Tips on Growing Herbs.
Posted 08-Dec-2008 at 05:07 AM by shammrok
A brief run down on how I grow my herbs.
Tips for growing herbs and Insect Control
There are many different ways to grow herbs; they are really very undemanding plants.
Most need plenty of sun and well – drained soil. But you can grow some indoors, on a windowsill, in pots or hanging baskets or massed together in different containers on a patio, porch or balcony.
It is also important to take into consideration their accessibility, so planting close to the house or the kitchen is advisable.
Nearly all herbs require full sun for at least parts of the day and good draining soil, as most don’t like to have their roots continually in water.
Some herbs do nicely in drier conditions but grow better and more pungent if watered regularly. Early mornings and late evenings are best.
When selecting potted herb seedlings or plants, always choose the sturdiest looking ones, and plant out as soon as possible, even if it’s into another pot, as most of these potting mixes are not suited to growing for long periods of time.
Raising herbs from seeds can be achieved by sowing the seed into small punnets, pots or seed raising trays, that way you can control the conditions and monitor your plants.
Give the seeds a light water and cover in plastic and place in a warm spot, water gently as needed.
Once you have shoots, remove the plastic. When the seedlings have developed about four leaves they should have a small root system. It is now time to transplant them from the seed box into the prepared ground or into larger containers.
If you are transplanting into pots, fill the pot with the potting mix and make a hole with your finger large enough and deep enough to put your seedling without damaging the roots. Press the potting mix gently around the plant. You may like to add other seedlings or different ones, depending on the size of the pot.
A pot of herbs should look filled and generous without being over crowded.
If planting into the ground gently place your seedlings into the ground and space apart so that they have room to grow, water them in to help root growth and keep an eye on them daily, making sure they have plenty of water and are predator free. You may like to make little weather shields out of milk cartons or cling film wrapped around circular mesh.
Most herbs can be propagated from cuttings. Cuttings are best taken after flowering, take stems that are firm and healthy, with a woody heel if possible, and trim off the bottom leaves. Take a few cuttings of each herb to ensure that you have more success at striking should some of them fail .If you have multiple strikings you may like to do as I do and give some cuttings away as presents. You can use rooting compounds if you wish but I just place cuttings into potting mix and place in a sheltered warm spot, (my front porch), out of direct sunlight and do not allow to dry out.
When cuttings show new growth, you know they have rooted successfully. Leave another few weeks and then plant out. I usually put mine out on the front steps in the sun for part of the day to harden them off before transplanting.
As the plants become more advanced I plant out into much larger pots in the backyard where they get mid morning to late afternoon sun and are sheltered by the boundary fence. In summer they tend to dry out so I water early morning and late evening with the sprinkler on a timer so as not to waste water or waterlog the plants.
Now it’s time to enjoy your herbs, both as a plant and as a welcome addition to any dish!
Earwigs
Diatomaceous earth is a safe and effective way to control earwigs in the home. One application in key spots (bathroom, baseboards, window frames) can be a long-term repellent.
To trap earwigs, spray a newspaper lightly with water, roll it up loosely and secure with a string or rubber band. Place on the ground near earwig activity. The next morning pick up and discard the paper in a sealed container.
Another method to trap earwigs is to take a shallow, straight-sided container and fill it half full with vegetable oil. Clean the trap daily; the oil can be re-used.
Garlic Spray
Three large cloves of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
One teaspoon of liquid soap
One litre of water
Combine the garlic and vegetable oil and leave to soak overnight. Strain and add to the litre of water along with the liquid soap. Spray regularly. Garlic in known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties, but it is its insect repellent qualities that most gardeners admire.
Homemade Oil Spray
Mix 500ml of vegetable oil
½ cup of Sunlight dishwashing liquid or other pure liquid soap
Blend thoroughly and seal in a clean, clearly labelled jar. Store in a cool area for later use.
Dilute one tablespoon of the concentrate into one litre of water before spraying.
Oil based mixtures can be used to suffocate mites, scale and other soft bodied insects. They help to repel leaf miner moths and some gardeners even find them effective against grasshoppers. Avoid using on plants with hairy leaves and during very hot weather.
ORGANIC WHITEFLY CONTROL
Whiteflies suffer from an identity crisis, as they are not flies at all, in appearance they resemble tiny, pure white "moths" but are in fact, closely related to sap-sucking aphids. Aphid cast-off skins could be mistaken for whitefly, but whitefly will quickly flutter up and fly away when disturbed, while the cast-off aphid skins will drop off. Just shake the plant to find out which you have! While there are about 20 species in Australia, the most serious pest is the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum that attacks a very wide range of plants including tomatoes and beans. Unfortunately, whiteflies don't go round in ones or twos - they go round in hordes, so a severe attack can have a major impact on a plant.
Whiteflies suck sap from the plant, resulting in a yellow mottling on the surface of the leaf, as well as leaf loss, wilting and stunting. Not only do they feed on plants, but they also produce honeydew, which spoils the plants' appearance, attracts ants and black sooty mould. Whiteflies can also transmit plant viruses.
Adult whiteflies have a 3mm wingspan and are covered with a white, waxy coating. Each adult female lays about 200 eggs on the underside of the leaves, the eggs hatch in 8 days. Newly hatched ‘crawlers’ or ‘nymphs’ move around for a few days but then insert their feeding tube and lose their functional legs. At this stage they can be confused with scale.
Most species can complete a full life cycle in 20-30 days, less in summer. Whiteflies have no hibernation period and must have a suitable host all year. Severe winters reduce numbers considerably.
Hang sticky yellow traps above the plants, at the beginning of the season to detect an invasion early. Tapping the plants with a stick will cause the whitefly to fly up and onto the traps. Whiteflies are strongly attracted to the colour yellow, so you really shouldn't wear yellow clothing around whiteflies or you may carry them from plant to plant.
Tips for growing herbs and Insect Control
There are many different ways to grow herbs; they are really very undemanding plants.
Most need plenty of sun and well – drained soil. But you can grow some indoors, on a windowsill, in pots or hanging baskets or massed together in different containers on a patio, porch or balcony.
It is also important to take into consideration their accessibility, so planting close to the house or the kitchen is advisable.
Nearly all herbs require full sun for at least parts of the day and good draining soil, as most don’t like to have their roots continually in water.
Some herbs do nicely in drier conditions but grow better and more pungent if watered regularly. Early mornings and late evenings are best.
When selecting potted herb seedlings or plants, always choose the sturdiest looking ones, and plant out as soon as possible, even if it’s into another pot, as most of these potting mixes are not suited to growing for long periods of time.
Raising herbs from seeds can be achieved by sowing the seed into small punnets, pots or seed raising trays, that way you can control the conditions and monitor your plants.
Give the seeds a light water and cover in plastic and place in a warm spot, water gently as needed.
Once you have shoots, remove the plastic. When the seedlings have developed about four leaves they should have a small root system. It is now time to transplant them from the seed box into the prepared ground or into larger containers.
If you are transplanting into pots, fill the pot with the potting mix and make a hole with your finger large enough and deep enough to put your seedling without damaging the roots. Press the potting mix gently around the plant. You may like to add other seedlings or different ones, depending on the size of the pot.
A pot of herbs should look filled and generous without being over crowded.
If planting into the ground gently place your seedlings into the ground and space apart so that they have room to grow, water them in to help root growth and keep an eye on them daily, making sure they have plenty of water and are predator free. You may like to make little weather shields out of milk cartons or cling film wrapped around circular mesh.
Most herbs can be propagated from cuttings. Cuttings are best taken after flowering, take stems that are firm and healthy, with a woody heel if possible, and trim off the bottom leaves. Take a few cuttings of each herb to ensure that you have more success at striking should some of them fail .If you have multiple strikings you may like to do as I do and give some cuttings away as presents. You can use rooting compounds if you wish but I just place cuttings into potting mix and place in a sheltered warm spot, (my front porch), out of direct sunlight and do not allow to dry out.
When cuttings show new growth, you know they have rooted successfully. Leave another few weeks and then plant out. I usually put mine out on the front steps in the sun for part of the day to harden them off before transplanting.
As the plants become more advanced I plant out into much larger pots in the backyard where they get mid morning to late afternoon sun and are sheltered by the boundary fence. In summer they tend to dry out so I water early morning and late evening with the sprinkler on a timer so as not to waste water or waterlog the plants.
Now it’s time to enjoy your herbs, both as a plant and as a welcome addition to any dish!
Earwigs
Diatomaceous earth is a safe and effective way to control earwigs in the home. One application in key spots (bathroom, baseboards, window frames) can be a long-term repellent.
To trap earwigs, spray a newspaper lightly with water, roll it up loosely and secure with a string or rubber band. Place on the ground near earwig activity. The next morning pick up and discard the paper in a sealed container.
Another method to trap earwigs is to take a shallow, straight-sided container and fill it half full with vegetable oil. Clean the trap daily; the oil can be re-used.
Garlic Spray
Three large cloves of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
One teaspoon of liquid soap
One litre of water
Combine the garlic and vegetable oil and leave to soak overnight. Strain and add to the litre of water along with the liquid soap. Spray regularly. Garlic in known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties, but it is its insect repellent qualities that most gardeners admire.
Homemade Oil Spray
Mix 500ml of vegetable oil
½ cup of Sunlight dishwashing liquid or other pure liquid soap
Blend thoroughly and seal in a clean, clearly labelled jar. Store in a cool area for later use.
Dilute one tablespoon of the concentrate into one litre of water before spraying.
Oil based mixtures can be used to suffocate mites, scale and other soft bodied insects. They help to repel leaf miner moths and some gardeners even find them effective against grasshoppers. Avoid using on plants with hairy leaves and during very hot weather.
ORGANIC WHITEFLY CONTROL
Whiteflies suffer from an identity crisis, as they are not flies at all, in appearance they resemble tiny, pure white "moths" but are in fact, closely related to sap-sucking aphids. Aphid cast-off skins could be mistaken for whitefly, but whitefly will quickly flutter up and fly away when disturbed, while the cast-off aphid skins will drop off. Just shake the plant to find out which you have! While there are about 20 species in Australia, the most serious pest is the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum that attacks a very wide range of plants including tomatoes and beans. Unfortunately, whiteflies don't go round in ones or twos - they go round in hordes, so a severe attack can have a major impact on a plant.
Whiteflies suck sap from the plant, resulting in a yellow mottling on the surface of the leaf, as well as leaf loss, wilting and stunting. Not only do they feed on plants, but they also produce honeydew, which spoils the plants' appearance, attracts ants and black sooty mould. Whiteflies can also transmit plant viruses.
Adult whiteflies have a 3mm wingspan and are covered with a white, waxy coating. Each adult female lays about 200 eggs on the underside of the leaves, the eggs hatch in 8 days. Newly hatched ‘crawlers’ or ‘nymphs’ move around for a few days but then insert their feeding tube and lose their functional legs. At this stage they can be confused with scale.
Most species can complete a full life cycle in 20-30 days, less in summer. Whiteflies have no hibernation period and must have a suitable host all year. Severe winters reduce numbers considerably.
Hang sticky yellow traps above the plants, at the beginning of the season to detect an invasion early. Tapping the plants with a stick will cause the whitefly to fly up and onto the traps. Whiteflies are strongly attracted to the colour yellow, so you really shouldn't wear yellow clothing around whiteflies or you may carry them from plant to plant.
Total Comments 3
Comments
 | Any tips on growing herbs indoors? Mine always seem to die, and even though we own the apartment, we had to sign to say we wouldn't put anything on the outside balconies or window ledges  |
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| |  Great info Shammy  I shall be referring to this once the growing season starts again in the UK. |
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| |  Hi jen, that does make things a bit difficult. Do you have a bench or table you could put them on so that they get the sun. Also try to not over water them. You should plant in a good potting mix that contains water saver. Once established they really do benefit from being outside. |
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Recent Blog Entries by shammrok
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