Page 3 - 2014 Spring Home and Garden - Gresham Outlook

March 2014 The Outlook, Sandy Post, Estacada News
SPRING HOME & GARDEN C3

GROW YOUR OWN HERBS fOR

Herbs can be grown
AESTHETICS AND FLAVOR

indoors or outside

By BEVERLY CORBELL
Pamplin Media Group
Parsley, in the
Growing your own two pots at
kitchen herbs, right, is one of the most
whether indoors or outdoors, may in- common and
spire you to be a more cre- ative cook, says gardener and versatile herbs, with a light
author Marie Iannotti in an peppery lavor that
article for about.com.
“Herbs used for cooking complements
and seasoning can be incorpo- rated into your existing lower other seasonings.
or vegetable beds, grown sep-
arately near the kitchen door or kept handy on the kitchen STAFF PHOTO: JIM CLARK
counter,” she wrote.
But how to do it? It’s easy,
according to experts.
Iannotti writes that the two most important consider-
ations when growing kitchen herbs is to harvest at full la-
vor (just before the plant low-
ers) and never use any fertil- izer or pesticide that’s not la-
beled for edible plants.
Whether you start with seeds, cuttings or buying a
small plant, herbs should be planted in rich soil that drains
well.
Ross Penhallegon, horticul- turist with the Oregon State
University Extension Service, offers a few tips for growing
kitchen herbs:
■ Do not over-fertilize herbs. The essential oils that
provide lavor are more con- centrated when herbs are
grown in moderately rich soil best to grow them in a planter Miller suggests seven herbs basil has a more distinct anise cooking.
ble.
with just enough fertilizer to keep them green. Too much or pot.
Indoor herb gardens are best for an easy kitchen container garden: parsley, chives, rose- flavor and is often used in soups, stews, stir fries and cur- ■ Mint. Although more com-
monly associated with sweet ■ Chives. Chives add a lavor
similar to onion without the
makes the plant grow large, planted in late summer or fall, mary, thyme, sage, marjoram ry pastes.
treats, mint lends its cooling, bite. Plus, their slender tube-
rangy and less flavorful. Be careful when adding compost according to OSU Extension specialist Weston Miller, who and winter savory. Parsley is a biennial, not a perennial, he ■ Parsley. One of the most common and versatile herbs peppery bite to plenty of sa- vory dishes. Fresh mint is per- like appearance looks great as a garnish either snipped and
or manure as well, and use moderate amounts.
offers the following advice:
“When you’re taking care of said, but it can be transplanted into pots in the fall for winter used in Western cooking, pars- ley has a light peppery lavor fect for summer-fresh salads, to liven up a sauce and or to sprinkled or laid elegantly across a plate. Add these deli-
■ Plant herbs in well- your new herbs, don’t forget and spring harvest.
that complements other sea- brew fragrant teas.
cate herbs at the very end to
drained soil. Poorly drained soil inhibits healthy root sys- the most common killer of houseplants: not enough water. For a kitchen garden, Miller wrote, you could pack in up to a sonings. It’s most often used in sauces, salads and sprinkled ■ Rosemary. With a pun- gent flavor, rosemary’s spiky maximize their color and la- vor. Crumbled purple chive
tems, causes stress and invites insect and disease problems.
To monitor the thirstiness of your plants, poke your inger half dozen plants in a pot that is 18 inches long and 6 to 8 inch- over dishes at the end of cook- ing for a lash of green and a leaves can be used fresh or dried for cooking in soups, blossoms are more pungent and can be a beautiful addition
■ Trim back perennial into the soil once every 3-4 es deep.
fresh taste.
meats, stews or sauces.
to a salad.
herbs such as oregano and thyme when they get woody days. If the soil feels dry, it is time to water.
“After the herbs are estab- lished, harvest by cutting them ■ Cilantro is one of the world’s most popular herbs. ■ Thyme. One of the most popular herbs in American and To learn more about growing herbs, log onto http://exten-
stems. Sage should be pruned annually. Tender new growth “It’s also good to keep an eye on pests, as indoor herbs are with scissors. Place pots on a windowsill or build a shelf or Many people are addicted to its bright refreshing lavor, and it’s European cooking, thyme can be paired with nearly any kind sion.oregonstate.edu/garden- ing, the site of the OSU Exten-
has the most lavor, but older, more susceptible to aphids and rack by a window. Add nutri- a staple of Latin and Asian
of meat, poultry, ish or vegeta-
sion Service.
tougher growth that is trimmed off is great for use when barbe- white lies. On rain-free winter days, place pots outside for a ents to the potting soil as you pot the plants with organic or
cuing. By trimming herbs of- ten, the plants also look more couple of hours to lower the pest risk and squash aphids if synthetic complete fertilizer,” he said.
attractive, with plenty of new they start to multiply under- But once you’ve planted,
leaves.
■ Leaves are the most la- neath the leaves of the herbs,” Miller wrote. “After the herb grown and harvested herbs, how can they enhance your
vorful before the plant blooms. plants mature and grow too big cooking? Here are a few clues
Remove the blossoms of sweet basil plants to make the plant for the pot the following spring, transplant them to your out- suggested by the Food Network at foodnetwork.com:
grow bushier, with more leaves. If the herb has already doors garden at a spacing of about 18 to 24 inches apart and ■ Sweet basil pairs naturally with tomatoes, but it
bloomed, pick the younger side enjoy their appetizing aromas can be used with almost every
shoots.
“If you’re growing herbs for all year.”
type of meat or seafood. Asian
seeds such as fennel, caraway, cilantro or dill, pick the seeds
when they look brown and al-
most ripe and you won’t lose seeds,” Penhallegon said. “Let SKIPPER & JORDAN NURSERY 4742
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