What You Need to Know About Heirloom Herbs
HONESTLY preserved herbs with their unmistakable aroma and healthful benefit are now available for your growing herb garden. Freshly picked seeds shipped by freight are delivered to your door. They are guaranteed dried fresh or to grow forever. The “Holder’s Favorite” is Certified Organic. This means they have been tested for contaminants and are guaranteed safe and taste great. You can save money on Produce by Growing your own Herbs.
If you are not familiar with heirloom herbs, the best way to learn about them is to talk to other gardeners, read or watch videos online. You will find heirloom seeds at your local nursery or seed store. All the instructions you need are clearly marked. Just as important as the actual seeds are in the plant, the soil mixture is equally important. (How well the soil is prepared will depend on the type of seed you buy.)
When growing herbs from seeds, it is a good idea to treat them just like you would if you were planting them in your garden. Always be careful to keep moisture in the soil at all times and don’t fertilize too early or too late. Once established, these wonderful herbs will provide you with delicious culinary herbs, potpourri and fragrant teas. There is no better way to add flavor to soups, stews, salads, vegetables, desserts and more. Try some of the new varieties of heirloom herbs with recipes to try next time you are making an evening of cooking and eating with friends and family.
Many of the herbs sold today are very hardy and can be used in traditional gardens, flower gardens, herb gardens and window boxes. They do not require a great deal of attention when they are in their young growing stage but will need certain care once they are established. Like any plant, heirloom herbs need regular watering and fertilizer to help keep them healthy.
If you decide to start growing an herb from seed, there are some things that you should consider. How big of a container do you have available? How much sunlight does your container get each day? Where are you going to place your herb garden? How much room do you have available for an herb garden?
When choosing an herb to grow from seeds, you will want to choose one with a bright, vibrant color. Most heirloom herbs do well in a container made from perlite, siltic sand or decomposed rock. Other herbs will do well in other media like rock wool, vermiculite and coconut fiber. Make sure that the container has good drainage to prevent the roots from drying out and to encourage healthy growing conditions.
Once you have decided which herb you are going to grow, it’s time to prepare the soil. This can be done a few weeks before you expect the herb to appear. Remove any grass and sod from the area so that the dirt is just slightly moist. If you are growing more than one herb, separate them at their bases and add the moist soil to each plant.
Watering is very important for growing heirloom herbs. Do not over-water as this will cause the roots to dry out. Keep the water about 2 inches deep and use an organic potting soil mix. This combination will provide ample drainage and nutrients for the plants as well as help to weed them out. After you finish caring for the herb, it’s time to harvest!
Harvest your herb with scissors or a knife to ensure as clean a cut as possible of the stem end. You want to remove all the leaves from the bottom and the heart-shaped leaves on the top. Keep these pieces in a protective container or freezer until you are ready to use them again. If the herb has dried out too much, you may need to water it again before you can re-pot it.
Most people enjoy growing these heirloom herbs because they are easy to take care of. They don’t require too much attention and yet they offer a wide variety of flavors. The best part about them is they don’t have to be harvested often and they are very inexpensive. There is little need for preservation methods when growing these herbs, making them one of the best heirloom herbs for the beginner gardener to grow.
Another great thing about growing these herbs is that you can always use more than one herb at a time. This will allow you to have a constant supply of herbs if you start with one herb and then continue with another plant once it has grown. It is quite common to grow several different kinds of herbs at once. Another great tip is to start the growing process with the herb that needs the most water, such as parsley. By using this herb early in the growing process, you will have the best results from all the other herbs that come after it.