PROFITABLE HERB GROWING
(Page 3 of 9)
March/April 1971
By the Mother Earth News editors
Have stores do the selling for you, or you can sell mailorder. First have all of the facts, then start moving towards a definite goal.
RELATED CONTENT
GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR GROWING HERBS
In growing herbs we must place them first under two broad classifications: (1) Annual herbs which are started from seed sown in the spring and (2) Perennials that are grown both from seed and rooted plants, and which will grow from one year to the next without further replanting.
Annual herbs include anise, calendula, the basils, caraway, dill, summer savory, nasturtiums, borage, chervil, bene sesame, cumin, fennel, sweet marjoram, parsley and angelica.
Perennial herbs include boneset, calemint, catnip, chamomile, chives, comfrey, costmary, germander, horehound, hyssop, lavenders, lemon balm, lovage, the mints, pennryroyal, rosemary, rue, garden sage, salad burnet, santolina, French sorrel, garden sorrel, thymes, tarragon and wormwood.
Annual herbs are all grown from seeds sown in the spring. In growing herbs from seed it should be remembered that most herbs are native to the Mediterranean area where the climate is dry, sunny and soils are on the light side. For best success you should duplicate these conditions as closely as possible. Many varieties of herbs have seeds that take much longer to germinate than vegetable seeds. Because of their hard coat, some will take as long as 3 to 4 weeks to germinate.
Although many gardeners start their perennial herb plants from seed, if rooted plants are available we recommend getting your start this way. Seeds of perennial herbs are usually harder to start than the annual varieties because they are much smaller and more difficult to germinate. Small rooted herb plants when they arrive from the nursery should be immediately planted out in a specially prepared bed with plenty of peat moss and sand worked into it. Protect the small plants from the hot sun until they become established.
Herbs with very small seeds, and particularly the perennial varieties, do best started indoors in flats and later transplanted to the garden. For this we recommend the sphagnum moss method of plant propagation. Annual herbs are usually started from seed sown in the open ground after all danger of frost has passed. Follow the usual cultural practices you would use growing vegetables.
In choosing a location in which to plant herbs, pick an area that has full sun exposure where the plants will produce more essential oils and flavor. It is the essential oils which produce the flavors and fragrances. Over-watering and excessive use of fertilizer will cause herbs to produce lush, fast growing foliage that has a low oil content.
METHOD OF DRYING HERBS
Herbs that are harvested for drying should be cut at the first sign of flower buds forming on the plant. At that stage of growth, their leaves are at their peak of aromatic oils and flavor. When plants are ready to harvest do it on a clear, early morning as soon as the dew has dried. Herbs cut in late afternoon and allowed to dry in the excessive heat of the full sun not only lose much of their potency, but the foliage becomes faded and unattractive.
Page:
<< Previous 1 |
2 | 3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
Next >>
