If you are an enthusiast of herbs and want to grow them inside your home, “Herbal Houseplants: Grow Beautiful Herbs Indoors!” (Cool Springs Press, 2021) is a book you really cannot do without. By the way, technically speaking, the difference between herbs and spices is that herbs are grown for their foliage, whether fresh or dried, while spices are grown for their dried and generally crushed seeds, bark, flowers or roots.
Light is the main limiting factor when it comes to growing herbs indoors since they require five to six hours of bright light each day. Attenuated, spindly shoots mean the light is not bright enough. According to author Susan Betz, “an unobstructed window facing south, west, or east is the best place to grow an indoor herb garden. . . Placing a plant just a few feet away from a window will reduce light intensity by up to 50%.” Where insufficient natural light is available, you can still grow herbs by employing “a simple full spectrum grow light with a high level of light output.”
There are a few herbs that can grow well with low indirect sunlight, and mint family members are foremost among them. Here, Betz extols the virtues of Corsican mint (Mentha requienii), which grows into a low mat of tiny leaves, barely reaching one inch in height. “I never grow tired of this plant,” Betz gushes. “If you lightly stroke the leaves, they release an uplifting, enchanting minty aroma.” Orange mint, chocolate mint, and pineapple mint are other favorite mint selections. Betz gives detailed instructions for preparing mint skin toner using peppermint leaves and mint bubble bath from lemon balm (Melissa officinalis).
Betz quotes Alfred Austin who said, “There is no gardening without humility, an assiduous willingness to learn, and a cheerful willingness to confess you were mistaken.” I really think this is the key to success with plants in general and indoor plants in particular. People tend to give up after one or two failures instead of learning from their mistakes and moving forward. Betz’s definition of a green thumb is also important when assessing our fitness for growing plants. “A green thumb,” she writes, “is nothing more than a good understanding of plants and their requirements, plus the time, inclination, and determination to consistently meet those requirements.” Determination in learning what container plants need is absolutely vital since they are completely helpless without us and can decline rather rapidly when their needs are not being met.
Betz discourages the use of plastic or glazed ceramic containers for growing herbs indoors. These containers are touted for keeping soil moist longer than is the case with clay pots. Still, she writes, “Clay pots are preferable for growing herbs indoors…They allow the potting soil to ‘breathe’ because the water slowly evaporates through the sides of the pot, increasing air exchange between the soil and the roots. This means the plants are less apt to have wet feet (roots), which can hinder (or worse!) their growth. What’s more, the moisture evaporation through the porous sides of clay containers is a simple way to raise humidity and moisture in the air surrounding the plant.”
Betz advises spraying herbs once or twice a week to deter insect pests that find air that is hot and dry to their liking. In this regard, grouping indoor plants of any description together is recommended since the loss of water through their leaves during transpiration humidifies the air to the benefit of the entire group. When it comes to soil for growing herbs indoors, Betz recommends a formula consisting of 3 parts potting mix, 1 part coarse sand, 1 part compost, and 1 part perlite.
An entire chapter is devoted to scented-leaf geraniums, of which there are more than 100 varieties, all of which call Southern Africa home. Fertilize them during the growing season with a 15-15-15 (percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) product and, if the product lacks magnesium as a micronutrient, add 1 teaspoon of magnesium sulfate per gallon of water on a monthly basis Propagation is easily done from cuttings. Several cuttings rooted together in a pot make a fragrant gift. A recipe for salad dressing is offered that includes leaves from lemon-scented, apple-scented, rose-scented, and mint-scented geraniums. Recipes for lemon geranium mousse and pomegranate-strawberry geranium sorbet are also featured. (Geraniums are safe to eat, but you should always check to see if a plant is safely edible before trying it.)
“Herbal Houseplants” provides the history of each herb that is discussed as well as information on preserving herbs, creating herbal topiaries from stem cuttings, making herbal teas, and blending a “quick and easy potpourri.” In a section on pest control, Betz recommends the following prescription for the control of aphids, fungus gnats, and spider mites as well as for overall plant health. Mix 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide in a 24-ounce spray bottle. You may wish to occasionally soak the soil with this concoction even where pests are not a problem since hydrogen peroxide both oxygenates and aerates the soil. (Note: hydrogen peroxide has long been used as a soil amendment in the garden to increase oxygen availability to roots and for soil aeration purposes.)
I received several responses to a recent column on palo verde trees, including the following:
I am a kindergarten teacher at Longfellow in Riverside. About three years ago, I applied for a grant to beautify the kindergarten quad. For my little plot, I opted for drought-tolerant plants, including palo verde and lantana. It is humming with bees! The custodian, Mr. Chris Ricker, planted all of the trees and has several veggies growing in other plots. — Yesenia Mejia-Hudson
I have both Parkinsonia praecox (green palo verde) and Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde) in my 40-tree forest. The blue is by far the most decorative one of the two. — Richard Rorex, Apple Valley
In your column featuring the advantages of the palo verde, you did not mention a problem with its roots. Next to our new artificial turf, a palo verde tree was inadvertently planted by our landscaper. In less than three years, it was 15 feet tall. Then the gardener pointed out the speed bumps rising in the turf radiating from the tree. I had the tree removed, but it has made the turf dangerous (I have tripped a few times). I believe you should add a warning to augment your paean to the palo verde. – Lloyd Dent, Northridge
I have never encountered troublesome surface roots on a palo verde tree and hypothesize that water trapped under the artificial turf is the reason for their growth in this case. Normally, a desert tree such as the palo verde has deep roots and would only grow surface roots if water was abundantly available in the topsoil. I would be interested in hearing from others who have may have experienced a similar problem.
And on the subject of tomatoes:
Tiny green caterpillars are eating all the green of our tomato leaves, leaving only the veins. We have a tool shed full of sprays, some of which say not for edibles. Suggestions? – Donald and Carole Jo Wells, Long Beach
Any product that contains BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) should be effective at bringing down those caterpillars and can be safely used on edibles. BT infecting and killing caterpillars is an example of biological control, a practice that utilizes one living organism to prey on another.
To help with yellowing in the plant I add a spoonful of Epsom salt to the hole when planting. And to help with blossom end rot I add 3 Tums to each hole when I plant. The magnesium and calcium seem to really help with the skin texture of the fruit and the moisture absorption for the plant. – Kent Prentice, Rocklin (east of Sacramento)
Tip of the Week: Susan Betz recommends the sea onion (Ornithogalum caudatum) for ornamental and conversation-starting purposes. I have grown this plant – not a true onion although it resembles one — and vouch for its charms. “The bulb is composed of numerous layers of skin and, between these layers, little bulblets, or litters, form. At first, they look like swellings on the side of the bulb and eventually ripen and fall from the parent plant. Repot the bulblets and pass along to friends. This plant is very tolerant of neglect and will only die if overwatered.” Sea onion bulbs are readily available through Internet vendors.
For more information about area plants and gardens, go to Joshua Siskin’s website, thesmartergardener.com. Send questions and photos to Joshua@perfectplants.com.
The Link LonkJune 12, 2021 at 09:23PM
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Everything you need to know about growing an herb garden indoors - OCRegister
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