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Angelica – Grow Your Own “Root of the Holy Ghost”

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Angelica

Angelica a biennial herb that flowers in its second year and has been traditionally used in the production of a general, health-giving tonic. It has a delightful aroma, attractive lacy flowers and the entire plant is edible. Angelica is a native of Syria and is unusual in that it flourishes in colder European countries such as Lapland. It was introduced to the U.S. in the mid-1500’s.

Here is some advice to help you grow your own angelica.

  • Soil, Planting and Care
  • Troubleshooting
  • Harvest and Storage

Planting

Easy to grow, angelica can be sown from seed directly in your garden, best planted in November. The soil temperature should be between 50 °F and 77°F, and the plants should be spaced 18 inches apart to allow for their full spreading branches. Angelica prefers cool climates, semi-shady to sunny beds and will grow to a height of three foot.

The seeds should be gently tamped into the top surface of the soil as they require light to germinate, which can take several weeks.

Soil

Angelica prefers moist, fertile soil that rich in organic matter that is slightly acidic (PH 7 or slightly below) and is well-draining. If your soil is too high in alkaline (above 7 on a PH meter), you can add an organic soil acidifier fertilizer to lower the alkaline and raise the acidity (PH).  Keep the ground loose and open and plant the seeds standing on edge to save them from rotting. Pick the largest seeds to sow as they are more likely to germinate.  The plants are not drought-tolerant, so the soil should be kept moist.

Care

Angelica will initially have red stems and green foliage, with the flowers in the second year being white or yellow. Once the plants have established enough to shade the ground, they pretty much look after themselves. Angelica doesn’t react well to being moved, so ensure you choose the position in your garden where it is to remain.

Troubleshooting

Angelica can quickly take over your garden once it begins to produce seeds, usually in the second growing season. Having produced seeds the plants will die, so you should cut the flower heads to allow it to live for several more years. Angelica will need mulching to protect it in frost-prone areas.

It may suffer from aphids, leaf miners and spider mites, all of which can be removed with a blast of water.

Harvest and Storage

The angelica leaves can be harvested in the first year before the plant flowers, but you should be careful not to damage the delicate main stem. The stems themselves can be harvested in the second year. If you allow the angelica to flower, the seeds can be collected for use as a cake flavoring, but the plant will die afterwards. Fresh angelica roots can be used to create aromatic oil, but they are not edible in their original form.

The tender leaves can be boiled and are similar to spinach, delicious with meat and fish dishes. The stems can be used as salad greens or roasted or boiled as a side dish.

If you intend to use your angelica for culinary purposes, ensure you have the correct variety – archangelica, which is distinguished by its slightly dull leaves. A different variation is pachycarpa, which is definitely not edible and is only grown as an ornamental garden plant. It is identified by its bright shiny leaves.

Have you considered growing your own angelica for its delicate taste and attractive flowers?

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Borage – An Ornamental Herb to Encourage Bees to Your Garden

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Borage
Borage – An Ornamental Herb to Encourage Bees to Your Garden

Borage is an old fashioned herb that may not be as familiar as other favorite herbs as it has few culinary uses. However, it is an attractive plant, easy to grow and it attracts bees to your garden. It is native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, and is known as the “Herb of Courage”. Borage wine was believed to give Roman soldiers courage and the flowers were often used to decorate their armour of the crusaders departing for battle. The distinctive star-shaped flowers can be blue, pink or white with dramatic black anthers.
Here is some advice to help you cultivate your own borage.

• Soil, Planting and Care
• Troubleshooting
• Harvest and Storage

Planting

Borage can be grown from seed straight into your garden, preferably planted in March, when the soil temperature is between 50°F and 77°F. Seeds should be planted 1/4”-1/2” deep and 6 inches apart, thinning to 12” apart when the plants are 4-6” tall and will grow 2-3 feet in height. It prefers partial shade and moderate watering, and the ground should be kept moist up to germination.
It has a single taproot and doesn’t appreciate being moved, so ensure you plant your borage in a position where it will remain.

Soil

Borage will proliferate in most types of soil but does best in average organic matter that is well tilled and well drained that has a medium PH.  If you are unsure of your soil’s PH, you can purchase a PH test kit here.

Care

Borage is easy to care for, requiring little attention other than regular watering. As it has hollow stems, it needs adequate water to stop the leaves from drooping or curling. Borage plants die down in the winter, but it is a vigorous self-seeder, and you will be unlikely to need to buy any more seeds for the following year, as it will spread itself throughout the garden.

Troubleshooting

Borage does not suffer from any diseases, and is, in fact, said to be beneficial to other nearby plants, strengthening their resistance to insects and diseases. It is said it protects legumes, spinach, brassicas, strawberries and deters tomato hornworm moths from laying eggs on the plants. The one pest that borage may attract is the Japanese beetle, easily identified by its blue-green head and copper back. They devour most of the foliage, leaving only the veins behind. The best way to remove them is to pick them off by hand.
Borage plants can be top-heavy and may require some support in windy conditions to stop the soft stems from breaking.

Harvest and Storage

As borage is grown mainly as an ornamental herb, you may not wish to harvest the leaves, flowers or seeds. Although the leaves are edible, they are covered in fine hairs which make them unpleasant to eat. Their primary use is as a flavoring for gin. The borage flowers are beautiful with five pointed petals forming a star shape, and have a sweet honey taste. They can be added to salads as an edible garnish. The flowers can be harvested by gently separating the petals from their green bases. If not using immediately, they can be frozen in ice cubes for an attractive addition to drinks. Another idea is to crystallize them in sugar for use as cake decorations. They can also be used as potpourri

Borage leaves can be used as an organic fertilizer in your garden following the recipe below:

– Remove the leaves from one of the plants and place them in an air-tight container
– Add just enough water to cover the leaves and seal the lid
– Let the mixture ferment for two weeks
– Remove solids from container
– Mix 1 part Borage mixture to 10 parts water
– Use weekly

Why not grow your own borage to benefit and add a splash of color to your herb garden?

Spice Up Your Lamb with Home-Rosemary Plant Care

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Rosemary
rosemary plant care

rosemary plant care

Growing your own rosemary can be very rewarding, as not only is it easy to care for, but the aromatic foliage can add flavor to a variety of dishes. It is equally at home in the garden or a container and provides a full year-round harvest. There are many different varieties, but the most commonly grown is Rosmarinus Officinalis, known as “Miss Jessop’s Upright”.

Follow this easy guide to growing your own rosemary.

  • Soil, Planting and Care
  • Troubleshooting
  • Harvest and Storage

Planting

Rosemary is particularly easy to grow, but it is recommended you start with some small cuttings, as the success rate of using seeds is very low. It can be planted as early as January or February if put undercover in seed trays. Rosemary plant care, As rosemary is a Mediterranean herb, it prefers dry weather and warm sunshine, in light, sandy soil.

In the garden, plants should be spaced approximately 40 inches apart to accommodate growth, with the bushes capable of growing up to three feet wide. It should be ready to harvest in roughly a year’s time.

how to plant rosemary

how to plant rosemary

Soil

Rosemary thrives in light, well-drained soil and should be planted when the soil temperature is between 59 ºF and 68 ºF. If your soil is heavy or clay based, you should dig in some well-composted organic material and sand. Rosemary plants have extensive roots, so ensure that you dig it in deeply, in a position that has full sun for most of the day.

Care

Once your rosemary is established, it requires very little care and attention, just keep the area around it free from weeds. If your soil is average, it should not need any feeding. In poor soil conditions, rosemary can be fed twice a year with an organic, balanced fertilizer, such as a liquid fish fertilizer.

An annual prune in late winter will ensure you get the best out of your rosemary, just requiring you to cut back the top third of the plant and shape if necessary.

Troubleshooting

Rosemary can suffer from the attention of whiteflies, spittle bugs, spider mites and mealybugs. These can be blasted from the plant by using your watering hose. Chemical insecticides should not be used, as not only are the pests likely to be resistant, but you will, of course, be using the rosemary for culinary purposes.

how to plant rosemary

how to plant rosemary

It is believed that carrots, potatoes and pumpkins make poor companion plants, therefore, rosemary should not be planted near them.

Harvest and Storage

Once your rosemary is established, you can harvest it year round, cutting the stems as required. It can be successfully dried, using a rack or tied up in bunches. Once the stems are dry, just strip the leaves from them and store in an air-tight container. The sprigs can also be frozen or preserved in vinegar or oil.

One of the most productive and easy herbs to grow, rosemary can be harvested year round and is an excellent addition to the garden releasing its aromatic fragrance as you brush past or touch it.

How to Plant Rosemary?

Know about how to plant rosemary? Plant rosemary are so easy to propagate that a novice will love the results from taking cuttings, dipping the ends in a hormone liquid and just planting in a pot. Keep cuttings in a warm conservatory, with a moist mix until they shoot.

Why not your own rosemary plant care and add its delicious flavor to your lamb, chicken and pork dishes?

How to Grow Mint

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Mint
How to Grow Mint

How to Grow Mint

There are endless varieties of mint, each having their own particular fragrance and texture. Some of the more exotic varieties include pineapple mint and grapefruit mint. Extremely easy to grow, the classic mint flavor has been used for thousands of years and matches perfectly with lamb, peas and potatoes.

This hardy perennial herb is native to Mediterranean countries, and the following advice will help you get the best from your plant.

  • Soil, Planting and Care
  • Troubleshooting
  • Harvest and Storage

Planting

Mint grows successfully from seeds and cuttings and is best planted outdoor in April or can be planted indoors year round in a container. In the garden, it should be planted approximately 12 inches apart, when the soil temperature is between 69 ºF and 75 ºF. Mint prefers partly shaded, damp areas and will grow for many years.

How to Grow Mint

How to Grow Mint

Soil

growing mint

growing mint

The soil should be moist and preferably a rich loam with a mixture of sand, silt and clay. You can mix your own in a 40-40-20 concentration, or purchase a premixed garden soil such as a Compressed Organic Potting Soil. The porous texture will allow water to follow through slowly enough for the mint plant to be able to access it. The soil can be dressed liberally with manure or compost for the best results.

Care

Mint needs to be watered regularly, particularly if in a container, but will not suffer from lack of attention and doesn’t require constant sunlight. A good feed of blood, fish and bone should be given twice a year. Mint will die down in the winter, but the roots will remain to provide fresh foliage in the spring.

Troubleshooting

The main problem with mint is that it is likely to take over vast areas of the garden, by sending out roots that are just below the surface. If left unchecked, it can be difficult to remove as it is quicker growing and stronger than all other herbs and can even smother weeds.

For this reason, many people prefer to grow their mint in containers, which can be sunk into the ground for a more natural look. The roots rarely grow below a depth of four inches, so a shallow bowl will be enough for your plant.

Harvest and Storage

Mint establishes itself quite quickly and can be harvested from approximately eight weeks. The fragrant leaves should be cut from the top of the plant, using scissors, to encourage further growth. If you intend drying the mint, the stems should be trimmed once any morning dew has evaporated.

It’s good practice not to cut mint in damp weather, as the leaves often turn black and are inedible. If you intend to dry your mint, it is best to remove any moisture as quickly as possible, preferably by leaving it in a slow oven for several hours, before crumbling the leaves into an air-tight container.

Placed in the right spot in your garden, it makes a pretty, seasonal ground cover, where your feet could brush against it to release the fragrance.

Why not consider growing your own mint to use fresh or dried, adding its distinctive flavor to any dish?

How to Grow Garlic for Healthy and Delicious Meals

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Garlic
growing garlic

growing garlic

Garlic has been cultivated for over 10,000 years and is known not only for the delicious, pungent flavor but has many health-promoting properties. It is relatively easy to grow and is a gardener’s friend, warding off a variety of troublesome pests.

The instantly recognisable aroma of garlic is due to an enzyme called alliinase, which is released when the cloves are cut or pressed. Garlic is known to kill 23 different types of bacteria and has the vitamins A, B and C, giving you another reason to growing mint your own.

These tips should help you cultivate your own growing garlic plant.

  • Soil, Planting and Care
  • Troubleshooting
  • Harvest and Storage

Planting

Garlic is easy to growing mint and is best planted during February and March when the soil temperature is between 35 ºF and 85 ºF (10 ºC and 35 ºC). The plants should be spaced four inches apart. The cloves need to be separated from the bulb and planted individually, pointing upwards, about an inch below the surface.  Growing Garlic bulbs for planting are available at your local home and garden stores, or you can purchase a pre-potted plant here.

Garlic actually benefits from a spell of cold weather, so if your climate is consistently warm, you should put the cloves in the refrigerator for 40 days before planting. Garlic prefers dry soil and plenty of sunshine.

Soil

The soil needs to be free-draining and dry when you plant the garlic; otherwise, the bulbs will rot. If you have heavy soil which retains moisture, you should add lots of compost and sand to open up the earth.

Care

Garlic requires almost no attention during the growing mint season. A good watering in unusually dry periods will help the bulbs to grow evenly. If any flower shoots emerge, they should be removed as they decrease the size of the bulb.

Troubleshooting

Garlic is rarely affected by pests and diseases, and in fact, is reputed to protect roses. In the garden it deters aphids, spider mites, Japanese beetles, and more. It may suffer from white rot, with the first symptoms being the leaves turning yellow and if you dig the bulb up, it will be covered with a white growth. Unfortunately, the spores of this disease can live in the soil for years and if affected, do not use the area for planting garlic, tomatoes, onions or leeks.

Harvest and Storage

Garlic can be harvested from approximately 17 weeks after planting, and both the bulbs and the green shoots can be used for cooking. You should gently remove the topsoil, teasing the bulb and the roots from the ground. The garlic bulbs should be left in the sun, on a dry surface or hung on a line for a few days.

Be careful not to bruise them as they may rot. Once the wrappers around the bulb are dry and papery, they can be stored in a cool, dark place for several months. Contrary to popular belief, garlic should not be kept in a refrigerator.

Not just delicious to eat, raw growing garlic can be rubbed on insect bites to relieve stinging and itching.

Why not plant your own garlic, making full use of its pungent flavor and natural healing properties?

Growing Parsley – A Versatile Herb You Can Grow Yourself

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Parsley
growing parsley

growing parsley

Parsley is one of the most commonly used herbs for culinary purposes and has the most significant number of varieties. The most popular are flat leaf and curly leaf, both of which can be used in cooking or as a garnish. The plant itself is beautiful in a garden and is a cost-effective way to obtain fresh herbs as just two plants can provide enough leaves for a year’s worth of cooking.

This hardy biennial is native to the Mediterranean and has been cultivated for at least two thousand years. The following advice should help you look after growing parsley.

  • Soil, planting and care
  • Troubleshooting
  • Harvest and storage

Planting

Although parsley can only be grown from seed, it is extremely slow to germinate, often taking up to four weeks before the seedlings appear. A tried and tested method to speed up germination is to soak the seeds in warm water for up to 24 hours before planting. Growing parsley can be grown in containers – like this one here – or in the garden between the months of March and May.

It is best planted when the soil temperature is between 10ºC and 30ºC (50º F and 86º F) and should be spaced approximately eight inches apart in the garden. Eventually, it will reach a height of ten inches.

Soil

Parsley prefers moist soil, and it should be dug in well, with a good handful of organic fertilizer mixed into the ground. The soil should be firmed down to remove any air pockets and needs to be thoroughly watered immediately.

Care

Parsley has long tap roots needing a good depth of soil, and you should avoid transplanting it unless absolutely necessary. It needs to be kept well-watered, especially if grown in a pot and benefits from a monthly feed of blood, fish and bone. As a hardy plant, it is capable of surviving snow and light frosts.

Troubleshooting

When fully established, parsley is a vigorously growing plant, needing only to be kept well-watered. It is unlikely to suffer from any pests or diseases but may attract the striped caterpillars of black swallowtail butterflies. Surprisingly, the caterpillars actually help the growing parsley plants to flourish and even provide much-needed fertilizer with their excrement.

Harvest and Storage

You can start harvesting once the plant has a good head of leaves, which can be from nine weeks onwards. You should regularly crop even if you don’t require the leaves, as this leads to further growth. The leaves can be successfully dried and kept in an air-tight container.

Harvesting can continue until the end of the second growing season, at which point the parsley will bloom with white flowers and not produce any more leaves.

Parsley can add flavor to practically any dish, working exceptionally well with vegetables, and it can transform the taste of potatoes. It can be added to a white sauce to serve with ham or fish dishes.

Why not growing parsley and discover for yourself how versatile this flavorsome herb can be?

Tomato Growing Tips For Beginners

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Tomatoes
tomato growing tips for beginners

tomato growing tips for beginners

Tomatoes are an easy plant for most beginning gardeners because they are very low maintenance! Whether you’re looking tomato growing tips for beginners to grow them seeds or seedlings, in a container, a raised bed, or just right in the ground, you’ll find that as long as you have an area with plenty of sunlight then you’re ready to start growing!

Tomatoes will grow in almost any soil type, so not too much outside research is needed to determine the best soil composition for them; however they get the best nutrients from soil compositions that have a pH range of 6.2 – 6.8.  You can purchase a test kit here or at your local home & garden stores. They will also grow in just about any kind of container, as long as it is 18in. – 24in., so as to give the roots plenty of room, and the pot should have drainage holes.

Major requirements for growing this plant in a pot include:

  • The pot should be in a position where it can get at least 6 hours of sunlight a day – tomatoes love sunshine!
  • There should be an inch of room between the soil and the top of the pot in order to add mulch to keep the soil moist, and,
  • Consider putting some sort of wire or trellis around the pot to give the vines some structure to grow on.

How to Grow Tomatoes

When growing tomatoes in the ground or in a raised bed, make sure the plants have enough space – seeds or seedlings should be planted at least 2 – 3ft. apart. Seedlings should be planted with 2/3’s of the stem in the ground to ensure a stronger root (you’ll also want to prune any lower leaves or early blooming flowers to make planting easier). As with potted plants, tomatoes planted in the ground or in raised beds should also be supported with a trellis or stake for the vines (this will also aid in pruning leaves throughout the season).

Once your seedlings have started to sprout, be sure to watch out for caterpillars known as tomato hornworms! These pesky insects eat tomato foliage and can quickly strip your plants. The safest & easiest way to get rid of hornworms is to hand pick them; lightly spray your plants with water to make them more visible and try to pick them twice a day, as they are typically easier to see at dawn and dusk.

Tomato growing tips for beginners, As your tomato plants start to grow, you’ll want to prune them regularly, be sure to remove any budding flowers until the plant is at least 12”-18”, this will give way to a stronger root and an abundant harvest! Speaking of harvesting, tomatoes are an easy plant to harvest as well! Once your fruit reaches a nice deep color, you’ll know it’s ready to pick. But be patient, you don’t want to pick any fruit before it’s ready; with bigger tomatoes the color should be deep and the fruit itself should be a little firm. Keep your harvest stored at room temperature and resist the urge to refrigerate them or else they will go bad.

Towards the end of growing season, prune you plant by removing the growing tip of each main stem about four weeks before the first expected autumn frost, this way the fruit will ripen faster before the frost. Any late harvested fruits before the autumn frost are best used for canning, freezing, or drying recipes.

With these tips in mind, you’re ready to grow varieties big and small, from cherry tomatoes to big boys!