Successfully Growing Cilantro In An Outside Garden

February 5th, 2012

Chefs prefer to grow their herbs inside within hand’s reach, but growing cilantro outside can also be a very interesting project. Cilantro is an underrated herb that many people eat but may or may not realize it. Cilantro often shows up in beans, soups, and salsas to help give it a bit of a zing. The other place they may not be aware they are using cilantro is when the seeds are dried and called coriander.

growing cilantro

The seeds are not actually a single seed at all. There are two seeds inside a husk. To give the seeds that are planted a better chance, some preparation is involved. Gently breaking open the husks and soaking the seeds for 24-48 hours in water and allowing them to dry before planting give them a good head start.

Depending on the length of the growing season in the area, the plants can be started indoors and transplanted outside once they are a couple of inches tall. Whether initially planted outside or transplanted outside they should be planted fairly close together. They will bush out as they grow and provide some shade for the roots to keep the plants from going to seed (bolting) as long as possible. The young leaves and stems are the best to harvest. Once the plant has bloomed and seeds appear the leaves will be too bitter to use. At this point the seeds can be allowed to drop naturally, or can be harvested for the next growing season, or harvested and dried to be used as coriander.

When the plants begin to bush out, pruning them and using the leaves and stems as often as possible will help prolong the growing season. This helps the harvest of good leaves and stems to be as prosperous as possible. Cilantro is a plant with a short growing season, however, and even the most constant pruner will find they have a short time to prune the best leaves and stems. If the growing season is longer than about six weeks, new plants seeds can be planted that will keep a rotation of good pruning plants for the whole season. The last planting of the season can be the seeds for the next year whether they are removed from the plant and saved or simply allowed to drop to the ground.

As long as the plants are shaded from the direct noon sunlight, and are kept in a sunny but cool surrounding, growing cilantro outside is easy and fun.

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Growing Cilantro Is A Fun Pastime

January 29th, 2012

Growing cilantro is a fun pastime, and all levels of gardeners can easily grow enough of this tasty herb for all of their favorite Asian and Mexican dishes.  Fresh herbs are best, and it is easy to grow plenty of cilantro in a small kitchen garden that is inside or outdoors.  There are a few tips that make growing these plants a breeze and they can easily be started from seeds.  One of the major factors that affects the growth and health of these plants is the hot weather, and they should be located in an area that gets shade during the afternoon periods.

growing cilantro

Seeds are the preferred method for staring these plants, and there are a few tips that will ensure healthy herbs.  The seeds should be soaked in a container of water for 24 to 48 hours.  This will provide all the moisture that is essential for a healthy start.  After this time, they can be put in their final destination.  There are a number of choices that are available to gardeners, and many people decide to put their plants in an indoor or outdoor setting.  These are both viable options, and are a great way to get the maximum growth for use in the kitchen.

Cilantro is one plant that does not like the hot weathers, and it should be planted in an area of the yard that receives plenty of shade during the hottest part of the day.  As long as the plant receives adequate light during the morning and evening, it will thrive.  The hot weather will cause these plants to quickly bolt and flower.  Many gardeners choose to bring their cilantro plants inside during the hottest part of the year, and then they can move them back outside during the fall months.

Cilantro is an easy plant to grow, and there are a few tips that will maximize the amount of fresh leaves that can be used in the kitchen.  Seeds are the best way to ensure a great garden and should be soaked for a minimum of 24 hours before planting them in the garden.  Hot weather is another issue, and this herb thrives in a location that receives plenty of shade during the warmest parts of the day.  There are many places in the yard that will provide this requirement and allow plants to thrive.  growing cilantro is a fun pastime and is sure to provide gardeners with plenty of herbs for their kitchen.

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Growing Basil Outdoors

January 22nd, 2012

Basil is an Old World herb that has been used for generations in Italian cooking for tomatoes sauces, petso, soups, and stews so growing basil is a good idea. It can be added to vinegar to give it a distinctive flavor. The oil from the leaves can be used with salad oil to make a basil dressing. Some basil such as Lemon Basil has a wonderful aroma along with the culinary uses. It can be used for a tonic for indigestion, used in teas, as bath infusions, placed on the clothing to help deter mental fatigue and other medicinal purposes. It can even be grown indoors in pots to sit in window sills to deter flies, and the oil is often harvested and used to repel mosquitos.

growing basil

How could a gardener pass up a chance to grow such a versitle plant that also makes a beautiful bush for decoration? Especially since it is generally easy to grow. The seasoned gardener knows that the placement of the garden spot is one of the most important decisions to be made. Generally all herbs including basil grow best if they are allowed 6 to 8 hours of good eastern or southern sun. Keeping in mind sunny but cool is the best Rx for success. Western sun is often too hot and harsh and northern sun is often too difused. Sun rising in the east and being shaded from the setting in the west is perfect.

Planting the seeds close to the top of soil that is a good neutral (pH 7.0) is ideal, but it is tolerable to have soil that is slightly acidic down to a pH of 6 or slightly alkaline with a pH of 7.5. Any thing that is added to or sits on the soil can change the pH such as mulches, fertilizers, rainwater, or any other chemicals that might leach into the garden. Monthly testing and adjustment should be sufficient to keep the garden healthy. The seedlings should appear in about a week. Once they have started to come in they should be monitored until they have two good leaves showing. By this time it will be easy to discover which of the plants will be the hardiest. If the plants are small or have misshapen leaves they should be pulled and discarded so they will not be using nutrients needed for the stronger plants.

Once the plants grow to about finger height they can be pruned and the leaves used. Constant pruning will make them stay bushy as well as cutting off any blooms that appear. growing basil can be easy and rewarding in many ways.

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Growing Basil Is Easy In A Kitchen Garden

January 19th, 2012

growing basil is easy in a kitchen garden, and this plant can be grown by beginners and experts with ease.  This plant has only a few small requirements to ensure that it is as healthy as possible and produces plentiful herbs for the kitchen.  The plants requires a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen for the best early growth.  This can easily be met with some of the organic products that are on the market.  This herb also needs plenty of light for the best growth, and this can be met by the sun inside or outdoors.  These are both great ways to enjoy all that this plant offers.

growing basil

High quality fertilizers are essential for the best growth, and there are many products on the market.  Many gardeners prefer to use organic fertilizers on their plants for health and taste reasons.  Chemical fertilizers also do quite well, and there are a number of these products on the market as well.  The only thing gardeners need to be aware of is that the fertilizer should contain a high ratio of nitrogen for the best growths.  The nitrogen is required for verdant growth and is needed for the production of chlorophyll in the leaves.

Light is another factor that affects the health of these plants, and there are many ways to meet this requirement.  The sun shines plenty for outdoor gardens, and a plot should be found that gets several hours of direct light every day.  This will provide all the plant’s needs throughout the year.  Basil can also be grown in the home quite easily.  It only requires a spot along a window that receives plenty of direct sun.  The south end of the home is the best place to ensure this requirement is met.  There are numerous planters that are designed to fit along the sill of a window and are ideal for growing herbs indoors.

Herbs are a great way to enjoy the best flavors of cooking, and many of them are easy to grow.  Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow in a garden, and there are only a few considerations that should be kept in mind.  These plants require a fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen for the best growth and plenty of direct sun.  They will thrive in the home or in an outdoor garden as long as these demands are met.  Growing basil is easy in a kitchen garden, and this herb can thrive under the guidance of a beginner or expert.

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Grow Rosemary Outdoors

January 18th, 2012

Often as the weather begins to break in spring a gardener decides the crops for the year and the decision to grow rosemary in an outdoor garden is a good one. Rosemary is a member of the mint family that has several culinary and consmetic uses. Many people find the evergreen aroma of rosemary to be a pleasing country home natural scent. It has two major types and of the two the shrub type is chosen for garden growing. The ground cover type is often used in flower beds to help fill in the blank areas.

grow rosemary

As most gardeners know, the eastern or southern sun is the best sun for a garden. Some plants are able to survive and thrive in the hot noon or western sun but rosemary is not one of those. If the garden spot is close to the home, planning the spot to be shaded from the hottest noon and evening sun will make the rosemary grow more successfully. Six to eight hours of good eastern sun is the Rx for success.

Another consideration for an outdoor garden is watering and drainage. Obviously all plants need water and a lack of water between normal rainfall can be disasterous, but too much rain, or rain that cannot run off from the garden by way of drainage ditches and good soil, will cause root rot to occur. A thin layer of good draining mulch around the plants will help hold in water between rains but not retain too much water and cause damage. It is also helpful in keeping weeds away from the shrubs.

If the winters are harsh and it is planned that the rosemary plants be brought in to overwinter, they can be planted in the garden in pots and the pots be brought it. Rosemary roots are very sensitive and the fewer times it is repotted the better for the plant. If the winters are mild, rosemary is a perennial that will die back in the winter but will make a good comeback in the following spring.

Pruning the plants of the new growth for use in the kitchen or other uses is encouraged to help keep the plants bushy and healthy. To make new plants a finger length cutting should be trimmed of leaves at the base and allowed to root in a mixture of perilite and peat moss. It should be misted enough to keep it damp but not enough to cause molding or attact pests. This is a great way to start new plants if a person decided to grow rosemary inside and outside.

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Grow Rosemary For Your Culinary Delights

January 15th, 2012

If you grow rosemary, you can impress your friends and families with your culinary delights.  This is one of the best looking plants and will grow to be a shrub that is quite large.  There are a few key tips that are essential to ensuring the best growth for any garden.  The first issue is that rosemary thrives in an area that is hot.  These plants hate the cold weather, and they often need to be brought inside during the winter months.  A container is the best way to facilitate this need.  This herb should also be thoroughly dried for the best flavor, and this is easy to accomplish.

grow rosemary

Rosemary is one herb that hates the cold weather.  It is native to the hot zones of the Mediterranean and may present some trouble to gardeners who experience cold winters.  A container is a great way to confront this situation, as pots can easily be moved at will.  Gardeners can easily bring their plants inside during the winter months when they are grown in a pot.  A high quality potting mix should be used to ensure that the roots get all the oxygen they need.  This will ensure that plants thrive in their container.

There are many ways to dry herbs, and this will affect the finished flavor of most products.  Air drying is the preferred method to cure rosemary, and this is easy to do.  The stems should be cut and can be bundled together.  They should then be hung upside down in a dark room that receives plenty of circulating air.  This will prevent molds and mildew from growing on the leaves.  After about a week and leaves can be removed from the stems and stored in a container that is airtight.  The container will work best if it does not allow any light as well.

There are many herbs that thrive in the garden, but rosemary is one of the easiest plants to grow.  They are quite hardy, and they will vigorously grow when they are placed in an environment that provides them with plenty of sun and heat.  A container is the ideal place for a plant because it enables the gardener to move them inside during the coldest months of the winter.  Herbs should be dried before use, and this can easily be done by hanging them in a circulating breeze.  Growing rosemary is a great hobby and will provide numerous fresh leaves for cooks to use in their favorite poultry dishes.

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Some Facts To Help Grow Herbs Indoors

January 14th, 2012

When you make the decision to grow herbs indoors, you might not be clear exactly what herbs are. They can be any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, perfume or a part of such a plant as used in cooking. Most people think of herbs as only additives to food, which limits the scope in choosing and growing different types of herbs.

growing herbs indoors 2

Most people do not consider aloe vera as an herb, but it is often grown in kitchens around the world. Since it is commonly called the “burn plant,” and its gel is used to treat minor kitchen burns, it has medicinal value. Many people know that basil is an herb because it is used in food, but they may not know the oil can be processed and used as a natural mosquito repellant. Many plants such as lavender can be used for their aroma. With such a wide variety of uses, and the shrinking living spaces people inhabit, growing herbs indoors is an economical decision.

Depending upon the desired end use, a place must be chosen to grow the herbs. Natural lighting is best, especially with a southern or eastern exposure. Western light can be too harsh, especially in the summer, and northern light is often too diffused to properly nourish the plant. Many people use a window sill, window box, or a bay window to house their herb garden. If not grown next to a window, or grown for decoration purposes, a grow light or fluorescent lighting can be sufficient for many varieties of herbs to survive.

Especially in winter when most heating systems tend to dry the air, lack of humidity can be a problem for herbs. Rather than misting as with other household plants, another method is generally used. A shallow tray of water, with pebbles or marbles to keep the roots dry, is used to dampen the air by evaporation. Different species of herbs have different watering requirements, so it is important to research individual types rather than making a blanket assumption for all types of herbs.

The decision to buy an established plant or to grow from seeds is another consideration. When selecting an established plant, look around the plant for dropped or missing leaves, even though most of the plant looks healthy. Ask the nursery or garden attendant if the size of the container is suitable for that species for an extended amount of time since some do not tolerate being repotted very well.

Making herbs a beautiful and functional part of your home is a good reason to decide to grow herbs indoors.

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Growing Herbs Indoors Is A Smart Idea

January 11th, 2012

Growing herbs indoors is a smart idea.  Everyone can easily grow their own herbs in the home, and this is a great way to provide a little greenery to the indoors while providing a way to flavor dishes.  Thyme and rosemary will both thrive in an indoor setting and many people choose to include these plants in their garden.  They have minimal requirements and only need a little light and fertilizer.  The sun usually provides enough energy for most plants, but some people choose to augment their gardens with a grow light.

growing herbs indoors 2

Rosemary is one plant that will do extremely well in an indoor setting.  This plant is robust and will provide a number of tasty leaves that are excellent in cooking a variety of dishes.  There are only a few things that are required for these plants to have healthy growth.  They need a little bit of fertilizer to ensure their leaves are a healthy lush green.  They can also easily be grown in a sunny window, and south facing sills are the best.

Thyme will also grow extremely well in the home, and this plant is known for the unique flavor it imparts to a number of dishes.  It requires a rich soil that easily drains.  Sun is another consideration, and this plant prefers a window that gets plenty of sun throughout the day.  The leaves can be used fresh or air dried and stored in an airtight container.

Fertilizers and potting soil also affect the growth of indoor herbs, and there are some things to consider on this subject.  A quality pot should ensure that water can drain from the bottom.  Potting soil should also be used, as this allows the roots to breathe.  A high nitrogen fertilizer is best for plants that have a lush growth.  

Light is another consideration and most gardeners can provide their plants a place on the south side of the home.  This area gets the most direct light, and this is what the plants need.  Grow lights can also be used if gardeners desire.  They can easily be purchased in any size option for the type of plants and garden that is grown.

Gardeners can now choose to have their favorite herbs in their kitchen.  They can easily be grown with a minimum of lights and fertilizers and most will thrive in an indoor setting.  Thyme and rosemary are two plants that excel in a container garden.  Growing herbs indoors is a smart idea, and it can easily be accomplished by beginners or experts.

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Successfully Growing Cilantro Inside

January 10th, 2012

Perhaps herb gardeners don’t often consider growing cilantro is due to the fact it is not one of the basic herbs grown for seasoning. It is possible that many people eat it in salsa and soups and do not realize what it is, nor do they realize the seeds are dried and used under the name of coriander. Once these facts are realized, people often want to grow cilantro for ease of use.

growing cilantro

Cilantro is a fast growing herb that can reseed itself to provide a continuous cycle of fresh leaves, but the original plant will not produce useable leaves once it has bloomed and gone to seed (bolted). Most people try to prolong the growing season of the original plants as long as possible, but they are fairly quick to produce small white blooms similar to Queen Anne’s Lace, and seeds shortly thereafter.

Having the plants indoors in a planter with enough room for the seeds to drop and begin a new growing cycle is ideal. If it is only being grown to season summer vegetables, or garnishes for summer salsa, it can be allowed to grow for that season only. After it blooms the seeds can be captured (before falling into the dirt for reseeding), dried and stored in paper bags for the next season or dried and used in recipes that require coriander.

Cilantro needs morning or southern sun to be healthy and leafy, but too much of a good thing can be disastrous. It must be shaded or moved away from the window during the hottest parts of the day to avoid loss of the plants. Western sun is often too strong and hot, so planning the location and amount of sunlight is very important. It is also sensitive to the amount of water it receives. It needs to say evenly moist to stay healthy, but overwatering can cause root rot. General household humidity is fine so the use of a tray of water under the plant is not needed as is with growing some other herbs.

As with some of the other herbs, cilantro is a bushy and unique plant that can be grown as decoration especially in a kitchen or dining area to help give the area a more down to earth feel. Sometimes it is broken off and used as a garnish instead of parsley if available in easy reach.

Testing your inside gardening skills by growing cilantro is a great place to start.

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Growing Cilantro Is A Wise Choice

January 7th, 2012

Growing cilantro is a wise choice, and this is the best way for chefs to get the most of the fresh leaves that are essential for a number of Asian and Mexican dishes.  This plant will thrive in the home or an outdoor garden, and there are only a few tips for a successful herb.  One of the major considerations of this plant is that it does not like the hot weather.  Seeds should also be started every six weeks to ensure a steady supply of fresh leaves for the kitchen.  This herb tends to lose its flavor after it is dried, and it is essential that fresh leaves are used in the kitchen.

growing cilantro

The hot weather is one of the arch enemies of this plant, and it will qui9ckly go to seed during the hottest parts of the year.  For this reason, many gardeners choose to bring their plants into the home during the hottest months of the years.  Cilantro will thrive when it is under the air conditioning, and this is a great way to grow the plants during the summer.

Fresh leaves taste best, and experts recommend that gardeners start new seeds every six weeks to have a steady supply of this herb.  They plants will quickly grow and mature, but if there are new ones every few weeks, gardeners are assured that they will have a fresh supply of this herb for all of their favorite dishes.

Many herbs can be dried and will maintain their flavor, but this is not the case with cilantro.  It will quickly lose its flavor after it has dried out, and it is essential that fresh leaves are used for cooking.  They provide the most taste and are the preferred way to ensure the flavor of any Asian or Mexican dish that is made in the kitchen.

There are many herbs that can be grown by all types of gardeners, and many people enjoy the taste of cilantro that is fresh from the garden.  The fresh leaves of this plant are the best, and a garden can ensure a stable su8pply.  These herbs are easy to grow, and they only require a low temperature for the best production.  This will ensure the plants do not go to seed.  Many gardeners choose to bring their plants inside during the summer for this reason.  growing cilantro is a wise choice, and all levels of gardeners can easily have this herb in their kitchen garden.

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