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Post by spindrift on Jul 24, 2009 12:26:16 GMT
If you want new mint to grow from the base - please prune the mint i.e. cut off the high plant growth.
Mint - a mistake - I planted mine in too small a pot and it doesn't like it and is now a sorry specimen.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2009 13:45:59 GMT
I know that the mint in my mom's garden flourishes like anything, but when I tried growing it, it just didn't take. I guess I'm just not a very good gardener.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2009 15:14:46 GMT
Mint should be whacked back right around flowering time. They get tired and don't withstand high temperatures at that stage of growth. Use some sharp scissors and cut down to about 6 inches. Should revive itself after a brief rest.You can try and root some of the cut pieces in water or dry and save for future use as a tea or in cooking.
My grandmother told me that you should ALWAYS plant or transplant mint on an overcast day. I have adhered to this simple rule and it has held true. Others I've told about it confirm.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 24, 2009 15:20:34 GMT
I like to pull up a few of the runners of healthy mint occasionally and plant them separately from the parent plant "just in case". This also gives some more root room to the parent.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2009 16:51:18 GMT
Okay, I'll whack it. I might put a few stems in a glass of water to get some new plants and try them in a different pot in a few weeks.
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2011 17:20:02 GMT
I have to get back to growing mint.
My dill crop seems to be already past its prime. I'm thinking that if I cut the good stuff and freeze it in a bag, it should be good for quite some time, right?
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Post by rikita on May 21, 2011 18:02:47 GMT
i have some parsley that i bought as a plant, but so far it keeps being small and somehow not enough to even dare eat any of it. i hope it grows soon. i had another plant before going to india that got really nice and big - btw, learned just now in this thread that it has a two-year life-span, so now at least i know why my old parsley plant at some point suddenly died...
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Post by bjd on May 21, 2011 18:23:30 GMT
I used to grow parsley but for the past few years the lady I buy my vegetables from at the market gives me a bunch for free every week.
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2011 18:29:20 GMT
I agree. Free parsley for all should be added to the constitution.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2011 20:38:26 GMT
This spring's dill is going to seed again before I was able to use much. However, I will let it finish its cycle because I don't want to rip up any plant that is still doing something. I may even save the seeds this time. Frankly, I enjoy growing dill plants more than actually using them.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 20, 2011 20:56:00 GMT
Kerouac, try cutting off all the flower heads. You can cook with them & the plant might make more leaves.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 20, 2011 23:07:01 GMT
This was the OP to the original "Herbs & Aromatics" thread: I thought that maybe we could trade advice on this subject, particularly on what is easy to grow and what isn't worth the bother.
My mint plants are shooting up and getting ready to bloom. Is this the end of the mint then, or will new plants grow from the base? If anyone is confused ~~ Two threads have been merged. The Parsley thread had segued into a discussion of all herbs. There was another thread called Herbs & Aromatics that had dropped into oblivion. But its title and inclusiveness were perfect for the erstwhile "parsley" thread, so now they are one.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2011 5:14:19 GMT
Ah, that's the one I was looking for and couldn't find!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2011 13:12:13 GMT
Fabulous idea!!!!! All my dill,cilantro,fennel and the like are kaput with all the record heat we started getting June 1st. Borage and lovage which would have tided over a bit longer also bit the dust. (in addition to the heat we have suffered an 11 week drought.) Let's see what I have going on......basil,both Sweet Genovese and Thai, a few varieties of thyme,sage,chives,lemongrass,tagetes,patchouli,vetiver,rue(although piqued looking lately ),my giant rosemary (which seems to withstand all conditions),nepeta for the kitties. I may think of some others I forgot.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 21, 2011 14:34:40 GMT
I purchased an Oregano plant a couple of weeks ago. It is doing fine sitting in front of the kitchen window! This week I hope to buy a chive and a basil plant and then put them all in one of my gardens near the house. I BBQ a lot of fish in the summer so it will be nice to have some fresh herbs to put on them! Too bad I cannot grow a lemon tree, then it would be perfect. Cheers, Mich
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 21, 2011 16:03:06 GMT
Mich, you might be able to grow a dwarf lemon in a pot, so that it can be taken into the garage for winter protection. Casimira definitely knows about citrus, although others may have input about growing it where the winters are really cold. There is nothing nicer than live herbs right at hand. Mmm, fish -- think about some dill and some fennel, too. Also, think about lemon-scented herbs: lemon basil, lemon grass, lemon thyme, lemon balm ....... really, a specialty garden could be made of lemon-scented herbs alone. www.herbcompanion.com/gardening/grow-these-lemon-scented-plants.aspxCharlie & I bought fennel plants at the same time. Mine is now shaded out by the loquat tree & pitiful. Hers is a 7' lush monster that she has to keep whacking back. My oregano, a mild local variety, is doing rampantly well. I had to raise a bed for the mint, which had to compete too hard for water under the loquat. It and the parsley would both like nicer, loamier soil. I also have thyme, basil, sage, rosemary, & lemon verbena. Those last two really have to be kept in check. The lemon verbena is such an ungainly plant, but smells as wonderful as anything in the world. Oh, I recently finally acquired a Tagetes lucida. It's a Mexican native, but always sold only by herbalists & sans roots. One of my lovely vendors got one started & made me a gift of it. Oh yeah, I also have hierba de borracho growing. It has a strong, sharp, clean mint scent and may or may not be a satureja. I'm still trying to correctly identify it. That's a regular-size beer bottle in the foreground, to give an idea of scale. I've never seen it growing in the wild, but it must get up to at least 2' and gets covered with small, tubular bright red flowers.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2011 16:47:26 GMT
Oh!!! Most definitely you could grow a lemon of most any variety in a pot Mich. As a child growing up in N.Y. we had one.You can put it outside in the more temperate months and haul it inside to a sunny room for the winter months. The Meyer Lemon is the most cold tolerant,it can withstand temperatures down to 32F however,not for long periods of time. As far as size goes,you can purchase either a miniature variety,or,control the growth rate yourself with judicious pruning. Pruning time is critical though,always right after a harvest,before the plant starts to put out new blooms. You can order one from these folks. I've done business with them for many, many years. If you have any more questions on this,please feel free to ask Mich. www.logees.com/I forgot all about the variety of mints I also have growing,and also some oregano,a Greek variety. Melissa officianale,Lemon Balm yes!!! Have tons of it. Lemon verbena will not grow here and it makes me crazy..... Your new acquisition sounds very,very cool Bixa. I will ask my guru in Georgia who helped us ID some other stuff,if she knows what it is. She got a position with the Atlanta Botanical Gardens since the last time we consulted with her.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 21, 2011 18:51:38 GMT
Thank you Casi, I never thought that I could do it that way, I will have to search this and see if I can get one from the Nursery. Cheers, Mich
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Post by mich64 on Jun 21, 2011 19:02:28 GMT
Thanks to you to Bixa! I have an 8 foot patio door facing south, so I think I could keep in indoors successfully.
I have an herb question, my mother is growing a Russian Sage plant, she thinks it's just a decorative sage, but I do not know, it looks edible to me has anyone heard of this type of Sage?
Cheers, Mich
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jun 21, 2011 19:57:48 GMT
www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/3344954/How-to-grow-Russian-sage.htmlI'm not familiar with Russian Sage, it does look beautiful but I couldn't find any info about whether it's edible. Another herb that looks beautiful and is quite easy to grow is lemon grass...if you buy some in a supermarket and it looks fresh...pop it either in some damp compost or in a glass of water until it roots. It isn't hardy in the UK but after a year or so in a pot on a windowsill it can look amazing. It's easy from seed too.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 21, 2011 20:25:21 GMT
Leaving the Russian sage question to Casimira, as I know she's grown it. I'm pretty sure it's only ornamental, though. Looking forward to pics of you in the bbq apron next to your herb garden & lemon tree, Mich! When I lived in the US, lemon grass could be found in some nurseries, so maybe in Canada, too. It would probably be better the way you describe it, Cheery, as it gets out of control in this climate. Thanks so much, Casimira. I'd really love to know what it is. It's not S. mexicana because the leaves aren't right, although it has that type & color of flower, albeit smaller, and the same habit of growth. Ditto S. oaxacana, although those two might be the same plant. I am going to go through all of these pages: www.lookfordiagnosis.com/images.php?term=Satureja&lang=3&from=48&from2=24 to see if I can spot it.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 21, 2011 21:09:02 GMT
Forgot I also have epazote --a weed in my yard, chives, rue, & feverfew. No cilantro at the moment, although seeds were just planted to welcome the rainy season.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2011 10:27:35 GMT
'Russian sage' is not a true sage,it is not in the same plant genus,salvia,as the culinary sage we know and love. Therefore,the confusion that is created when plants are given a common name. Russian sage is Perovskia atriplicifolia,and while the plant's flowers are edible,and,the leaves can be used smoked,like tobacco for some purported euphoric properties as well as having some medicinal properties,it is not a culinary plant per say. It is a beautiful herbaceous perennial grown for it's ornamental use in the garden. It's too humid and wet to grow here in NOLA,I have tried. Although,with our almost 12 week drought here,this would have been the year to give it a try again. This was one of my mother's favorite perennials. (We used to always giggle that it was really Polish,not Russian.... )
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Post by mich64 on Jun 22, 2011 12:22:08 GMT
Well thank you very much Casi, this information I will pass on to my mother before she thinks she can cut off a few pieces to put in with her next roast! It is a very pretty plant though and does add texture to her garden. Cheers, Mich
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Post by bjd on Jun 22, 2011 12:59:25 GMT
I have one in my garden -- it has been there for years and tends to spread. Of course, it doesn't stand up as well as the one in Casi's photo, maybe because it's sort of covered by bushes and other stuff. I cut it back completely every year and it smells nice then. Never thought of eating it though.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2011 17:09:26 GMT
Okay, I bought a bunch of mint recently and saved four vigorous sprigs to get them to sprout some roots so that I can plant them. I put them in a small glass of water and so far so good. Little roots are emerging, the big leaves fell off but new little leaves are appearing. Does anybody know how long I must wait before I dare to plant them in a pot? It's only been a week so far. I seem to recall that mint likes as much water as you can give it, so I suppose the pot should be kept as damp as possible?
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Post by tod2 on Jul 29, 2011 18:02:03 GMT
Yes Kerouac, mint when planted outside is more likely to do well when planted under a dripping tap. I can only give you a tip about 'rooting hormone powder' which you can buy at any florist or garden shop. Usually three different kinds: One for soft wood (like mint) one for harder stems and then one for very woody stems. You can add a pinch to the water or do what I do and simply dip the end thats rooting into the powder and plant it straight into the soil. This stuff gives it a mega boost. I also think you should keep it in a pot that has a 'saucer' at the bottom - usually pour water into the saucer and let it soak it up. Of course no drying out!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 30, 2011 14:35:13 GMT
That is really good advice, Tod. However, a lack of rooting powder won't stop mint or basil or many of the other square-stemmed herbs.
I usually skip the step of rooting them in water first, & simply stick the cuttings directly into wet soil. Keep it damp & in a bright but not sunny place. Pretty quickly you'll see some new leaves starting at the top, indicating that they have rooted.
To give the cuttings a little extra boost, it's good to cover them loosely with plastic & keep them shaded for the first day or so.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2011 18:23:59 GMT
Well, I am probably going to move to step two tomorrow, without rooting powder (which I have never heard of). No risk of any plants seeing the sun in Paris.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 14, 2011 22:55:34 GMT
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