Gardening

Re: Herb gardens, etc

Stacy — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:35:12 GMT

Hi Babs, we can get frost any month of the year here, but usually I start watching the weather forcast anytime after the middle of August. If I am on top of things and get out to the garden to cover up the plants that need it, then it's ok. Most plants can stand a light frost. The days are still warm and sunny, so things keep growing. We are far enough north here that we have very short but nice summers. Lots of sunshine. Sunsets at 11:00 pm and sunrise at 3:00 am or so during the summer....of couse in the winter we pay for it, we hardly see the sun! I love our greenhouse, it is family run and only a few miles from me. I would rather support local business and have someone who can answer my questions and is interested in helping me grow a successful garden! I've been trying to get DH to build me a greenhouse, I had one when we lived in town and loved it. It was 10 ft x 12 ft, big enough for some tomato plants and peppers. The people we sold our house to in town tore it down, wish I would have known they were going to do that, I would have found some way to take it apart and bring it with me.

Re: Herb gardens, etc

babs — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 01:23:04 GMT

Stacy, you are blessed with this greenhouse person.. I do believe that places like Walmart just sell plants with no thought about the zone and if they will live. My last frost is usually around mid May. When is your first frost? Ours can be as early as Sept 1st but sometimes as late as end of Oct. Love it when that happens. Babs

Re: Herb gardens, etc

Stacy — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:06:06 GMT

I have chives and garlic chives. I plant dill every year for pickles, I've been thinking about growing more herbs. I don't know if I will plant in the garden or in containers. I am in zone 1b, although my yard is quite sheltered and some things rated for zone 3 grow here. I'm with you guys on being ready for spring, although our last frost here is usually around June 10, there is a lot of things I plant earlier. Potatoes go in first, usually around the middle of May depending on the weather. Almost everything else goes in the end of May. I usually wait until the middle of June to transplant tomatoes and peppers. I will have to talk to our greenhouse and see what herbs will grow here. I have always bought bedding plants and perrenials from our local greenhouse, she will only sell things that are suitable to our climate. We have apple, cherry and plum trees that all produce wonderful fruit. Last year she had pear trees in her greenhouse and when I asked her about them she said they are not for sale - yet. Her supplier told her that they will do well in our climate, so she bought some to try, but would not sell until she was satisfied that they would. I hope they do, I would love to have homegrown pears. Her prices are higher than Walmart, but her care and expertise are well worth it! Sorry, I kind of got off the subject of herbs.

Re: Herb gardens, etc

Pat — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:15:25 GMT

I grow dill every year and save a few seeds for the next year, but enough usually escapes harvest that it reseeds itself.

I'd really like to try sesame. I wonder if the seed from the grocery store will germinate? Think I'm going to try.

Re: Herb gardens, etc

suzin — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:15:53 GMT

I've had chives in a container for several years...it just keeps coming back....I plant sweet basil every year.....horseradish grows every year and spreads, and if you want to get rid of it, it's hard to kill out......I plant dill every year to use for making dill pickels....mint grows every year and spreads....just planted thyme last year, but don't know much about harvesting it yet, it's supposed to be a perineal....I grow winter onions and winter garlic (they grow every year)....planted some oregano and parsley a few years back, but it wasn't very good, gave up on it.....that's about all the herb types I do....

Re: Herb gardens, etc

babs — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:21:47 GMT

I will add....Basil. I freeze the leaves, dry it and make pesto to freeze. It is a good investment for me. One of my favorite herbs. Babs

Re: Herb gardens, etc

babs — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:20:38 GMT

I had forgotten about parsley. I havent grown that for a couple of years. My friend always gives me some. Babs

Re: Herb gardens, etc

Melbo19 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:18:35 GMT

Pat,

I have two little pots of basil and a pot of (dying) parsley. The basil is holding on...I need to move it to larger pots.

And Babs,

I killed my Chives:(.

Re: Herb gardens, etc

CharlieB — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:18:28 GMT

I've never grown sesame, caraway or fennel for that matter, although I'd like to. I did grow (in the garden) cilantro/coriander two summers ago - it reseeded and came up on it's own all over last summer! Dill also reseeded. Garlic chives in the garden are bad reseeders if I don't lop off the flower heads once they start dying back. I'm thinking about removing them.

Interesting about radishes and spinach growing indoors, Pat. I'll have to try that. My lettuce plants are in front of the sliding glass doors (west facing). With all this snow, even though it's cloudy, there is pretty bright light.

Re: Herb gardens, etc

Pumpkin390 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:48:39 GMT

Hi everyone, Just thought I'd pass on this little tip I've picked up about chives. You know how they kinda are hard to keep upright and collapse into the soil. Well, you can get a butter bowl or something like that, cut the bottom out and plant your seeds within the limits of the ring in a container or plot. This keeps them from hanging down and are easier to handle when cutting.

I am chomping at the bit to get my hands dirty!

Re: Herb gardens, etc

Pat — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:47:09 GMT

Has anyone grown sesame?

Re: Herb gardens, etc

Pat — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:42:36 GMT

I grew chocolate mint in a pot but I set it at the edge of a tiny plot where I grow odds and ends. It escaped by running over the pot and got hold of the soil, now I have tons of it to pull out each year. I like to make tea with it in the winter so I don't try to get rid of it altogether. I'd like ot grow spearmint.

It gets pretty cold here (Colorado), but the little patch is close to the house and protected from the worst weather, so things sometimes overwinter very well there.

Re: Herb gardens, etc

Pat — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:38:24 GMT

Ok, thanks, Babs. I'll wait and see, then. (Not that it's time for them to come up, but it will be soon.)

Re: Herb gardens, etc

Edey — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:36:12 GMT

I've grown mint in big pots on the patio and they've done well as long as I don't forget to water every day during the summer. My favorite was chocolate mint. Just brushing against it smelled wonderful. Right now all that is growing is chives and sage, neither of which died out for winter, but then our coldest night has only been about 34 degrees. They both are in a big 4x8 planter. I had alysum grow all winter; I thought it was an annual. That is a heavenly smelling plant, it smells like honey all the time. It isn't an herb as far as I know. Edey

Re: Herb gardens, etc

babs — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:04:15 GMT

Pat, Chives come up really early. They may jus pop through all that soil. If they dont, then I would dig them up and try moving them. Babs