Grow Your Own Magazine

hiya just a question i would like to grow my own herbs for salads etc but what do i grow? and should i grow seeds or small plants? should i grow indoors on my kitchen window or outside please advise??
many thanks
Loux

Which herbs do you want to grow Lou? Chives are easy from seed, so is coriander and parsley. Some supermarkets now sell baby herb/salad plants that you can grow on.

i dont know to be honest rustylady this is really all new to me i have i think grown chives before but that was a long time ago i have recently got into cooking healthy really in aid to lose weight etc so things i can use for that purpose and can i grow them in my window sill or would you recommend just outside the patio door..
thanks in advance
loux

Basil is another one easy from seed. I've got my first batch going in the conservatory at the moment. Time to do a second batch soon. Last year I managed to do some marjoram and oregano from seed which have happily overwintered outside.

Also I'm sure you'll be able to scrounge some mint from someone, just be careful about where you put it - it's really invasive so best in pots, which you can sink into the bed if you want.

I have a bit of difficulty germinating parsley so I cheat and buy supermarket growing herbs and split them. They only have tiny root systems so they need a bit of nurturing, but I still find them easier than seed.

Good luck!

thankyou FoxHillGardener i will try basil i have written down the list of herbs i can think of so far might have to do them in stages to afford to buy them all lol i have at the moment
chives
coriander
parsley
mint
basil
any more anyone can think of please let me know
thanks loux

I find parsley hard to grow from seed, so buy that, basil easy, so is coriander. Get someone to give you cuttings of rosemary and thyme - they take really easily.

Chives very easy - again, if you can't grow them, beg some from a friend - I usually need to split mine every year or so....

Have fun!

I had no trouble with parsley last year - but you have to water the seeds in with boiling water

Woody herbs like thyme and rosemary are easy to grow (I prefer to buy plants rather than seed, as they are slower to get going), but they need sunny dry conditions, unlike the tender annual herbs, which prefer a bit of moisture. So, don't treat all your herbs the same way, or some of them will almost certainly die.

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Three bantams and a 3-pole allotment - the Good Life in miniature

Asda have got a good selection of ready growing herbs on sale at the moment. I picked some up a few weeks ago and planted them out. Basil died though (is it an annual which doesn't like frost?) but all the rest are fine.

They were only 99p each!

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Basil is hopeless outdoors for me but does well on a windowsill. Always water it from the bottom as it doesn't like its leaves wet - they just go rotten. You might want to try some Thai basil which has a very different flavour and don't forget about cress - up in a few days on the windowsill.
You could also try some pea shoots on the windowsill. In a deepish pot plant the peas shoulder to shoulder and cover with compost. When the shoots come up cut the whole thing and eat them. They taste like fresh peas.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Hi I have got a mixture of both. Mint, garlic chives, parsely bought the small plants (managed to kill the basil I bought as I stood it outside to get some fresh air and forgot about it and then when I remembered it was covered in 3 inches of snow and never recovered - oops)
I also have basil seeds, normal chive and a few others on the windowsill waiting to pop out.

janeyo

superstition goes if you can grow the parsley you wear the trousers in your home couldnt a few years ago hahahaha

I tucked 5 pots of parsley on the ground against an east facing wall of the house last year and expected to be knocking the compost out any time now.

But all 5 pots have signs of vigorous growth despite being exposed to all the winter weather - first time I've been able to do it.

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TonyF, Dordogne 24220

You can buy lovely big pots of herbs at Wilkinsons at the mo, which is ideal for plants like rosemary that are slow from seed. Buying a 2 litre pot means you can harvest sprigs this year to go with roast potatoes. They are 3 for £5.

You can buy 4 plugs of annual herbs for £1.50, look out for the ones they forget to water which are often on offer at just 20p!

Basil is so quick and easy from seed that I wouldn't even spend 20p on a plant - you can buy a whole packet of seeds for a pound or two and just plant a pinch of seeds every few months - one packet will keep you in fresh leaves for a year or two! And you can get the beautiful purple-leaved varieties which are even nicer.

If you have room, it's well worth growing a few stately architectural herbs like fennel, angelica and dill. You can buy a young plant at a garden centre for around £1.50. They look fabulous and are great for wildlife.

Finally, bear in mind that most varieties of mint are really invasive and will soon take over a small space, so it's best grown in a pot.

i've grown Parsley Lisette from seed on the windowsill and it's looking fab. Actually have a few pots going around the house! Outside, my chives are doing just fine, and have another few pots to put out too! I have difficulty in growing Opal Basil...and maybe should opt to grow a more basic variety...but I just love the purple/green leaves that I get...but it is difficult to grow...and patience is a def requirement. Just try a bit of what you like, i'm sure you'll enjoy !

I think my husband already knows who's the boss

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Three bantams and a 3-pole allotment - the Good Life in miniature

thankyou all i will look into more when i have more money i have spent out this month but was thinking of chives parsley i would love to grow garlic but do you buy seeds or plants and is it easy to grow?
loux

I grow, parsley (plant up shop bought 29p in Lidl when on offer also chives), thyme from plants and seed also, mint in an old butler's sink (spearmint). I like pineapple mint (not hardy I found, from plant). Garlic chives from seed, oregano, rosemary, lemon balm (had for years from plant. Also dill and fennel from seed, basil from shop bought (kept indoors) 1 plant lasts a lifetime, takes regular cuttings (into water until roots) and then pot up. Also grown basil from seed (no problems). I have a few varieties of thyme as I use herbs all the time when cooking.

wow mrsc2b i would love to have a collection like that you have named quite a few for me there thankyou
loux

I grew broad leaf parsley a couple of years ago, and let some plants go to seed. No probs with keeping a supply now, it's self seeded all over the place, and it's just a case of weeding out the unwanted plants, still useful of course in the kitchen, and for potting up to over winter in the greenhouse. The plants that overwintered in the garden are all putting on good new growth already, and I will again let one seed again to keep the supply going. I believe broad leaf parsley are hardier than curly though.

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