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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Best Herbs To Start An Herb Garden

Author: Kevin
For an indoor herb garden you should consider planting the best herbs to start an herb garden. To start your herb garden you should choose herbs that are easy to care for and at the same time are very useful. This way your can find success in your efforts and at the same time make the most of what you have grown. There is nothing better than caring for and growing a productive herb garden.

When picking the best herbs to start your herb garden you may want to consider chives. Chives are easy to grow and they are very versatile in the kitchen. The only real demand chives have in an herb garden is that you clip them back often. This so they will not topple over due to their weight from rapid growth. The plants will provide you with many herbs for you to cook and you can even freeze dry for later use.

Thyme is another herb on the list of the best herbs to start an herb garden. Thyme is easy to grow and it is a powerful herb when it comes to flavor. There are several of varieties of thyme to choose from and they are all just as easy to grow. Thyme delivers leaves packed with more flavor the more often you trim them back. Thyme is great for use in savory dished and great to make teas for colds.

Another very versatile herb on the list of the best herbs to start an herb garden is French tarragon. This herb is very useful in dishes made with dairy products and eggs. It is used in winter comfort foods. It is also famous for what it does to enhance dishes made at breakfast and brunch.

On the list of the best herbs to use when starting an herb garden is sweet marjoram. It can be used in any dish where oregano is used. The difference is sweet marjoram does not have the bitterness oregano can sometimes have. Sweet marjoram can add new life to some of the tried and true Italian dishes you enjoy making. Sweet marjoram also offers a different aromatic experience than you receive with oregano.

Sage is a great herb since it is easy to grow and great in several savory dishes such as meat or poultry. Sage can also be used for medicinal purposes. Teas for sore throats and colds can be made from sage. There are many varieties of sage to choose from and they are all easy to grow and use in the kitchen.

Having an herb garden made up of the herbs, which are the best for starting your herb garden, you can expand your cooking experiences. Having all of these herbs at your disposal makes a great reason to look for new recipes you may have never tried or known of before. A simple herb garden can do so much to expand your experiences in cooking. An herb garden can really help you add spice to your life in more ways than one.


Growing Herbs With A Hydroponic System

Author: Kevin
Growing herbs with a hydroponic system is a very good option. Herbs respond well to growing hydroponically for a number of different reasons. Because of the nature of hydroponics, you can choose to grow your herbs indoors or outdoors. If you are growing during the fall or winter moths, it is recommended you plant indoors. No matter what, you are sure to enjoy strong, healthy plants if you follow the right advice for growing herbs with the use of hydroponic methods.

The first thing you need to decide when using hydroponics is whether you are planting indoors or outdoors. Other than the season you are planting in, the considerations you need to make have to do with the amount of rain and moisture that will be in the air. Hydroponic growing environments provide all the water and moisture the plants will need in order to survive. If they are in environments where there is too much moisture in the air, you might over saturate the plant and cause it to die.

The next thing you need to decide is which plants you will be growing in your hydroponic system. It is possible to set up different systems in the same area. Keep in mind most plants will grow better with different nutrient compositions. Growing herbs with a low nutrient content will allow your plants to grow best. If you use a high nutrient content, your plants will not be able to grow correctly. Many of the herbs will require special nutrients in order to grow their best. Basil needs magnesium levels to be at 80 parts per million. Check with the nursery in order to get the right nutrient content for your soil.

If growing indoors, make sure your plants are getting all the light they need. Plants like Basil will need to get at least 8 hours of direct light a day. The recommended amount of light to give your plants will depend on the individual plant. When planting indoors, you can use artificial sun lights in order to control the exact amount of light they get every day. If planting outdoors, make sure the only plants which are exposed to direct sunlight are those which will respond well to it. You can use sunscreens in order to provide shade for those plants that respond better to indirect light.

When growing outdoors, using a greenhouse system is a great way to extend the season for growing. You will not be able to extend the days for the plants that require a lot of light, but being able to retain heat will allow the plants to grow well into the first frost. Greenhouse systems can be as small or as large as you want for them to be. You can easily construct a greenhouse, which is nothing more than glass mounted in wood. When it gets too cold, you can either move plants inside, or harvest and use cuttings in order to replant next year.

Growing herbs with a hydroponic system is a great way to be able to grow without having to worry about soil conditions or pests being able to lay eggs in the soil bed. After your first hydroponic harvest, you may not want to go back to a regular method of growing again. Taste the difference in your herbs in order to decide if you like the results and then decide for future plantings.


Choose Your Herbs For Growing Indoors

Author: Kevin
When choosing herbs for growing indoors, you need to take into consideration the growing climates herbs like to grow in. While most herbs will grow well in the same conditions, there are certain herbs, which will grow better in mild climates. The inside of your home is a mild climate where the air is not too humid and not too dry. The temperature in your home ranges between 68 and 78 degrees for a typical home. There are certain herbs that grow best in these conditions. Finding which ones will help you to grow the best herbs no matter what you are looking to use them for.

Chives are the best herbs for a beginning herb gardener as they can withstand many different growing conditions. The indoor garden is ideal for chives because of the germination temperatures preferred by the plant. Chives prefer a temperature of about 68 degrees when starting out. The indoor garden starts out at room temperature, which is about 72 degrees in most homes. This creates a great environment in which to get your plant started out right. Remember that chives will take over any bed they are planted in, so it is recommended you do not plant them with other herbs.

Thyme is one of the better herbs for growing indoors because of the preference for full light. This is possible by planting in an east or west-facing window. It is also recommended you install an LCD light in the window you are planting your thyme in. This will allow your thyme to get the light it desires even on rainy or cloudy days. Thyme is a Mediterranean plant, so it is no surprise it prefers conditions that are humid. If you live in coastal regions, just open a door every now and again. If you are in dry conditions, you may want to run a humidifier.

Rosemary is a hardy herb, which is a perennial. It will grow in the same bed year after year. The herb is known as a weed in the herb garden world because of how it will take over any bed it is planted in. This makes it perfectly suitable to the indoor garden because you can plant it in it's own pot. This will give the plant all the room it needs in order to grow and keep it from killing out other plants. Make sure you prune the plants often in order to generate new growth.

Basil is one of the herbs for growing indoors many people love to grow. Because of the smell of basil, you will be able to enjoy it even if you do not use it in anything. Because basil is so good for you, it is recommended to use it in fresh dishes where the basil will not be cooked. Planting your basil in a south facing window will give it the exact conditions it needs in order to be able to grow. Make sure you are pulling the bottom leaves in order to encourage new growths on the plant. The more you use, the more your plant will grow.

Once you have chosen your herbs for growing indoors, give them everything they need to grow. You will be able to enjoy them as part of your cooking or in aromatherapy uses. No matter what you are growing the herbs for, you should get some enjoyment out of simply growing them.