Grow Your Own Herbs and Spices: Natural Pest Control

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Grow Your Own Herbs and Spices: Natural Pest Control JoAnn Guest Jan 06,

2005 20:57 PST

Grow and Dry Your Own Herbs and Spices

by Mary Louise Boldan

Conscious Choice, May 2000

 

Growing herbs can provide multiple dividends in lovely foliage,

delicious flavors, and aromatic scents. These rewards are not limited to

the outdoor garden. You can experience the magic of freshly chopped

chives sprinkled over an omelet, the intoxicating aroma of lemon

verbena, or the tang of tarragon in vinegar by growing herbs indoors.

 

While all herbs can be started indoors as seeds, not every herb takes to

the indoor life. Coriander, garden cress, and dill are short-lived

annuals that, when cut for harvest, do not regrow. You must resow these

herbs to produce a continuous crop.

 

According to Susan Grump, extension unit educator, horticulture, of the

University of Illinois Extension, " Even though rosemary, thyme, and mint

can be started from seed, they are most successful when planted from

divisions or root cuttings.

Most perennials can be started from seed, except French tarragon, which

does not form viable seed and must be started from some form of cuttings

or division. "

 

Herbs such as angelica, anise, hyssop, caraway, comfrey, sweet cicely,

and yarrow can be started indoors, but should be placed outdoors during

the summer.

Herbs that grow well indoors include basil, bay, chives, marjoram,

mint, oregano, parsley, borage, rosemary, salad burnet, scented

geranium, tarragon, thyme and winter savory.

 

Indoor Setup

 

Growing herbs indoors is no more difficult that producing them in the

garden. Indoor plants will need essentially the same conditions as herbs

grown outdoors; plenty of bright light. Herbs need a location that

provides five to six hours of direct sunlight each day.

 

This level of light produces the greatest quantity of oil, which

accounts for the herbs' flavor.

Select a south or west window. North-facing windows do not get enough

light for herbs. Some herbs, such as mint, chives, lemon balm, and sweet

bay make do with indirect sun, as long as they receive at least eight

hours of it. This can be from an east -- or west -- facing window.

 

If a bright location is unavailable, supplement existing light with

fluorescent light. To provide the spectrum of light the plants will

require you will need two-foot fluorescent tubes, one " daylight " or

" cool white " (high in blue wavelengths) and one " natural white " or " warm

white " (high in red wavelengths).

While standard fluorescent lights are better than incandescent bulbs,

they often lack the full spectrum of light needed for healthy growth.

You may want to check out fluorescent tubes that are commonly marketed

as " grow lights. " These bulb are specially designed to mimic the full

spectrum of sunlight. To be effective, fluorescent light should be lit

for at least one to sixteen hours per day.

 

Herbs that are grown indoors also need cool temperatures and good air

circulation. Day temperatures should range between 65 and 70 degrees F;

night temperatures about ten degrees cooler.

 

Herbs also thrive on humid air. Since furnaces can make indoor air hot

and dry, you can provide extra humidity by misting the plants. However,

too much humidity can result in mold and fungus growing on the soil

surface or on the leaves. If you find your herbs developing fungal

problems reduce the humidity and use a small household fan to stir the

air.

 

Starting Herbs Inside

 

1. Use new or recycled two-inch nursery pots. You can also convert empty

yogurt cups or Styrofoam drinking cups into seedling pots by poking

holes in the bottom and trimming down the top.

 

2. Garden soil is not suitable for starting seeds indoors. Instead, use

a mixture of about two parts potting soil to one part course sand or

perlite. Since most herbs prefer a nonacid limey soil, add a cup of

ground limestone per bushel of soil or about one teaspoon per five-inch

pot. Instead of limestone, you can add crumbled eggshells.

 

3. Spoon the mixture into the pots within an inch of the top. This top

layer allows the seeds to sprout easily and spread their roots into the

denser soil mix below. The finer the seeds, the shallower you should sow

them.

Make sure the planting medium is moist but not dripping wet. Place three

to four seeds over the surface of each pot. Press them gently against

the surface and cover them with a pinch of soil. The depth of this layer

is critical; the biggest mistake you can make when starting seeds

indoors is sowing the seeds too deep. In general, this prevents them

from germinating. Label every pot with the species.

 

4. Place a layer of pebbles in the bottom of a tray and stand the pots

in the tray of pebbles. Gently mist the tops of the pots with water.

Pour some water in the bottom of the tray. The tray of pebbles prevents

the accumulation of water in your growing medium, as well as providing

humidity. The plants should not sit in the water; instead the water

should evaporate up around them.

 

5. Enclose the entire tray and pots in a plastic bag, or cover the tray

with a piece of glass. And have patience. Some herb seeds can take up to

four weeks to germinate. Covering the pots adds the extra humidity so

important for proper germination.

 

6. Check the tray daily to make sure the growing medium has not dried

out. Do not just touch the surface, which is usually the first area to

dry out. Stick your finger in the soil, away from the base of the plant

to avoid damaging the roots.

 

7. Different herbs need different quantities of water. Basil, parsley,

mint, chervil, and argil do best if kept moist; whereas, Mediterranean

plants such as rosemary and lavender should dry out slightly before you

water them.

If you provide too much water, the soil does not have the air needed

for healthy roots. As a consequence, mold and fungi will flourish and

the fine capillary roots will die.

 

8. As soon as the seedlings show, remove the plastic bag or glass cover.

Jan Little, manager of horticultural education at the Morton Arboretum

stresses the importance of removing the plastic bag or glass cover

immediately because too much humidity at this point can cause the plants

to rot.

Thin out seedlings if they are too crowded. Move the tray to a sunny

window or under fluorescent light (the tops of the plants should be

about four inches from the fluorescent light).

 

9. After the young plants have sprouted a set of two or three leaves,

they are ready for transplanting into larger pots, one plant per two

square inches. Use the same growing medium you started them in. With a

teaspoon, lift the seedlings so as not to disturb their roots. Transfer

the whole root ball into the new pot. When roots protrude from the base

of the container, repot into a container one size larger, using the same

compost mix. Place a little compost in the new pot, then fill loosely

with soil, pat gently, and water well.

 

Harvesting Herbs

 

The best time to harvest herbs is when they are just about to flower --

when buds have formed, but not opened. Trim as needed for use and to

maintain an attractive appearance. Pick only the tips of the plant

(about two to three inches), keeping your plant in good shape, and thus

producing more branches for later harvesting. Herbs that are outside

should be gathered in the morning before the sun hits them, but after

the dew has dried.

 

Drying Methods

 

The ultimate goal in drying herbs is to maintain as much color, flavor,

and scent as possible. The most popular method is to hang bunches of

each type in a warm spot, or near a heat source, such as a window.

Although they may look homey, it is not the best way, since they become

dusty and may lose their flavor over a period of time.

If you choose to hang your herbs to dry, make small bunches and

rubberband them at the top, place them in a brown paper bag, and secure

at top. Hang until herbs are dry. Herbs are dry when they crumble off

the stem. After crumbling off the stem, place them in a lidded,

dark-colored jar for up to one year. The dark-colored glass keeps out

light and prevents flavor loss. Do not wash herbs before drying unless

they are very muddy. The excess water weakens the herb and delays the

drying process.

 

The oven is also an efficient way to dry your herbs. Spread the herbs on

a cookie sheet in a thin layer and place in the oven at a very low

setting. (Do not heat over 110 degrees F). If the herbs begin turning

brown, the oven temperature is too high. If you are drying your herbs in

humid conditions, stir the herbs a bit until they are dry and, for the

first few hours of the drying process, increase the oven temperature a

bit. Note that basil contains an enzyme that turns it black if it is

dried too slowly. For best results, dry this herb quickly.

 

You can also try screen drying. Take an old window or door screen and

place it horizontally on a support with several inches of clearance

underneath to allow air circulation. Place the herbs on the screen in a

single layer. Place the screen in a relatively dust free area with good

ventilation and warm temperatures.

 

Freezing Herbs

 

Freezing herbs helps to retain the flavor, and surprisingly, the herbs

do not turn moldy. Spread the herbs on a cookie sheet and place in a

freezer just long enough for the plants to freeze. Next, place them into

a plastic storage bag and keep it in freezer until ready to use. Herbs

that benefit from freezing are basil, chervil, dill, chopped chives,

scented geranium leaves, tarragon, rose petals, and spearmint.

 

Susan Grupp discourages microwave drying since it " drives off too many

of the flavor components. " No matter how you dry herbs, don't forget to

check your stock over the year for freshness. If they smell or look

moldy, pitch them.

 

Moving Plants Outside

 

If you plan to move the plants outdoors, do it gradually by hardening

them off first. Beginning with a few hours under a shaded covering,

increase the time the plants spend outdoors over a period of ten days.

Do all outdoor transplanting on overcast days or in the early morning or

late afternoon.

 

Perennial herbs usually improve -- and are more productive -- if you

place them outdoors during the summer. Outdoors, keep potted herbs in an

area that provides good light but gives some protection from intense

heat or winds. You can also plunge pots into the garden with soil up to

the rim. The pots dry faster than surrounding soil and may need extra

watering.

 

To prevent loss of foliage and plant damage, bring herbs indoors before

frost. A light frost, however, is beneficial for mint, chives, and

tarragon because it induces a rest period and the resulting new growth

is firm and fresh. You can maintain an indoor herb garden indefinitely

by periodic light feeding, yearly repotting, renewal of annuals,

seasonal moves outdoors for perennials, and occasional pruning.

Fertilize lightly as you would houseplants. During the winter months,

most indoor herbs' growth slows down. At this time, reduce harvesting,

and water very sparsely.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Companion Planting

 

While herbs add zing to our cooking and help battle illness, they are

also of great value to wildlife, as well as a natural method of pest

control.

 

Many flowers and vegetables benefit from growing close to herbs such as

sage, thyme, oregano, garlic, and chives.

 

The herbs act as companion plants and actually repel certain pests away

from the plants you want to grow.

For example, an insect (usually attracted by both the sight and smell of

a plant) may fix its eyes on a squash, only to discover that what looks

like squash smells like the nearby offensive sage.

 

Confusing! Some other herbs literally drive insects off, and some

contain chemicals that inhibit insect growth or actually kill certain

pests.

 

Companion planting is recommended by organic gardeners as a means of

improving plant performance without chemical fertilizer and pesticides.

 

The following tips will help you in your quest for natural pest control:

 

 

~ Garlic controls aphids, bean beetles, and spider mites.

 

~ Savory repels bean beetles.

 

~ Mint, sage, and mustard repel cabbage pests.

 

~ Mint repels mice.

 

~ Chives control spider mites.

 

~ Cabbage interplanted with thyme, garlic, sage, rosemary, and hyssop

wards off cabbage worms.

 

~ Tansy helps ward off the squash borer.

 

~ Sage repels ants.

 

~ Basil and borage planted with tomatoes ward off flies, tomato

hornworms, and mosquitoes.

 

~ To repel insects, grow strong-scented herbs such as lavender,

rosemary, lemon verbena, lemon basil, and orange mint in pots around

your patio, deck, or entry doors.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Helping Nature's Pollinators

 

Butterflies ...

 

Herbs play an important role in the life cycle of butterflies. The key

to attracting butterflies is providing them with the specific plants on

which they lay their eggs. The females are particular about where they

lay their eggs -- they must find the correct host plant so that the

larva (caterpillar) can eat enough food to fuel its metamorphosis into a

butterfly.

If you want butterflies, you are going to have to tolerate the presence

of caterpillars. Most do minimal damage. In my experience, the brightly

striped caterpillars have never eaten more than their share, but it

doesn't hurt to plant enough for both you and them.

 

Since native butterfly species are adapted to the flora of their range,

many choose to lay their eggs on one or two specific plants.

 

Caterpillars of the black and anise swallowtail make their home on and

eat the leaves from the parsley family, which includes fennel, angelica,

dill, and chervil. The American painted lady thrives on borage.

 

As adults, butterflies sip nectar rather than eat foliage. Most

butterfly species use flower nectar as their primary food source. The

small, fast-flying skippers are drawn to sage, thyme, hyssop, borage,

and lavender. Peppermint attracts the pearly crescentspot.

 

Mints, wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), bee balm (Monarda didyma), and

yarrow, attract the American painted lady, anise swallowtail, gray

hairstreak, monarch, and red admiral. Butterflies are extremely

sensitive to pesticides including Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), which

kills larvae.

 

Hummingbirds also benefit from certain herbs. Researchers at the San

Diego Zoo have found that hummingbirds on a diet that includes

commercial sugar concoctions of red-dyed nectar tend to produce eggs

with more durable shells and fewer deformed offspring. Herbs that

provide natural nectar to this small, exquisite bird include bee balm,

Mexican bush sage, and pineapple sage.

 

.... and Bees

 

In their book The Forgotten Pollinators, Stephen Buchmann and Gary Paul

Nabhan reveal how bees are drastically declining because of increased

pesticide use and loss of natural habitat. Many plants would be unable

to reproduce without bees, which are the most important pollinators of

flowers.

 

Herb flowers that produce plenty of pollen for bees include basil,

marjoram, thyme, sage, savory, mint, lavender, rosemary, anise, hyssop,

bee balm, and borage.

 

http://www.consciouschoice.com/food/growanddryherbs1305.html

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

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DietaryTi-

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AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

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