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Archive for October, 2007
Herb Gardening for the Beginner
Herb gardens are among some of the easiest gardens that a person can grow. These sorts of gardens require an area of land that is relatively small. They can be grown indoors in pots, window boxes or even hanging planters. These gardens may be used to spice up your dinner dishes or for medicinal purposes and their pleasant aroma and beautiful flowers. They may also be used either fresh or dried and they are a staple in every kitchen cupboard.
If you’ve ever reached for spice in the kitchen and realized that you were out, it may be a good enough reason to plant your own herb garden. Rather than running off to the store for some fresh supplies you can easily walk over to a plant and clip off what you need. You can have everything from fresh basil, thyme, sage, chives, dill, to tarragon or rosemary right at your fingertips from your herb garden.
Herbs may annuals, biennials or perennials. Annuals tend to flower one season and then die the next. Biennials live for at least two seasons, flower once and then die. Perennials tend to die in water but return to blossom the next season. If you pick perennials you should ensure that they are planted in a place that they can be kept from one year to the other.
Herb gardens require very little space and they may be either planted as seeds or plant clippings. Seeds should also be planted in shallow boxes in the late winter and from then they can be transplanted outdoors during the spring. Soil is a determinant factor that governs the issue of whether your garden thrives or falters. Herbs also do not grow properly in wet soil so it is essential that you provide adequate drainage for the herbs. If adequate drainage isn’t available then you can easily compensate by adding compost and sand to the soil that you have. You may also dig out at least 15- 18 inches of dirt and add crushed stone in it to aid in the process.
Unlike other plants herbs don’t need too much fertilizer. The more fertile the soil that you have, then the less foliage will occur and your herbs won’t have enough flavor. Certain diseases or insects also tend to attack herbal plants too.
Harvesting herbs should take place in the morning and only when the plant has had enough foliage to maintain its growth. Whenever they are picked they should be washed almost immediately in cold water. They can also be used fresh or dried for use in winter.
In order to dry herbs, after washing you should hang them up in order for the water to evaporate. After this you should bind the stems together and place them in a band with the stems placed at the bags opening. After this close the bag with a rubber bag and hang them from a line so that they cool in a place that is dark and dry. The attic is usually a better choice as basements are usually damp. When two to three weeks have passed then you may remove the herbs from the bag and then crumble the leaves. When the crumbled leaves are perfectly crispy they should be stored in glass jars or airtight containers placed in a cool place so you can have them whenever you require them.
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Advice on Growing Your Own Organic Food
We live in a health conscious society. We exercise, diet and make sure we watch we eat. Whenever we’re concerned about food it’s all about calories, fats and trans fat. But do we really think about how all the food we eat is grown? All the food and vegetables that we consume today are bound to be subjected to pesticide as well as chemical sprays. All these sprays are known to be harmful and they can cause diseases too. One way we can avoid these harmful compounds is by eating organic food instead.
Organic food is food that is grown naturally. What this means is that no chemicals are used on them to make them look better. They may not be as glossy or as nice looking as the items you find in a grocery store but these organic foods taste a whole lot better. It makes so much sense that purchasing organic food makes us all feel so much better. Most times, this isn’t always the case; most of the organic foods sold in stores aren’t entirely free of harmful chemicals. Whether or not you wash organic or non-organic foods before you eat them, you can have harmful chemical deposits still remain on them. This makes a perfect reason for you to start growing your own organic food.
Anyone with a small area in their yard or someone who even has a couple of pots can start their own journey to making healthy food. One great area for planting is an area that has a lot of sunlight. You also require good soil too. If you aren’t sure about the soil you can easily get it tested. Adding compost to the soil three weeks before planting is a great idea too. You can also buy organic compost from stores or you can manufacture yours from kitchen waste and save yourself some money. Start off by planting seeds of plants that can easily survive in your own region and use a number of different kinds. Never neglect your plants while they’re growing, its essential that you water them on a daily basis. Also make sure that you take the time out to remove any weeds when they appear. Healthy plants are capable of surviving pest attacks. If you take good care of them these plants will be healthy and productive too.
By growing your own organic garden, you’ll feel that you’re doing something good for yourself as well as the environment. At the same time you’ll be eating healthy foods that are free of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers that contain poisons too. You’ll also spend some tome outdoors breathing fresh air and enjoying the air of your surroundings. Growing your own food is an accomplishment and nourishing your body through these means is an achievement too. You will also save on your ever growing grocery bill and have some extra money in your pockets at the end of the month.
By growing organic food you are securing your environment for the future. It prevents soil erosion and protects water from any possible contamination by run off. We should do whatever we can to protect the environment.
Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for MicroKarma.com, CoffeeZen.com, and PrimeYoga.com.