Herbs
Indoors to protect against pests or Not?
Herbs look good, taste good and do you good, so here
at the Tagum Expat Gardening Club, because there is nothing better than cooking
with home grown produce, we have put together a useful step by step guide full
of useful hints and tips to growing your own.
Herbs are sun worshipers for the most part. As expatriates
of the Mediterranean region, most flavorful herbs don't thrive in the
un-Mediterranean environment and inadequate light our houses provide. Herbs
don't tolerate north-facing windows, or any window that gets less than four
hours of direct sunshine a day even here
in Mindanao.
Not every herb likes indoor life. Coriander (cilantro),
garden cress, and dill are short-lived annuals that, when cut for harvest, do
not regrow. You have to resow these herbs to produce a continuous crop. Three
pots of each plant, each at a different stage (seeded, intermediate growth, and
ready to cut), are usually enough. Forget trying to grow coriander, dill, or
other spice herbs indoors for their seeds: They won't set enough to warrant the
effort.
Parsley
You can grow parsely in pots or you may prefer to bring in
established plants from the garden at the end of the season. The older leaves
will fall off, but the thick taproot will drive new growth from the centre.
However, parsely grown indoors from seed never reaches the size and
productivity of plants dug from the garden. That's digging outdoor plants in
fall and bringing them inside may be advantageous. Keep the soil around the
taproot intact, and be sure to use a pot that's deep enough to accommodate the
root.
Providing light
Even if your indoors, herbs get their four hours of direct
sunshine daily, installing supplementary lighting is a necessity but here is
almost never required.
Acclimate plants gradually
Plants produce two kinds of leaves in response to strong or
weak light and heat. High-light leaves are thick, strong, and narrow. Low-light leaves
are thinner, more delicate, and broader than high-light leaves. But narrow
high-light leaves are less efficient in converting light energy into food than
low-light leaves. High-light leaves are accustomed to an abundance of light, so
they don't have to be as efficient at food production. A plant that is adapted
to abundant light often turns brown and drops leaves indoors. This is because
it can't produce enough food to maintain itself. The plant tries to make food
by shedding the inefficient leaves and producing efficient leaves higher up and
closer to the light source. When you bring herbs indoors or provide too much
shade protection, this leaf drop and increased leggy growth can happen within
weeks, or even days. Some herbs cannot make the transition fast enough to
survive. It is always best to just allow your herbs to thrive wherever they are
in your garden without dramatic changes in environment.
Rosemary
This slow-growing evergreen doesn't have the chance to
adjust to changes in light before the plant slowly starves itself. The leaves
dry up, and the plant dies. This sudden death is by far the most common
complaint about growing rosemary indoors. Here's what to do: Gradually adjust
the plant to lower light. Place it in partial shade for two to three weeks,
then in deeper shade for another two to three weeks before bringing it indoors.
When plenty of new growth appears, the plant is ready to go into the house.
Soil, fertilizer and water
After light, proper soil is the next most important factor
in producing healthy herbs. With few exceptions, herbs require excellent
drainage. When roots are confined in a pot or planter, water and air cannot
move easily. To improve drainage without sacrificing nutrients, add sharp sand
or perlite to a good sterilized compost-based mix. Most herbs do well in soils
of a pH of 6 to 7.
Many people incorrectly think that herbs grow better in poor
soil. Flavors are stronger when culinary herbs grow outdoors in gardens. But in
the confines of a pot, supplementary feedings with liquid fertilizer or organic
fish emulsion are necessary. Feed herbs once a week when plants are actively
growing, but not when dormant.
Watering is not a trivial matter with herbs. In general,
water less often and more thoroughly, and only when the soil is actually dry.
When the soil is dry to the touch, add water until it comes out the bottom of
the pot. If the water doesn't come out, pots have a drainage problem. First,
check that the holes aren't blocked; if not, you may have to re-pot with soil
that has better drainage.
Growth in water
Unless light is plentiful, growth of most indoor herbs will
slow or even stop . When growth slows, reduce harvests and hold back a little
on the water. Reducing the indoor temperature to 60o - 65oF, if possible, also
helps although this is not likely here in Mindanao.
French tarragon and chives in particular benefit from a cool
period and rest period rather then expect continuous production.. You can put
them in a refrigerator for a month or two; freezing temperatures are fine. When
returned to room temperature and good light, they'll put out succulent new
growth.
Pests and diseases
Herbs are susceptible to common pests, including whiteflies,
spider mites, aphids, mealy bugs, scale insects, and thrips. Inspect herbs
regularly. If your herbs are in portable containers, control pests by dipping
the whole above ground part of the plant into a pail of insecticidal soap.
Swish vigorously for a minute or two to wet all leaf surfaces (hold your hand
over the pot to prevent soil loss). Dipping herbs once or twice a week for
three to four weeks will clear up most problems.
Herbs to grow indoors
In recent years, many new varieties of herbs have been
introduced, some of which do better indoors than the traditional varieties.
Here are 10 herbs notable for their consistent, compact growth habit and strong
flavour.
'
Grolau' chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Strong flavour and thick, dark green leaves. Developed for
forcing and can reach 8 to 12 inches tall. Seeds germinate in 10 to 14 days .
'
Fernleaf' dill (Anethum graveolens)
Dwarf form of dill only 18 inches tall. Ideal for dill weed
indoors. Standard varieties grow too tall and bolt too soon. Easy from seeds,
germinating in 7 to 14 days.
'English' mint (Mentha spicata)
Perhaps the best-behaved spearmint variety (not as invasive
as others, and the leaves are broader and deeper green). Excellent for cooking
and tea. Easy to propagate from cuttings.
'Spicy Globe' basil (Ocimum basilicum minimum)
Dense, compact form of basil, 8 to 10 inches tall. Good
flavour. Grow from seed; germinates in 6 to 12 days.
Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare hirtum)
The true oregano for Mediterranean cooking, with excellent
flavour and white flowers. Watch out for the impostor (called wild marjoram)
with pink flowers and no flavour. Greek oregano grows well in pots, reaching 8
to 12 inches. Grows easily from seed.
Broadleaf thyme (Plectranthus amboinicus or Coleus
amboinicus)
Also known as Spanish thyme and Cuban oregano, this plant
has broad, fleshy leaves unlike those of ordinary thyme. Wonderful, spicy
thyme-oregano flavour and useful in many of the same recipes as ordinary thyme.
Never goes dormant. Grows from cuttings only, and reaches 10 to 12 inches tall.
Vietnamese coriander (Polygonum odoratum)
Not true coriander, but a good substitute. Regrows after
cutting, unlike true coriander, which must be reseeded after harvest. Grows 4
to 8 inches tall. Propagate from cuttings.
'Blue Boy' rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
More compact and diminutive than regular rosemary, reaching
only 24 inches. Flowers freely and has excellent flavour. Propagated by
cuttings only.
Dwarf garden sage (Salvia officinalis 'Compacta')
Smaller leaves and more compact than regular sage, growing
only 10 inches high. Same sage flavor. Propagated by cuttings only; seeds are
unavailable.
Creeping savory (Satureja repandra or S. spicigera)
Flavor identical to that of winter savory, but easier and
faster to grow indoors. Reaches only 2 to 4 inches in height, but fills the pot
with a dense mat of foliage. Difficult to find seeds, but grows readily from
cuttings
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