Grow Your Own Magazine

i cannot for the life of me grow herbs tried last year and they didnt grow at all.any tips as i would love to harvest my own corriander,mint,chives,basil
any ideas as i have a sunny spot i could put an container or some kind of construction like a mini herb bed
x

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joanne culyer

Hi Jo Jo

Corriander is quite easy to germinate, I did some about a fortnight ago in a cold greenhouse and its come through (first set of leaves). If you grow mint, keep it in a pot as its quite invasive, one sprig of mint clumps up pretty fast if put in the ground.

I tried basil last year, it germinated ok but growing on was difficult until the weather really warmed up, basil doesn't tolerate temperatures below 5c. This year I'm going to grow on a south facing window sill and see if this is better.

I have just planted up a window box with perienal herbs, I think the best tip is to make sure the soil is free draining, I use the polystyreen plant boxes broken down into pieces in the bottom of my pots this helps with drainage. Compost that has grit incorporated also works.

Corriander is probably my fave herb - grow tons of the stuff and sometimes buy a big bunch of the stuff to boost my crop. Love the smell on my hands when I've cut it and basically all of you who think it's pants are quite clearly wrong!!!!!!!

Taragon however tastes of aniceed which is blantantly rubbish............ but not as bad as sweetcorn which is the all time food of the devil! Don't argue, you know I'm right!

Re the taste smell thing, OH has lost the smell senses at the top of his nose and cos of that some things taste funny however he still likes corriander so there must be more to it than that - but isn't there always?

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

Hi Alison. Yes, it depends on what part is missing; it is something that scientists are only just understanding now. It also depends on communication paths between the nose, tounge and brain.

I think it's really interesting how some people love somethings, while others hate it - I love sweetcorn.

Yeah but as I said before, you are wrong about this, it is definitely food of the devil - even the body doesn't want to touch it so it comes out as it goes in!!!!!!

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

corriander love it...........sprouts hated them for years, but read last year that the new generation have had the bitterness bred out of them so tried them at christmas and i loved them, gonna grow some this year

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The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies ...

Have you ever tried eating sweetcorn raw within a few seconds of picking Alison? Not the green giant crap or even the so called fresh rubbish from the supermarket.

You have to grow it yourself and, as I say, eat it raw within seconds of picking Mmmmm! I defy you NOT to enjoy it!

All I can say is if THAT is the food of the Devil he must have stole the Ambrosia from the Gods!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Tarragon is lovely in mushroom soup. Mmmmmm

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Do it! Life's too short

Yeah, have been told that so grew it last year - horrible stuff, think it's the way you bite through the shell bit and it bursts like a zit, makes me heave. OH loved all the frest stuff tho and is still eating it from the freezer so at least somebody is happy and it was nice to have a sucessful crop last year as they were pretty few and far between

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

Corriander is really awful! Smells of cat pee and is evil! Especially when it sneaks into a salad disguised as flat leaf parsley and makes you gag!

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I have no idea what im doin!

I think a lot of it's cultural too. My mum was a no nonsense plain English cook. The nearest we got to a herb as kids was mint in the new potatoes and parsley with the fish. We also lived in a small village that just didn't have the likes of Indian or Chinese restaurants, as a result I was 22 before I first smelt curry, it made me vomit then and it makes me vomit now. I'm trying to be more adventurous and I do use a fair selection of herbs, but there are some things which I just can't get past and curry is one of them, I just don't understand how anyone can smell it and then voluntarily put it in their mouth, though I'm sure that if I'd been offered it as a kid I'd probably be able to eat it now without trouble.

Well....
I've sat back to watch this thread develop and here are some of my thoughts....

Yes. I love Catherine Tate.
The sketch that uses the 'dirty b*st*rds' punch line is taking the p*ss out of Yorkshire folk.

I'm yorkshire, born and bred. I'm proud to be the subject of Ms Tate's ridicule.. she's got it right...we tell it like it is

So back to my point...
Tarragon...The Dirty French B*st*rds
Yorkshire Puddings ??? The Dirty Yorkshire B*st*rds

Come on folks.. Given the choice.. who would choose tarragon over Yorkies ?

I didn't mean to slag the french bloke (tho I'm sure the Frogs slag the Roastbeefs equally )

So can someone that is cleverer than a tarragon hating yorkshireman set up a fav herb poll ?

Come on folks.. Given the choice.. who would choose tarragon over Yorkies ?

I didn't mean to slag the french bloke (tho I'm sure the Frogs slag the Roastbeefs equally )

So can someone that is cleverer than a tarragon hating yorkshireman set up a fav herb poll ?[/QUOTE

I did choose a Yorkie to a tarragon......that was twentyfive years ago.....Big Mistake!!. The Yorkie developed to a true follower to fresh basil, home made pesto and salsa verde. The Sicilian ( Me ) developed a taste for terragons. Yorkies and Terragons don't mix together....The Yorkie divorced me. My fault? .....I was only trying mixing chopped tarragon with my yorkshire batter mix.
Favourite herbs?
Basil, parsley, chives, rosemary, sage, bayleaf, (tarragon only as necessary ) and yes coriander.
Regards
Don Vincenzo

I just think both can be really overpowering. They are strong flavours but used delicately can truly enhance a dish.

As to the Garlic eating surrender monkeys...I thought you just chose to live there Tony. I married one!.which means I get a whole family's worth of frogs into the bag...and will no doubt have all privileges withdrawn if she reads this

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Advertising is the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket. George Orwell
Paul

I love coriander and tarragon - in the right recipes! And I only like coriander when I know that's what it is - not when it's disguised as parsley. Otherwise it's a bit like having a bit of tomato and finding out it's chili...

OH hates coriander so I probably won't grow much.

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You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

blog: http://allyheebiejeebie.blogspot.com/ and my (basic!) page: http://www.allythegardener.co.uk/