I think this really helps us save some money as well as eating fresher foods. For example, when I buy some parsley at the supermarket I pay 1€!!! For almost the same price I have unlimited parsley all year round and I don't even need to go shopping. Is anyone growing it's own herbs? Which ones?
I would like to grow my own herbs. But I live in a tiny flat and have nowhere to grow them. So I just buy my herbs from the supermarket. When I move I will definitely be growing my own herbs, vegetables and fruit.
I live in a flat too sarz, but just a small vase in the kitchen will do the trick, it doesn't need to be a huge pot. Check this picture for example (no, it's not mine), it can even have decorative purposes.
Try bottle gardening! You can grow a wide variety of items, and recycle plastic bottles while doing so! I like using my large Gatorade bottles for bottle gardening. So far, I've gown mint, cliantro, and basil!
This question sounds very much illegal. Lol. On a serious note. I have never been in to gardening. It always seemed like to much work for. I could just go to the store purchase them. I know that sounds extremely lazy, but i honestly feel that way. I do not think the saving you would potentially see from this will be worth the amount of time you have to put in. i am not trying to discourage you. I am just stating my opinion. I have a very busy schedule, and this will not work for me.
Ahah Ab91000, not THAT sort of herbs lol! Actually, a picture of a cannabis plant growing in a public university from my country appeared at a national newspaper, it was a funny case... And this would not be serious gardening, just a small bottle that you would water once a day at the most. I think it's well worth it.
Well there are ways to grow some basic herbs from the remnants of old ones. There was a guide somewhere that explained really simple but i do not remember where i Favorited it. The trick is to keep some roots of the old ones and put them to water, wait for a while to grow some back and then cut them at the top, rinse and repeat
1 Euro seems almost like a bargain to me. If I didn't grow my own herbs, I would be looking at $3.50 - $5 AUD per bunch. That would be between 2.40 - 4 Euros at the current conversion rate. Most of the time those herbs are packed in plastic to preserve them for a longer period. They look alright in the supermarket, but often, as soon as you take them out of their packaging, they wilt within hours and the next day they are yellow and lifeless. I have got a selection of fast growing herbs in my garden that don't need much maintenance, and also some small containers in my kitchen.
Are you joking me, 4€ for a bunch of parsley? Why is it so expensive in Australia? So for you it makes total sense to grow them, especially if you have a garden. I can't figure why the prices for those herbs are so expensive though Dora, I though 1€ was already over the top.
I've been contemplating starting my own herb garden for at least the last year, but I just haven't had the push to do it. I guess I am just so use to cooking with dried herbs, but I would really love to transition to fresh. I agree with Dora that herbs at the store could at times be misleading, going bad very quickly, especially because they have already been pulled form the root. I would love to be able to avoid that, by growing fresh. I was wondering, does anyone know if home grown herbs taste better than those at the store?
I can tell you for sure that they not only taste better, but they also are better because you know exactly what you put in them and also they are way cheaper. Only pluses here, don't give it a second thought, go for it.
You won't be dealing with pesticides, you won't be paying a middleman for handling, shipping, invoicing, transporting, and all that. It's definitely the way to go if you have the resources to do it and you can chase off the little critters that might eat your delicious herbs, because, believe me, they will come get them!
We have a huge garden-I have a very big estate-so we've got a full vegetable and herb garden that we plant with the children, which they enjoy, and we get to use the produce of it in the many, many meals we have to make. It's never enough to really be sustainable obviously, just a neat little thing for the kids mostly.
I'm an avid gardener. Herbs always taste better fresh. To ensure the best taste, pick them in the morning before the heat of the day starts to set in. This is when the oil concentration in the leaves is at its highest. Even if you do dry your own herbs, they still taste better than store-bought herbs. As for critters and garden pests, look into companion planting. Some herbs repel bugs and assist each other in growth and quality. There are also some herbs you should never grow close to each other. If you don't have an outside garden area, most herbs do just fine indoors. Rosemary is actually a bush, but it can be trimmed to keep it compact. Or, you can grow creeping rosemary. Hang it in a sunny window. You can do the same with oregano and thyme. Get creative, it doesn't matter whay you grow it in as long as soil, water and light requirements are met.
Nothing like getting tips from those who know their business, that's a nice tip picking the herbs in the morning. I didn't even know that there was oil in the leaves, what do you mean by that? I'm also a fan of symbiosis between plants, if having a plant near the other helps both, that's for the best, I'll dig deeper into this.
The oils help with fragrance and taste. It isn't "oily" oil. Does that make sense? They are essential oils. Plant growth occurs when the sun is out and the moisture and oils are drawn away from the leaves and circulate throughout the entire plant. Overnight, the leaves become plump with moisture and oils as the plant rests. So, you have a better harvest when you pick the herbs as early as possible, before the process starts.
I imagine it's like their sap right, their "blood" that should be fresher before the sun hits on them, it makes sense really. Another great description you make there, how have you become such a plant specialist? Where have you picked up so much information?
Years of digging in the dirt, classes and independent study. I've also learned from mistakes that I made along the way. I had faith in what the elderly members in my family had to say about gardening. I'm no expert, I still have some spectacular fails once in a while. LOL!!
LOL, good sentence there, years of digging in the dirt! Nothing like putting our hands in the business to become experts in it, some mistakes can be painful, but at the same time they prove to be valuable experiences for the future. Just this weekend I was at my in-laws helping them planting potatoes, not exactly herbs, but it means an year long of "free" potatoes. I think that having herbs around the house is always a plus, especially if they are fresh. And if on top of this we save money, well, great! It's not a big work also, just water the herbs once in a while and they are alive and healthy at our service.
I would love to grow my own herbs.... Fruits and veggies too! But, we live in an apartment complex. I need to do some research on what I can grow inside of a pot/planter.
