|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Guide to Growing Professional Culinary Herbs |
Guide to Growing Anise |
|
Guide to Growing Basil |
|
Guide to Growing Caraway |
|
Anise is most commonly used as a flavor in sweets and confections |
|
|
Basil is a member of the mint family. Has a pungent flavor that some describe as a cross between licorice & cloves. |
|
|
Caraway seeds are often added to breads, cakes, soups, ect., to add a
distinct and pungent flavor. |
|
Guide to Growing Cardamom |
|
Guide to Growing Garlic Chives |
|
Guide to Growing Cumin |
|
Cardamom adds a uniquely sweet quality to many commercial beverages and other products. |
|
|
Similar to chives, but with a decidedly garlicky nuance, both in aroma and flavor. |
|
|
The seeds of cumin are believed to be the second most popular spice in the world. |
|
Guide to Growing Epazote |
|
Guide to Growing Fenugreek |
|
Guide to Growing Lemon Grass |
|
Epazote is used in many traditional Mexican dishes including tamales, salsa, and enchiladas. |
|
|
Fenugreek leaves can make a flavor addition to salads or other raw dishes or dried and used with meat or poultry. |
|
|
Lemon Grass is most commonly added to curries, soups broths or as a tea. |
|
Guide to Growing Lovage |
|
Guide to Growing Mint |
|
Guide to Growing Mustard |
|
Lovage is a hardy perennial herb has an odor and taste that are often compared to parsley and celery. |
|
|
Mint makes an excellent tea, and adds flavor to many foods. It is also very good for digestive problems. |
|
|
This green adds a peppery zing to salads, and makes
an attractive addition to ornamental plantings.
|
|
Guide to Growing Onions |
|
Guide to Growing Peppers |
|
Guide to Growing Peppercorns |
|
A cool-season biennial, the onion is grown for its edible bulbs and fit well in ornamental plantings.
|
|
|
The many varieties of sweet and hot peppers thrive on full sun, warm weather and well-drained soil.
|
|
|
Black Peppercorn is the worlds most commonly used spice, pairing with salt on dinner tables. |
|
Guide to Growing Safflower |
|
Guide to Growing Salad Burnet |
|
Guide to Growing Savory |
|
Safflower was once used as less expensive replacement for Saffron. |
|
|
Salad Burnet is commonly used in salads & dressings, where it reminds some of cucumber. |
|
|
Savory is used in place of Sage to flavor various meat and poultry dishes. |
|
Guide to Growing Sesame |
|
Guide to Growing Sorrel |
|
Guide to Growing Sunflower |
|
From bagels to sushi, these tiny seeds add a richness and texture that simply cannot be duplicated. |
|
|
Sorrel is most commonly used to impart flavor to soups, salad, and fish in French cuisine. |
|
|
Sunflower seeds are
delicious fresh, dried or pressed into oil. A hardy
and quick grower. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some tips on culinary herbs:
Starting Herb Seeds
Herb seeds may require more care and patience than other types of seeds. We recommend starting all culinary herbs indoors in flats or small containers some weeks prior to the final frost of spring to make best use of sometimes rare and often expensive seeds. When sowing, use between 1-3 seeds per hole unless seeds are prone to low germination rates. Too many starts growing together can be difficult to separate later and both may show impaired development. If you do have 2 or more starts growing in close together, thin down to one and replant (or comsume) extra sprouts. After sowing cover flat (or container) with clear plastic lid or plastic wrap to retain moisture until seeds have started to germinate and poke through the soil-medium.
Soil for Herb Seeds
Do not use garden soil or other soil from your yard to start culinary herbs. Such mediums may not be sterile and can be often contain mold or fungus which can be detrimental to germination seeds and young starts. Common soil may also contain excessive amounts of clay, which will not allow for proper drainage.
Always use a sterilized, organic potting medium that is rich in nutrient content yet offers good drainage. Your medium should be of a fine, rather than a coarse consistency, to ensure good seed-soil contact that will deliver the necessary moisture for germination. Keep your soil moist, especially prior to germination, and be gentle when watering so as not to disturb your seeds, especially tiny seeds which may be sown at a very shallow depth or on top of the soil. A spray bottle, saturated paper towel, or very gentle water can may be the best bet in such cases.
Planning your Herb Garden
When planning your culinary herb garden, find a convenient spot near your home so your herbs are close at hand come dinner time. Unless you are drying your herbs for future use, use them as soon as possible after collecting. For best flavor and to discourage wilting, try to harvest your culinary herbs early in the morning or later in the day away from the intensity of the mid-day sun.
Transplanting your Herbs
Transplant outdoors once the average date of the final frost of the spring has passed. Most starts will be ready for transplanting with the appearance of their first (or second) set of true leaves, not to be confused with cotyledons, the first leaf-like structures to appear. If starting in flats or shallow containers, do not wait too long to transplant as the roots can become stifled in the bottom of your container and inhibit development and growth later on.
For best results, gradually 'harden' plants for outdoor transplanting by exposing in increasing amounts of sunlight and outdoor conditions, but do not leave containers outdoors overnight if concerned about spring freeze. Try to transplant on a cloudy overcast day to minimize the possibility of immediate shock from sunlight and heat.
Maintaining your Herb Garden
Annual herbs cultivated for the leaves, such as Basil, Cilantro and Dill should be replanted every four to six weeks during the growing season to ensure a steady supply of herb. Perennial herbs, including Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme, Sage and others many need special attention at the beginning and end of the season, including: pruning for better airflow or to promote optimum growth, mulching to protect the root structures in winter months, and cutting back in preparation for cool season.
|