growing herbs for beginners module 1.pdf

Module 1

Growing Herbs For Beginners

8 Easy Weeks To Growing Your Own Herbs!

By Rhonda Daniels

The Relaxed Herb Grower

www.GrowingHerbsForBeginners.com

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© 2009 Copyright BahHumbug!LLC-Growing Herbs For Beginners -Rhonda Daniels ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: No part of this publication or any in the course shall be

reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or recording means, or otherwise, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written,

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DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: The information presented herein represents the view of the author as of the date of publication. Because of the rate with which new information emerges, the author

reserves the right to alter and update her opinions. The course is for educational purposes only. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided, the author and her affiliates/partners

assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. Any perceived slights of people or products are unintentional. If advice concerning legal or related matters is needed, the services of a fully qualified professional should be sought. This course is not intended for use as a source of professional or commercial growing advice. You should be aware of any laws in your county and state which govern the

use of any chemicals or pesticides you may wish to use. Any reference to any persons, products, or businesses is coincidental.

Foreword

Welcome to Module 1

I’m so glad you are here!

I really hope you will enjoy the course. I love being able to share it with you :)

If you have problems downloading a lesson, or have a question, please email us

at: [email protected]

Let’s jump right in and get into some of the things you need

to know about herbs, and plants in general. Some of what we’ll cover in this module includes:

Uses for Herbs

Types of herb gardens Life cycles of plants

Soils and potting mixes Choosing pots and lots more

Ready? Let’s GO!

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Module 1

Herb Uses

Herbs are valued for their flavors, fragrances and their medicinal actions

Herbs Have Always Been Used for Their Fragrance or Scent

In past times they were used for “strewing.” People would gather rushes and add sweet smelling herbs to cover the floors.

The herbs would add a nice scent to help mask the unpleasant odors of

both houses and great halls alike. After all, when you tossed your garbage on the floor things could get smelly pretty fast!

Today we still make sachets, herb wands, and potpourris with fragrant herbs.

Herbs are used for crafting, in dried arrangements, wreaths and fresh bouquets.

Today people grow herbs for many purposes

Herbs are used for teas, for medicines, and for flavoring foods. Culinary herbs have

been used as long as there have been cooks.

Did you know that herbs were used to flavor food long before salt was widely available?

By learning to grow herbs, you can grow your own teas, fragrances, and medicines.

You can grow herbs for cooking, and crafting. For people that spin and weave, or want to dye cloth, there are dyers herbs.

Even butterfly lovers can grow herbal butterfly gardens.

The best part? You don’t have to pick just one type of garden!

Lots of herbs cross these “garden boundaries” and have several different uses, like Peppermint. It not only smells great, but it can be used in potpourris and sachets.

Peppermint also makes a nice soothing cup of tea.


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Module 1

What are Herbs?

According to Merriam-Webster an herb is:

A seed producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not produce persistent woody tissue

and dies down at the end of a growing season.

So what does that mean?

Herbs do not develop true bark– like a tree or shrub.

Herbs have tender tissues which are the stems and foliage.

Some herbs may develop a harder tissue that appears to be bark, but really isn’t.

Tip: Rosemary is one of these plants. It does not like to have these tougher tissues cut into when being pruned.

The life cycle of each herb varies from plant to plant

An annual herb completes it’s life cycle in one growing season. It starts as a seed, sprouts, grows, flowers, produces it’s own seeds, and dies within in one growing season.

A biennial herb takes two years to complete it’s life cycle. It sets down roots and produces

leafy growth the first year. In the second year it flowers, sets seeds, and dies.

A perennial herb lives for several years. The tender tops may die back in the winter but the plant will produce new growth each year from the roots.


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Module 1

Dirt and Soil

Is there a difference?

Dirt is what you get on clean clothes. It’s what you get under your nails.

It’s that smudge on your nose.

Soil is what plants grow in.

Unless you are into Hydroponics, growing plants usually requires soil.

Soils are comprised of different layers or horizons.

The very top layer is the organic layer.

It is called the “O” layer. It is just a few inches deep.

It’s made up of dead and decomposing leaves, plant and animal materials, or what is called humus.

Beneath that layer is another horizon commonly called top soil

It is also known as the “A” layer.

There is loads of activity in this layer. Many critters live in this horizon including

worms, insects (like ants and beetles) protozoa, bacteria, wormy little nematodes, and even small animals like moles.

Beneath these top two soil horizons there are deeper horizons. Each has it’s own properties, or materials it is made up of.

For now we’ll stick with the top two horizons where our plants do their growing!




Garden soil is just dandy for your herb plants

If you have the room and want an outdoor herb garden, planting seeds in the garden is great.

Don’t go too crazy at first!

Starting with a small herb garden is wise and easier to keep up.

People that go overboard lose interest when the garden upkeep is overwhelming.

Ask me how I know this.

OK, I admit it. I did that very thing when I first started herb gardening. I bought nearly EVERY herb.

In the late summer when the weeds were knee high and it was so hot, I gave up. Fortunately many of the herbs came back the next spring and I had a better handle on things.

I learned to grow the herbs I really liked, and I got rid of the ones I wasn’t crazy about.

Your growing area should be free of weeds

Your first job will be to clear an area and loosen up the soil a bit so your seedlings will get a good start.

Weeds compete for nutrients in the soil and will kill off your herbs.

Baby plants don’t stand a chance against aggressively growing weeds!

Tip: You can clear off grass by laying down lots of thicknesses of newspaper over the area you want to clear.

Weigh them down and water them. Leave them for a week or two. Check underneath the

papers after a week. The grass beneath the newspaper should be starting to die off. Leave the newspaper for another week if the grass hasn’t started to turn yellow or brown yet.

The old newspaper trick makes it lots easier to strip grass away

so you can till or loosen up the soil!

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What Exactly Does Soil Do?

Soil is where your plants anchor themselves.

Soil furnishes air for plant roots.

Soil provides nutrients for your plants.

Soil supplies water to your plants.

While we won't go into soil compositions, your plants need all of these things to survive.

Take away any of them, and most plants will not survive very long.

It’s sort of a balancing act.

Each one is affected by the others. Too much rain can wash nutrients away. Standing water can submerge plants and drown them by removing any air in the soil.

If you dry the soil out the roots cannot provide water and nutrients to the plant. Without food and water the plant weakens, withers, and dies.

Potting Mixes

Potting mixes are not soil, but they are used in place of soil in pots and containers. They are usually lighter in weight than soil, and are made from a combination of different

materials. Some mixes may include peat moss which absorbs and holds water. You might also see vermiculite or perlite in your mix, both of which create air spaces for the

roots and make the mix less heavy.

When you use a potting mix you will need to feed your plants.

They are not able to pull what they need directly from the soil. This isn’t a big deal anymore. Now many commercial potting mixes have fertilizer

mixed right in. Some even have “continuous feed” fertilizers that will feed your herbs for several months How easy is that?

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Choosing Pots and Containers

Although you can grow your herbs in almost anything, knowing what kind of pots are available might make

your container gardening a little easier.

Why does the pot matter?

The type and size of the pot or container you choose will determine how often you water, how big your plants will grow, and how easy it will be to move the pot.

Plastic pots are lightweight. They are easily found, inexpensive, and will last a few years unprotected outdoors. If kept out in the winter eventually they will get brittle and crack.

They hold water well and may not need watering as frequently as other types of pots.

Terra cotta pots are made of clay. They are not fired at super high temperatures and are often not glazed. They are easy to find and look nice.

Some gardeners prefer terra cotta because they let the plant roots breathe.

Because terra cotta pots are porous they also dry out very quickly.

You really have to keep them well watered in the summer.

Terra cotta will not withstand winters outdoors where there is snow and freezing temperatures. Since terra cotta is porous, the pot absorbs water. When winter

temperatures rise and fall, the water in the pot expands and contracts. This causes the pots to chip, shatter, and fall apart.

Terra cotta is best used in a well protected area, or brought indoors for the winter!




Ceramic pots

Plastic pots

Terra cotta pots

Ceramic pots are also made of clay, but they are glazed and fired at a higher temperature. There are many types and sizes of ceramic pots and containers.

Some of them are truly beautiful!

Just like terra cotta they will not survive harsh winters out of doors. Because of the glaze that seals the clay, the soil in ceramic pots does not dry out quite as

quickly as it does in plain terra cotta.

Larger ceramic pots can be incredibly heavy. If you choose a big pot you may want to invest in a set of plant wheels or a plant dolly to move your pot.

Metal pots and planters are frequently used because of their beauty. Frequently you would use a plastic liner, or a plastic pot within the metal container.

This protects both the metal, and your plants. You don’t want to use herbs that might have absorbed toxic varnishes and metals.

You also don’t want the bottom of your container to rust out!

Small metal containers are very light weight. Some can be extremely heavy like the iron urn pictured above.

Composite pots are the newer pots on the market. They are constructed of man made materials.

They can beautifully mimic clay, ceramic, metal, and stone pots, and some are gorgeous! Because they are not porous, they retain water well and do not dry out overly fast.

Composite pots are incredibly lightweight, which is great if you want a really big pot.

They can be expensive, but still cost far less than the real thing.

The composite pots that I own have held up very well outdoors. For several years they have survived both freezing winters and

blistering summers, and they still look great!

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Ceramic pots

Metal pots

Composite pots

Module 1 Recap

Hopefully you have a few ideas about which herbs, or what type of herb garden you might like to have.

Maybe you have decided to grow your herbs in the garden?

You can go ahead and get started with the newspaper trick if you have some lawn to clear!

Instead of the garden, maybe you can’t wait to go shopping for pots, planters, and

containers?

Go for it! Just remember all the pros and cons and take a good look at all the pots.

We’ve learned a bit about soil and potting mix

Potting Mix Tips:

If you need potting mix, take a few minutes to look at the ingredients. Check out the contents. Does it contain peat moss, and maybe fertilizer?

Does the bag mention how long the fertilizer will last?

Make sure you buy enough mix. That bag of dry stuff may not go as far as you think, especially if you have big pots!

If you are Buying Already Started Herbs

If you want to buy plants at a nursery or garden center look for the healthiest plants.

You want them nice and full looking.

No weaklings please, and nothing with flowers on them already-unless they are perennials. Check for bugs, flying insects, and odd looking stuff (like webs or eggs) under the leaves.

If anything looks dodgy, pass on that plant and look at another!

OK, so now you have a mission. Start clearing your garden spot if you need to, and then go shopping for your supplies!

See you next week~

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Rhonda

growing herbs for beginners module 1.pdf

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