Moss update: after the post on Wallyhood about moss, there were two more mossy articles – one in the Seattle Times, and one in the NY Times. However, we can proudly say that Wallingford residents had their fingers on the pulse (also Ciscoe, who mentioned moss in his column on the same day) because our moss articles came out first!
Marina writes:
Could you write a beginner’s guide to growing herbs (ideally on a porch) here? Are some herbs better than others to grow here? Where can we buy herb seedlings locally?
Herbs in containers are good for beginners, Marina! What good timing – I see that the Tilth edible plant sale is coming up on May 7-8, they will have herbs AND people available to help with beginners’ questions. You can hardly do better than that.
To grow good plants, you need to match your growing conditions to the plants’ needs. If you don’t have full sun, pick the ones that do better in part sun (you must have sun for several hours a day to avoid lanky plants).
Your container needs to be large enough so the plants don’t cook – the root zone will heat up quickly in a pot.
Choose the herbs you like to eat or look at – some are very ornamental. Many are perennial – those can be cut back by about 2/3 after they bloom to keep them looking fresh.
Some herbs are easier if you start with plants. But it’s fun and instructive to start some seeds too. All the steps to seed propagation would be too involved for this post, but the important things, briefly are:
- Fresh, good quality seed. This is important for quicker and higher germination. Territorial Seed Co. specializes in seeds adapted to our climate. They’re available mail order and in garden centers locally.
- Germinate the seed indoors where you can keep an eye on the seedlings.
- Warmth – to avoid rot and get speedy germination, 68 to 70 degrees for most seeds, unless instructions say otherwise.
- Strong light to avoid floppy weak plants prone to death. A fluorescent bulb about 4” above the pot will do the trick. Or, immediately after they sprout, put them outdoors in the daytime; bring them in at night, out during the day, etc., till time to transplant. By then they will be used to the outdoors (‘hardened off’, in the parlance).
- Transplant them when they have one or two sets of leaves. They will recover faster.
- Use a soil mix specifically for containers that drains well and has some compost for fertility. Many herbs don’t need additional fertilizer, but you may need to fertilize the heavier feeders a couple times a month with a weak fertilizer solution; these are usually the ones with a lot of soft foliage like parsley or basil.
- A well-drained mix in a hot location will need to be watered every day, but in a cold, wet summer, or a shady location, much less. Mulching the surface will help keep the moisture in the soil. Poke a hole a few inches down to see if the root zone is moist before you water. A little drying between watering is best.
chives
Some herbs that are pretty easy from seed:
- Chives (flowers and leaves are edible and attractive)
A few choices for plants to buy:
- Basil
- Parsley, flat-leaved Italian or the curly ones (biennial – will bloom the second year)
- Spearmint or peppermint (moisture-loving, perennial, will spread – grow alone or with something vigorous) It will take some shade without complaining
Two flowers that are also herbs I like:
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) Perennial, nice upright flowers that beneficial insects, like hover flies, are attracted to. It likes full sun, but will still stay upright in partial sun or a bit of shade. It grows 3+ feet tall, so it can have it’s own container. Can be used for licorice-flavored tea.
Sweet Alysum. (Lobularia maritima) hardy annual, makes a great little border or something to spill over the edge of your pots. Beneficials like the nectar so you’ll have some insect watching while you sit on your porch. It reportedly has a peppery taste; it’s in the mustard family.