April 3, 2006 11:32 - Growing Mint for Profit
I would see growing mint for profit as a two year project, but then it would become an ongoing business.
Mint is very invasive which if you want to grow it for profit is a good thing :-)
The downside of inheriting an overrun mint patch is now a bonus - you can dig it all up, put it into plant pots and let it romp away to its heart's content - every runner that springs up is potential profit.
So - in year 1, let the mint you've planted or already got, grow anyway it likes - don't check it at all.
As it grows out of control, just scrape away the soil from the runners and put one or two pieces into a 4 inch (10cm) plant pot filled with good quality potting compost.
Water well and put the pots in the shade for a week or so - that will give the mint runners time to recover - keep well watered.
As the runners grow, nip out the growing tips - you can use them yourself in cooking - so that the plant bushes out. Keep each sprig to about 4 to 5 inches (10 cm or so) which will make it look nice and full in the plant pot.
The early plantings may well be established enough to sell in year 1, but spring to early summer is the time most people are looking to buy herbs.
The mint will die down in the winter, so keep the pots somewhere where they can be protected from direct frost - mint is hardy, but it doesn't get the same frost protection in a plant pot that it would from the soil.
Make sure your pots are weed free and look in first class condition - clean and free from green moss etc.
Once the mint comes into life again in spring of year 2, then at this point, you need to decide whether you're going to sell them now or divide again and allow them to put on some more growth before selling a bit later in the year.
Continue to harvest runners from your stock garden mint patch to have a continuous supply of mint for sale.
April 4, 2006 11:29 - Seasons
It is mid spring here in the UK and the herb gardening season is in full swing - in fact the whole of the gardening scene is buzzing right now with garden centers and nurseries heaving with people buying their supplies.
I have had an email asking me to define what is meant by 'seasons' for the gardening calendar - so here goes.
In general the seasons split into four - spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter.
I live in the UK which is northern hemisphere - if you live in the southern hemisphere, then your seasons are reversed - whereabouts you live within those hemispheres will have a further impact on your gardening calendar.
Spring - March, April, May
Summer - June, July, August,
Fall (Autumn) - September, October, November
Winter - December, January, February
So when you read about early, mid, late season advice for herb gardening topics, you can see from the above, what's meant.
This is only a guideline - in the UK, September is often sunny and warm, but the days are getting much shorter and so the plants are not growing - it's the beginning of the real harvest time.
Also April can bring frosts - so although it appears to be the height of the planting out season, you must exercise caution and use protection for your plants if you decide to harden them off early.
There's a saying in the UK 'ne'er cast a clout 'til May is out'
Roughly translated that means 'keep your winter drawers on' ;-)
April 7, 2006 14:01 - Growing Basil Outdoors
I had an email about growing basil outdoors and it's perfectly possible outside the mediterranean if you follow a few simple tips.
Basil needs a sunny sheltered spot in your garden and likes good fertile soil - full growing instructions here.
Basil is a tender annual - that means it likes the weather hot and sunny - don't we all - and is susceptible to frost damage.
There are two points that might help you here - firstly, basil only takes 9 to 12 weeks to mature - that's quick and it means that you don't need to worry about time too much.
Basil will grow right up until the beginning of autumn - which in the northern hemisphere means that you can sow basil outdoors up until June (mid summer) and still get mature plants that year.
The other thing is that you can protect the basil with a cloche if you want to.
I have instructions on making a bottle cloche in this blog on the 1st April entry
Either sow the seed indoors in trays and use the cloche to warm the soil then translplant the seedlings before the end of spring.
Or you can use the cloche to warm the soil, then plant the basil seed directly into the soil and use the cloche to create a mini greenhouse until the frosts have passed.
Either way, you'll get a head start on the outdoor growing season by using the cloche to protect the basil.
Remove the cloche during the day in late spring when it's sunny and remember to cover again at night until the end of spring.
Your basil plants need to be about 1 ft (30cm) apart - they can grow to about 2 ft (60cm) tall in the one year's growing season.
April 8, 2006 11:52 - How to Divide Thyme
I had an email - yes, I get loads - asking how to divide thyme.
These instructions go for any plant that has either outgrown its spot, become 'leggy' or you simply want to increase your stocks.
Some plants, like chives for instance, need to be divided every few years - they can 'choke' each other if you don't - too many bulbs competing for the water and nutrition.
Thyme is another plant that needs to be divided every three to four years - so here's how to do it.
In either Autumn (Fall) or Spring, dig up your plant, taking care not to damage the roots with the fork.
Lay it on the ground and brush away some of the soil, so that you can see what you're doing.
Decide how many pieces you are going to divide your plant into and very gently separate the top growth to that many.
Holding the growth as carefully as you can, gently work your fingers into the root ball and pull apart.
Try not to damage the stems and keep the root damage to a minimum - if you meet resistance, have a closer look and see if there's a better spot to separate the plant.
When you've finished, then you need to replant as quickly as possible.
Put some compost or feed in the bottom of your planting hole and 'puddle' with water - that means just fill the hole - it will drain away, but give the new thyme plant a good drink.
Put the plant into the hole and pack soil round the roots - heel in to ensure you've got no air pockets.
Keep the plant well watered and provide a bit of shade if you can - it's had an awful shock! - just give it some tender loving care for a week or two.
If you're planting into pots, then put them in the shade until they appear to have recovered.
April 9, 2006 02:32 - Growing Parsley
Geoff sent me an email yesterday asking why growing parsley is considered difficult.
There's lots of old wives tales about it going to the devil seven times or only growing in households where the woman's in charge - but that's a load of nonsense.
I sowed some parsley on Sunday 28th March and it germinated on Friday 7th April - that's just 12 days.
At the same time I sowed french beans - germinated in 3 days - tomatoes - 4 days and basil - 6 days.
Germination time for parsley is up to 8 weeks - so my 12 days is miraculous - but not really - that's what happens most years.
If you look at what I sowed that day, you'll see that the difference is the early germinators are annuals - parsley is a biennial.
A plant's life cycle consists of growing and reproducing - an annual does that in one year, generally spring to autumn,
A biennial does it over two years - germinates and puts down a solid root system in year one and then flowers and makes seed in year two - then the parent plant dies.
We use parsley's leaves as a herb - that's not part of parsley's plan - we're interfering with it's life cycle.
Parsley takes longer to germinate, because it has a longer life - it has a two year growth cycle before reproducing.
So you're being impatient if you expect parsley to germinate quickly - it's in no hurry to get going, because it has two years to reproduce - the fact that you want to use its leaves to make a sauce cuts no ice at all :-)
If you stop to consider what you do when you deadhead flowering annuals - you're stopping them making seed, which is the signal to the plant to stop producing flowers - the plant only stops when it gets too cold to carry on.
I sowed my parsley in a pot which is on my kitchen windowsill - directly above the sink - it's warm and has humiditiy, which is why it germinated quickly - if you sow outdoors, then expect to wait 5 to 8 weeks.
Lots of gardeners will sow a quick ripening crop like radish at the same time - personally, I wouldn't bother as harvesting radish would disturb the parsley, but that's up to you.
There's a saying - patience is a virtue, have it if you can, seldom in a woman, never in a man,
We should amend that to say - always in a gardener...
A basic knowledge of a plant's life cycle will give you realistic expectations of its performance - don't be impatient.
