb. Think about whether there are any organic herbs you consider “must-haves” and whether there are some you really do not want to grow.

Once you have decided on space and the type of organic herbs you will grow, you need to test your soil. Is it chalky, clay, loam, or sandy? The type of soil you have will play a part in your organic herb farm plans. Test it, or have it tested so that you know. Determine whether the soil is well drained. Is the location sunny, shady, or mixed sun and shade? Will parts of your organic herb farm be exposed to wind?

Organic Herb Farm Layout

Your organic herb farm plans will need to include a layout. Use graph paper, or a computer program with a graph. On your graph paper, mark north and south. Then draw in the basic shape of your planned farm. Use a key. For example, 1 square on the graph equals 1 square yard. Draw any buildings, walls, ponds, streams, trees, or other obstacles. Indicate how tall the trees are, since this will affect sunlight. Indicate areas that are especially damp or dry.

Use your farm layout to select seeds or healthy herb plants. You can buy bulk organic herb seeds, sometimes at wholesale prices. Consider your soil and climate in selecting plants or seeds. Most nurseries or farm suppliers can give you guidance in these matters.

You may want to arrange plants according to color, If soil, sun, shade, and wind conditions allow. Or you may group organic herbs that offer benefits to one another on the farm. Here are three examples of good groups.

1. Germander, lavender, rosemary, sage, and thyme
2. Cilantro, lemon balm, lemon verbena, oregano, parsley, and thyme
3. Basil, mint, oregano, and thyme

Organic herbs are among the most beneficial plants you can grow. The plants will attract insects to your organic herb farm. Count on the help of bees, birds, and butterflies to enhance pollination and increase harvest.

Your organic herb farm plans should take advantage of the fact that those who grow organic herbs create a beautiful landscape, teeming with wildlife.

For thousands and thousands of years we have turned to plants we call herbs for flavor, dye, perfume and cosmetics. We have believed that individual herbs held the power to repel insects, evil and vampires, while others attracted the perfect lover, good luck or bees to pollinate our crops. For some, the use of herbs can cure headaches and burns. And, of course, what would fine dining be without the culinary herbs?

Here are some tips for herb gardening indoors that will simulate the conditions in an outside garden. For Herb gardening indoors the growing climates need to be pretty much the same as the conditions outside.

Make sure you have a sunny windowsill that your herbs will love. Use a container that is at least 6-12 inches deep.

Get your herb plants from a good garden center nursery who will have plenty of garden advice to help you with your inside garden. You will need some garden equipment like a small digging garden tool, garden gloves, organic fertilizer and some small gardening containers. You probably already have most of these garden supplies in your garden shed.

Soil is the most important aspect of growing herbs indoors. Use only top grade potting soil with an organic fertilizer mixed in. If you think it is too fine a soil, use a little perlite. Fertilize while potting the herbs and they should be happy until spring. If you have an herb that is not growing vigorously add a little organic liquid fertilizer to the water.

When you go to transplant the herb, go one inch up in the size of the gardening container. If the plant is in a two inch pot, go to a three inch gardening container. Leave the roots alone and be careful not to bruise the stem.

Don’t plant oreganos, mints, lemon balm or bee balm with other plants because they will overgrow everything. Pot these herbs in a garden container all their own. You may want to always plant those herbs in containers since they tend to “take over” the garden.

Some people swear that you must put garden stones in the bottom of the gardening container, but I dispute that opinion. I feel that the garden stones take valuable space away from the herb roots. You might want to place a small piece of wire screening over the hole to keep it from getting clogged.

Here are some examples of which herbs to plant together:

* For an Italian selection try Sweet basil, Italian parsley, Oregano, Marjoram and Thyme.
* For a lovely scented container use Lavender, Rose scented geranium, Lemon balm, Lemon thyme, and Pineapple sage.
* For really great salads try Garlic chives, Rocket, Salad burnet, Parsley, Celery.
* And to say “We love French Cooking!” use Tarragon, Chervil, Parsley, Chives and Sage

Allow time for your herbs to grow used to their new conditions. Once you see growth you can start using you herbs. Snip and use your herbs often to encourage them to grow full and bushy.

When it comes to light, all herbs must get 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day on your window sill. If your window doesn’t supply that much light then purchase garden grow lights and hang them three inches above the plants. If you live in a very hot climate shade the herbs during the hottest periods. If you live in a very cold climate keep the herbs away from the cold glass panes.

When it comes to watering, don’t let the herbs dry out but don’t drown them either. Herbs do not like to sit in wet soil. An inexpensive water meter from your garden center nursery will help with this important step in growing your herbs. Always use room temperature water so as not to shock the herb’s roots.

If you follow all of these steps you will have a healthy herb garden all winter on your sunny windowsill.

Have you noticed the high price of fresh herbs in the supermarket lately? It amazes me why more people aren’t getting into the lucrative area of growing and processing fresh herbs.

If you want to try your hand at herb farming, grow herbs that do well in your area. Start small, you can expand later with a green house, climate control and soil manipulation. You can begin with just a hot frame to start your seeds, and a screened area for drying your herbs away from insects and other undesirables.

Do a lot of homework before you start your herb farm. Go to the library or bookstore and find out what are the needs of the herbs you plan to plant. After you know what herbs you will be planting on your herb farm go through the history of that particular herb. Also see if it has any folklore or medicinal uses attached to it. Make up little booklets with this information as a “give aways” with your plants, it makes it more attractive to the buyer and will add to your sales and profits.

During your research, include study on which herbs attract pests. (Basil attracts white flies which are difficult to eliminate). Another trick is to keep herbs that attract pests away from the ones that do not on your herb farm.

If you are proficient with your computer, make up nice labels for your herbs. If not, go to a printer and have them make them for you. When you get to the stage that you are shipping herbs, always put a little information on the herb in the package. It gives your package a personal touch and your customer will be more apt to buy again.

Once you have a crop in you will need to market your inventory. Go to Gourmet Restaurants and Gourmet stores. Don’t forget health food stores and caterers. Talk to the chef or owner and explain what you have. You may try to leave some of your stock at the establishment on consignment to get your customers to see the value of fresh herbs. Offer to set up a display with a poster for their window. Or offer them a “special introductory price”. You may even know some people in your area that just love to cook and would be ecstatic if they were part of your route. Exposure is key at this stage for both your name and your herbs. Go back to these potential customers often to build up your reliability.

Another important step is to write press releases that you can send to your local newspapers. Here is where the research on the folklore will come in handy. Use your gathered data on the folklore attached to herbs in the press release. These press releases will introduce you, and your products to the marketplace. Post them on the web as well, this will help you get customers from out of town. Be imaginative on the many interesting uses of fresh herbs and of course, how to find you as the source.

You may want to set up a network with other herb farms to buy from, at wholesale prices. This way if you get low on some herb stock you have a place to obtain it for your customers. Remember, they are depending on you and you want to keep their business.

An inexpensive way to advertise your business is to buy the magnetic signs that stick on your car door. Be creative, make people want to buy your products from YOU.

So, jump in your car, go to the library and start studying on how to become an herb farmer.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

This article is dedicated to planning a successful herb garden. If you have planted herb gardens in previous years this will help to revamp and refresh one already have.

Go to your Garden Center and see what herbs are available and suitable for your area. This is important if you are planning an outside herb garden. If you are planning an inside herb garden, since you control the atmosphere, you can choose whatever you like.

My suggestion here would be to select a theme for your herb garden. You can plant them for cooking herbs, cosmetic herbs, medicinal herbs or fragrance herbs use. Be realistic about your plants. Check your whole property to find the right spot. Look for sun or shade, type of soil, and how well the spot drains. These are all very import for picking the best place for your herb garden.

Once you have accomplished the above, pick your sunniest spot because herbs need a lot of sun (a good four top six hours daily). Be sure that the herb garden site is level and sheltered from wind. If your soil is a bit heavy ad lots of compost when preparing your site which will make the soil looser and help with drainage and texture.

Try to keep the herb garden close to the house to facilitate in picking the harvest and checking for troubles. If you can’t find a suitable sunny spot plant them in a garden container that you can move around to follow the sun. (This movement is a bit time consuming but it pay off in the end).

Look at the rest of your gardens. Are they formal or informal? You will want your herb garden to complement your house and garden. Look in books or magazine to get some inspiration. If you are creating a formal herb garden you will need to plant in straight lines and geometric shapes framing them with low hedges and paths. A fountain, bench or topiary shrubs are almost always used as the main focal point. Arrange the layout around a central axis. Then plant one kind of herb in each block, go for bold color and texture. Be warned a formal garden is labor intensive and will be expensive.

In an informal herb garden you can plant more flowing, curved beds and walkways. Add flowers and shrubs for a really exciting look. This type of herb garden requires less initial work and will be easier and cheaper to maintain.

Now it’s time to decide on which herbs to plant. The easy way is to make a list of the ones that follow your theme. Make up your wish list in three columns. Column one is the absolutely must have plants, Column two will be the ones that would be nice to have and Column three is oh well, not necessary. If you’re just starting out do between 5-10 herbs, (depending on your space). This makes the herb gardening more manageable.

Know which herb plants or annual or perennial, and make a note of them so you won’t forget. A small spiral notebook is a good place to make comments on the care of each of your herbs. Situate each plant according to height for maximum enjoyment of your herb garden.

Lastly keep them well fed and give them lots of love and you will a beautiful herb garden that is multi-purpose. You get to plant the herb garden, watch it flourish, and then you get to harvest it for whatever your purpose was: Culinary, Medicinal, Fragrance or Cosmetic.

Happy Planting!

When Herb gardening, first and foremost you must have a plan before you begin your endeavor. This is the first deadly sin herb gardeners commit consistently. You can grow an herb garden for cooking, or medicine or beauty. Choose which one will fulfill your needs, or have beds or containers for all three. If you are a beginner it is best to start off with just one so that you are not overwhelmed. You want this to be fun and creative, not a job you grow to hate.

The best way to come up with a plan is to concentrate on a theme. Then narrow it down to a sub-theme. Most people grow culinary herbs so let’s start there. If you love French cooking plant the herbs that you will be using in your meals. French herbs are savory, marjoram, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Add some parsley and bay and you have the perfect bouquet garni to add to your soups or stews.

If you prefer classic Italian fare you should plant Italian parsley, marjoram, thyme, oregano and sweet basil. You can cook some great pasta dishes with these herbs.

After you have settled on your theme do a little research as to what herbs are available. You should come up with a list that has the absolutely essential herb, the herbs that would be fun to have and the ones that are really not necessary. Then check with your local nursery or online for availability. Again, if you are just starting out you should keep the list to between five and say ten herbs.

On to the next deadly sin that herb gardeners commit. You must have the perfect spot for your herbs to thrive. Consider the herbs needs-they must get four to six hours of sunlight daily. The soil needs to drain well and your garden should be where you can harvest your crop easily. If you have pets keep that in mind when picking your spot. You should mix in a lot of organic material to improve the soil whether it is in the ground or in containers.

The third deadly sin is to use the wrong planting method. You really have to work the soil with compost and bone meal before you even consider any planting. Carefully work through the root ball to encourage new growth. Be sure to water the roots well before planting to give them a good start. Herbs like basil should be pinched off to help them achieve a bushy plant.

You must know the needs of your herbs. Bad maintenance of the plants is the fourth deadly sin. On a regular basis you must water, prune and feed your herbs. Talk to the people at your nursery center to get advice on fertilizing your herbs. Never spray them with toxic chemicals if you find snails, aphids or beetles on the herbs. Here again, your nursery center can help you out. Here is a homemade recipe that will keep the pests out:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

The fifth most deadly sin is to fall madly in love with your plants. You need to cut your herbs. Harvest them at regular intervals. If you have an abundance of the herbs freeze them or dry them. A great way to use them is to make vinegars or oils, even soaps and bath preparations.

Don’t get too high tech or overanalyze the situation. The whole purpose here is to connect with the earth. This is the sixth deadly sin of herb gardeners. Work the way nature does. Use natural products, work the soil, and keep it simple.

And, drum roll please, the seventh deadly sin is to not know as much as possible about each herb you have planted. Take the time to do the research. With just a little effort you will become quite knowledgeable and face it, it is the only way to approach herb gardening. Don’t beat yourselves up if you make a few mistakes, just learn from them. The whole point is to have fun with your herb gardening and to make some great meals.

Happy Herb Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at Container Gardening and Herb Gardening You can read more of her articles at Article Bazaar

Sometimes you just get tired of using the same old recipe that tastes the same time after time. But we are all so busy we are looking for easy ways to spice up are repertoire. One way that many cooks forget is to use blends of herbs to add subtle flavor distinctions. The French have been doing this forever.

The French never use just one herb in there dishes but rather a blend of herbs that they call a “bouquets garni”. Don’t be put off by that fancy name, it simply means a bouquet of herbs. The blend of herbs adds subtle but distinct flavors to every dish you prepare. The trick is to get the right blend for so no one herb dominates the dish. You want the flavors to be delicate.

With just a few herb bouquets you can change the taste of a recipe instantly. Now, old recipes have added spark and will get you plenty of “This is Greats”. Your aim here is to create a complex flavor that is balanced making each guest want to instantly take another bite. Of course there is different garni for each recipe. You want to achieve the right herbs and spices that compliment each other. You want to use the right relationship between quantities of each herb you are using.

For meat based casseroles, stews, stocks and soup, the old tried and true garni of parsley, thyme and bay leaf still apply. But go one step further and add a twist of citrus (lime, lemon, or orange) for a little zip. The formula for this garni is 3 sprigs of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme and 1 bay leaf. Get a piece of cooking string and tie the bundle together. Viola, just add the bundle to your dish and remove it before serving. Please use fresh herbs, they’re so much better. If you have to use dried, sprinkle the herbs into a patch of cheesecloth and tie the cloth together with the string. .Fine Herbes and Herbes de Provence are to other bouquets that the French use in their cooking.

You can buy these at the grocery store or a gourmet shop but why not make your own. Finely chop fresh oregano, thyme, marjoram, savory, and marjoram for Herbes de Provence. Add one tablespoon of each to your dish. This combination can also be used in salads, meat dishes and vegetables.

The English version of Herbes de Provence is sage, rosemary, marjoram, Italian parsley chives, tarragon and thyme. Mix them all together and use on lamb, pork or in stuffing.

For Fine Herbes, mix together chopped parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil. Experiment with the quantities. Be adventurous! Keep careful notes when you are experimenting so that you can duplicate the successes and toss the disasters. Remember that creating beautiful tasty dishes is a more of a craft that an art.

You will need to identify the flavor and strength of each herb so that you can group them into either mild or robust. Examples of mild herbs are basil, bay leaf, chervil dill, and marjoram. These herbs combine well with most other herbs and their flavors become milder during the cooking process. With mild herbs you can use larger amounts and with more variation. They can also be used in salads and other dishes where the leaves are not cooked or briefly cooked.

Your robust herbs stand up to cooking. Often, they are used for braised or roasted meat or domestic fowl, soups, stews and even grilled foods. You will have work on the recipe since sometime the herbs alter subtly during the cooking process. They will either become more muted or in some cases intensify. They can always be combined with the mild herbs. Robust herbs include sorrel, rosemary, garlic, oregano, sage, tarragon and thyme.

Another cool easy to use fresh herbs is to flavor oil or vinegar with a blend of either mild or robust herbs. You will need pretty glass jars (preferable dark) and a tight seal. Simply put your combination of herbs in the jar, add the oil or vinegar, seal and let it sit for several weeks. Oils should be stored in the refrigerator. The herbs will add a subtle flavor to the liquid and will be delicious in a variety of ways.

You can make really healthy tinctures with fresh herbs. But I would urge you to master the cooking with herbs before you branch out to other areas. By know exactly how each herb flavors each dish you will instinctually know what to use in tinctures.

Again be adventurous, mix and match, keep trying new things and keep notes so your successes can be repeated. After you have mastered cooking with herbs, who knows? Maybe you will start an herb garden so you will always have fresh delicious herbs on hand.

Here’s to Good Cooking!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

For thousands and thousands of years we have turned to plants we label herbs for spice, dye, fragrance and cosmetics. We have believed that specific herbs had properties to repel insects, evil and vampires, while others hooked the flawless sweetheart, good luck or bees to pollinate our crops. For some, the use of herbs can heal headaches and burns. And, of course, what would terrific dining be without the culinary herbs?

Collected here are some tips for herb gardening indoors that will reproduce the conditions of an exterior garden. For Herb gardening in your home the growing climate needs to be very much the same as the conditions in your outside garden.

Be sure you have a bright, sunny windowsill that your herbs will delight in. Use a vessel that is at least 6 – 12 inches deep.

Get your herb plants from a reputable garden center nursery who will have an extreme amount of garden wisdom to aid you with your inside garden. You will require some garden implements like a small digging garden tool, garden gloves, organic fertilizer and some pint-sized gardening containers. You probably already have most of these garden supplies in your garage or garden shed.

Soil is the uppermost essential aspect of herb gardening in your home. Use only prime grade potting soil with an organic fertilizer worked in. If you sense it is too fine a soil, use a scant amount pf perlite. Fertilize while potting the herbs and they should be cheerful until spring. If you own an herb that is not sprouting vigorously add a little organic liquid fertilizer to it when watering.

When you wish to transplant the herb, go one inch up in the size of the gardening vessel. If the plant is in a two inch pot, go to a three inch gardening pot. Leave the roots alone and be wary not to bruise the delicate stem.

Don’t ever plant oreganos, mints, lemon balm or bee balm with other plants since they will overgrow the container. Pot these herbs in a garden container all their own. It is important to always plant those herbs in containers since they tend to “overrun” the garden.

Some gardeners swear that you must deposit garden stones in the bottom of the gardening receptacle, but I question that notion. I feel that the garden stones take valued space away from the herbs roots. It is better to lay a small portion of wire screening over the hole in the pot to maintain it from getting clogged.

Here are some examples of which herbs to plant together:

* For a garden with an Italian flavor plant Sweet basil, Italian parsley, Oregano, Marjoram and Thyme.

* For a winning scented pot use Lavender, Rose scented geranium, Lemon balm, Lemon thyme, and Pineapple sage.

* For utterly wonderful salads try Garlic chives, Rocket, Salad burnet, Parsley, Celery.

* And if you are delighted by French Cooking use Tarragon, Chervil, Parsley, Chives and Sage

Provide time for your herbs to grow used to their unfamiliar conditions. Once you see growth you can start using or drying your herbs. Snip and use your herbs repeatedly to inspire them to grow big and bushy.

When it comes to light, all herbs need to get at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day on your window sill. If your window doesn’t provide that much sun then get garden grow lights and place them three inches above the herbs. If you live in a extremely hot climate shade the herbs during the hottest periods. If you live in a very cold area keep the herbs away from the cold window panes.

Rule of thumb for watering is not to let the herbs dry out but don’t drench them either. Herbs do not like to sit in saturated soil. An inexpensive water meter from your garden center nursery will assist with this essential step in growing your herbs. Always use water that is at room temperature so you do not wallop the herb’s roots with water that is too cold.

If you understand all of these steps and you implement them you will have a flourishing herb garden all winter on your bright windowsill.

Happy Herbal Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Growing an organic herb garden is a delightful project. The fragrant plants not only look and smell good; they are also good for flavoring foods.

Indoor organic herb gardens have the advantage of being year-round, giving a continuous supply of fresh herbs. An indoor organic herb garden can be as small as a few pots on a window sill or as large as a greenhouse filled with containers of aromatic organic herbs.

Herb Choices

There are many ways to decide which herbs to include in your organic herb garden. Here are some ideas.

1. Italian Herb Garden: Plant rosemary, oregano, basil, fennel, and chives. Terra cotta containers will make your indoor organic herb garden look authentically old world.

2. French Herb Garden: Begin with lemon basil, marjoram, and parsley, and add other herbs you like to use in French cooking.

3. Fragrant Herb Garden: Choose angelica, bergamot, catmint, chamomile, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, mint, and sage. This organic herb garden is a natural air freshener.

4. Tea Herb Garden: If you enjoy herbal teas, your organic herb garden might focus on appropriate herbs for your tea: catnip, chamomile, lavender, lemon grass, mint, and peppermint.

You may not want to theme your indoor organic herb garden, but simply grow a few herbs that appeal to you.

Containers

Many herbs are well-suited to container gardening, but you will want to choose containers according to the herbs you intend to grow.

1. Those tiny herb peat pots sold in discount stores give the wrong idea. Your indoor organic herb garden will not last long with such small thinking.

2. Begin with containers a bit larger than those in which the live nursery plants were purchased. This will give your plants room to start growing.

3. Once your herbs are stabilized and growing well, transplant them into larger containers.

4. Basil, mint, oregano, and sage are examples of herbs that can be grown in pots of about 8 to 10 inches.

5. If you want a large crop of herbs that is constantly being replenished in your organic herb garden, use 3 to 5 gallon containers. This will assure you of having plenty of rosemary, basil, etc. when you want it.

Container Soil

Indoor organic herb gardens call for building organic soil. Your soil should have a pH of about 7, since herbs prefer a more alkaline soil. If yours is too acid, add some calcified seaweed. Be sure you use only organic fertilizers to build your soil.

Indoor Lighting

An indoor organic herb garden will need lighting, especially if your room is not sunny. Lighting is especially important for year-round indoor gardens.

Different plants have different light requirements, some preferring bright sun and others preferring shade. Most herbs prefer full sun, but there are exceptions, so learn what each of your herbs needs.

Incandescent lights, even though called “grow lights”, are a poor choice for your indoor organic herb garden. Fluorescent lights are better, and have the advantage of being inexpensive, easily available, and easy to set up. The best choice for lighting your indoor organic herb garden is high intensity discharge lighting, often called HID lights. These are even more affordable and efficient.

Useful and Beautiful

An indoor organic herb garden can be both useful and beautiful. Herbs are generally eager to please, and require little maintenance. Simply give them the right food, water, and sunlight, and they will reward you abundantly.