damn herbs..

[*ULA*]

it's my first time trying to grow an herb garden.. and i actually got about four of the six kinds i tried! except they're still tiny.. and.. i'm starting to grow weeds.. and i can't tell which is which! :(

anyone ever have this blasted problem?

ahhh!!!!

[SahuaDjet]

Well you must be having a lovely time! *Big Grin* Don't worry carry a book out there to make sure which is which, talk to them, ect...childern can be very difficult at times. They'll come around sooner or later :)


Roses have thorns so be careful,
Sahu Djet

[Lavender]

Originally posted by *ULA*
it's my first time trying to grow an herb garden.. and i actually got about four of the six kinds i tried! except they're still tiny.. and.. i'm starting to grow weeds.. and i can't tell which is which! :(

anyone ever have this blasted problem?

ahhh!!!!

Yup! All the time. What you do is wait until you see the secondary leaves come out. A lot of sprouts have the same looking first set of leaves - a fat heartlike shape. You will see that when the 2nd set comes out, they usually look different - they will look more like the actual plant leaves. What kind of herbs are you growing? Are you starting them indoors or outdoors?

- Wildchild

[Moonwillow]

Questions:

What type of herbs are you growing?

How big are they?

Did you pinch them back at all during the beginning of their growth?

I strongly recommend starting seeds indoors until they are strong enough and big enough to fair on their own BEFORE planting them outside.....Yeah, I know, where was I earlier?!

Unfortunately, the weeds will probably win the battle, depending what type of herbs you are growing. Some herbs are like weeds!!

E-mail me back if you like and I'll get you going on the right track (I am a horticulturist). You'll have the BEST DAMN herb garden you've ever seen!!! ;)

[*ULA*]

moonwillow! be my guru! my guide! :)

ok.. so.. yeah i did start them outside.. <slap on the wrist>... i have basil and cilantro and dill and.. umm.. i can't remember the other one :) but it's like those- just nice friendly (wal-mart) generi-herbs.

the basil is growing really big so i can differentiate those... and the dill is also very different-looking.

but the others? oooh... pinch them? what? help me oh master of the wal-mart herbs! :)

i tried mint but alas, no luck.

[ruthie]

Yeah, I could do with an explanation of pinching back in early growth, as I have all mine in a propogator (the seedlings that is, the adults are outside). They only really have one pair of leaves each - so I thought pinching back here would be a little early. Please inform me!! I am hoping to get them into pots soon (hopefully today).

Also, ULA are you keeping them in pots, or directly in the garden. I have all mine in pots which gives me a little more ease of control, with what else is growing with them, etc. Also, especially with mint, it is a necessity otherwise it will take over the garden on it's own. I hope you are having as much fun with your herbs as I am. Although I have been growing several for a few years, we have branched out this year, and I am starting off my own rather than getting daddy-dearest (the man with the greenist fingers in my life), to start them for me. Good luck!

[*ULA*]

No, I have mine straight in the garden.

I am a big.. flaming.. amateur.

But some of them lived! wheeeeeeeeeee!!

[Moonwillow]

Morning ladies!

Well its morning here anyway! I guess its afternoon for you?

Anyway, after your secondary set of leaves shoot up, carefully pinch them off (just use your fingers) as close to the first set as you can. When the leaves form yet again, unless the stems are fairly sturdy, pinch them back again, I like the stems to be good and strong.
If you let the leaves just keep coming the stems get really leggy and spindly, they will continue to reach for the sun and be wimpy and floppy.

You can pinch the plants back really at any point if you feel that they are getting too leggy or if you want to have really bushy specimens, this is the route! This actually holds true for a lot of plants, annuals, perennials, shrubs, etc as well (cut back the height to beef up the width is the general rule of thumb)

See, its not difficult at all!

Your rather fortunate that your mint didn't make it. It is one of those herbs that I was talking about that is like a weed, it will take over your garden! HINT: Plant mint in a pot in the ground, that way the roots cannot spread and choke out the rest of your plants! It works like a charm!

Happy herbing!

PS - If you start your herbs indoors, try planting them in peat pellet pods, they are easier to plant in, you don't need soil and when you transplant into garden, you just pop them out and into your garden! Fast & easy & cheap!! (Available at good ole walmart, white rose, etc.)

Have fun!

[*ULA*]

thanks so much moonwillow!

a-pinching i go!

i'll tell you how it turns out! THANKS!

*ULA*

ps- can i e-mail you if i have more questions as i.. probably.. will? :) lol.

[ruthie]

Thanking you most kindly. I look forward to seeing that second set of leaves popping out, just so I can pinch them off. Is it something I should have done with the sunflowers though?

I vote that Moonwillow holds regular Gardener's Question Time for us all!!

[*ULA*]

Originally posted by ruthie


I vote that Moonwillow holds regular Gardener's Question Time for us all!!



I'm behind ya' on this one, ruthie!