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Growing Top Ten Culinary Herbs By 2012 Master Gardener Trainee(s) Hazel Braxton LaMonica Samuel 1 Why Grow and Use Herbs? The Flavor of Herbs Human Beings Physiological Process Herbal Remedies 2 Herbs Brief History By The 20th Century Recent Years Herbs Are A Natural Product 3 Herbs Can Benefit Our Future Generation Childhood Obesity In 2008, 19.6% of children ages 6-11 are obese compared to 6.5% in 1980 In 2008, 18.1% of children ages 12-19 are obese compared to 5% in 1980 Obesity results from a caloric imbalance Results From: Genetics Behavior Environment 4 Top Ten Culinary Herbs & How To Grow Herbs 5 Garlic - Good for virtually any disease or infection. Improves circulation, maintains healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Great for cooking, a natural antibiotic and immune system stimulant. Garlic is grown from the individual cloves. Each clove will produce one plant with a single bulb - which may in turn contain up to twenty cloves. Growing garlic is therefore self-sustaining. When planting garlic, choose a garden site that gets plenty of sun and where the soil is not too damp. The cloves should be planted individually, upright and about an inch (25 mm) under the surface. Plant the cloves about 4 inches (100 mm) apart. Rows should be about 18 inches (450 mm) apart. It is traditional to plant garlic on the shortest day of the year. Whether this is for symbolic or practical reasons is unclear. See the dedicated sowing page for advice on when to plant garlic. Garlic is a very friendly plant and grows well planted with other flowers and vegetables. For more information on how to grow garlic with other plants, see the page on co-planting garlic. Although garlic can protect other plants growing nearby against many ailments, there are some it is prone to. See the garlic diseases page for an overview of some of the most common. Garlic is also prone to a few pests. Harvesting Your Garlic Crop As garlic reaches maturity, the leaves will brown then die away. This is the cue that it is time to harvest your garlic crop. If you harvest too early the cloves will be very small, too late and the bulb will have split. 6 Basil - Sweet Basil is he most treasured annual herb for cooking and is a snap to grow as long as the weather is warm. If growing Basil in pots then ensure that adequate drainage is allowed from the base of the pot (line with coarse gravel if necessary). If growing outside then ensure the soil is well dug over and weed free before sowing. Before sowing ensure that the compost or soil is moist (water generously the day before sowing). It is vital that Basil is not exposed to the last spring frosts so if sowing outside be patient and sow in late March. Sow at any time if the plant is always to be kept indoors. If sowing inside and planting outside late then you can sow in late february. Sow the seed thinly and if growing in pots sow enough for a few plants in each pot. Cover the seeds with 1/2 cm of compost and firm gently. Basil seeds should germinate in about a week and once the seedlings have developed 2 pairs of true leaves then you can thin out the weakest seedlings in each pot, leaving each pots strongest. Position Basil should be grown in a position that receives a good amount of sunlight - around 6-8 hours a day. Basil can be grown indoors on a sunny windowsill or outdoors in containers or soil. If growing outside try and position the Basil in a sheltered spot that avoids cold winds. Soil type Basil likes a fertile soil that has been welll dug to allow good soil air circulation. Introducing well rotted organic compost or manure into the soil a month or so before sowing will help this. If growing in pots then a general purpose compost is a suitable soil solution. 7 Rosemary - Grow this herb for cooking in pots and bring it indoors for winter. Rosemary is usually propagated by cuttings. Seeds can be difficult to germinate and often don't grow true to their parent. It's much faster to start with a cutting and you will be sure of what type of plant you will get. It's possible to root rosemary in a glass of water, but a bit more effort will give more dependable results. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Snip about a 2 inch cutting from the soft, new growth of an established plant. Remove the leaves from the bottom inch and dip that tip into a rooting hormone. Rooting hormones can be found in any garden center. Carefully place the dipped end into a container of dampened, sterile seed starting mix. Choose a mix that says it is well draining, like something containing peat moss with vermiculite or perlite. Place the container in a warm spot with indirect sunlight. Mist the cuttings daily and make sure the soil does not dry out. In about 2-3 weeks, test for root growth by very gently tugging on the cuttings. Once your cuttings have roots, transplant into individual pots about 3-4 inches in diameter. Pinch off the very top of the cutting to encourage it to develop branches. Begin caring for your cutting as a rosemary plant. Growing and Caring for Rosemary Plants Bringing Rosemary Indoors Pests and Problems of Rosemary Plant Maintaining a Potted Rosemary 8 Chives - Chives, with their thin hollow green leaves, offer a delicate onion flavor. Growing in clumps, they produce leaves from early spring to late fall. •1. Chives can be planted from seed which sprouts easily but not really fast and grows into nice-sized plants in just a few months. Or you can buy them as young plants in 6-packs or purchase them ready-grown in pots. •2. Chives in a pot - Edible chives can be grown indoors. They will need a sunny window or you can use a fluorescent grow light to supplement low light. • 3. Pot seedlings or small plants in a 4" pot or larger with regular potting soil. You can feed them lightly with a commercial fertilize and bonemeal a few times a year while they are in active growth. Keep soil moist but not wet. •4. Chives can be grown outdoors in zones 3 to 10. They will grow in full sun or accept a little dappled shade. Not fussy about soil, they can grow into big clumps that are both decorative and useful. •5. There are two popular kinds of chives: the regular cylindrical hollow leafed chive with its purple flowers and onion-like flavor, and the flat-leafed 'garlic chive' with showy edible white flowers and a milder flavor. Both grow under the same conditions. •6. Whether you grow chives indoors or outdoors expect that they will probably die back and go dormant in the winter like most bulb-type plants. (Sometimes, indoors and in warm climates, they may stay green all year.) They will rest for only a month or two before re-sprouting again. You can hold back on water a little during this period, but don't them dry out. •7. You can use chives in pots to cheer up patios or balconies. They look wonderful in decorator containers filled with other herbs like parsley, sage, dill, thyme or oregano. •8. If you have a yard, create a whole herb garden for color and culinary use, but make sure you plant it close enough to the kitchen door that it will be convenient to use. •9. Like so many other herbs, the chive is showy enough to use in the flower garden. The regular chive grows between 10 - 15" tall in neat clumps and blooms in a pink-lilac globular flower. The garlic chive will grow a few inches taller, also in a neat clumping habit and shows off big white clusters of small flowers. These plants make great edging plants, but if you do let them set seed, they can become somewhat invasive. •10. All chives are good as flavorings in cooking or chopped fresh as garnishes or in salads. Grow an Herb Garden www.Scotts.com/GroYourOwn • 9 Mint - Mint is an incredibly vigorous herb. It comes in a wide range of flavors, some with fruity overtones. •Perennial •Did you know? The mint family includes Marjoram, Rosemary and Sage. And, approximately 3,497 more. •Propagation •How to Grow Peppermint, Spearmint and other Mints •Tip •Main Uses •Medicinal Uses 10 Sage - Sage has a much more mellow, pleasant flavor when used fresh rather than dried. The leaves of this herb are used in cooking, especially the stuffing of our traditional Thanksgiving turkey. •Sage herb is easy to grow. •Sage herb has many uses. •Useful tips on how you can grow sage herb at home •Growing sage herb is very easy and practical to do. 11 Thyme - Thyme is a versatile perennial. This herb is used in cooking to enhance the flavors of other herbal ingredients and is rarely used alone. Versatile herb is widely used as a seasoning in recipes and is also easy to grow, making this plant a good choice for the home gardener who likes to cook with fresh herbs. 12 Cilantro - Cilantro leaves are indispensable for Mexican and Southeast Asian cooking. Resembling flat-leaf parsley, cilantro leaves are best when picked young. • Cilantro plants grow and go to seed very • Plant the herb seeds a few inches apart • Spring and fall are the best times to grow cilantro • Add a bit of mulch or compost • Under good and careful monitoring How to Harvest Cilantro • Cilantro leaves • Cut the outer leaves first 13 Parsley - Parsley comes in two forms, curly and flat. This flat type is the herb particularly favored for cooking The most popular herb grown in cooler areas Grows well in good Most flavoursome Propagating Parsley Care of Parsley 14 Several popular culinary herbs for cooking were immortalized in a song back in the '70s. "Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme".... Simon and Garfunkel made a mint singing about these herbs some 30 or so years ago. They've been grown and cultivated for centuries and most of the time, the herbs have been grown in pots or containers. These (and other) herbs for cooking are also known as potherbs. Grow herbs for cooking in pretty pots arranged on your doorstep, near the kitchen where you can snip off a bit to flavor your cooking. Nothing beats the fresh taste of herbs and they don't get any fresher than that! 15 Oregano - Oregano is a dependable perennial and the herb is used extensively for Italian cooking. Perennial Nothing better than fresh herbs. Oregano is a popular herb in Italian and Mediterranean dishes. Oregano plants are closely related to Marjoram Oregano can be grown as a houseplant while still small. Propagation - Grow Oregano from seed. Sow Oregano seeds early Oregano is easy to grow. Tip: Do not add fertilizer to this plant, and it will produce a stronger flavor. Pick flower buds as soon as they appear. Harvest leaves at any time 16 Current Trends For Our Future Generation Less than 25% of children eat enough fruits and vegetables 64% of high school students do not meet recommended levels of physical activity 89.4% of High Schools have vending machines or snack bar 17 Top Ten Over-The-Counter Herbal Remedies 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Echinacea - Echinacea purpose may help to treat colds and flus. Chamomile – It is used in the form of tea, liquid and capsules for curing various ailments and also in combating depression. Saw Palmetto –The benefits of saw palmetto for women are mostly related to the reproductive system Ginkgo –Ginkgo improves the flow of oxygen to the brain. Cranberry –Cranberry juice has evolved, much like Aloe vera, as a quintessential American folk remedy; so well-known as a cure for urinary infections (UTI). Soy - Comprehensive resource on the powerful benefits of soy and soy products. Benefits of soy include cancer prevention, heart health and smooth transition of menopause. Ginseng – Ginseng Benefits. As the "all-healing" root, ginseng has been used for thousands of years to improve the human body's ability to combat illness. Black Cohosh – Black cohosh, the perennial herb native to America has been used for decades as a remedy for various female reproductive disorders St. John’s Wort – The benefits of St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) include reducing anxiety and depression Alfalfa – Most used as animal feed, alfalfa is equally nutritious for humans for levels of protein, calcium, magnesium, vitamins C, E, K, and beta-carotene. 18 through herbs. Light and fresh, natural herbs impart a beautiful healthy flavor in any dish. For a healthy way to add flavor to your cooking any day, check out this herb list to discover what types of herbs you should use. 19 Spices That Go Well With Herbs: Pepper, Paprika, Nutmeg, Marjoram, Curry Powder and Cinnamon Spices are natural flavoring elements most often in dried form but sometimes fresh (ginger for instance). Herbs are fresh leaves, stems, flowers, etc. that may also be found in dried form. 20 Herbs are a natural product and are a permanently renewable resource. When grown organically, they can have a positive impact on the environment 21 Work Cited Grow an Herb Garden www.Scotts.com/GroYourOwn www.usbg.gov United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2009). Childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/ http://www.gardenersnet.com Virginia Tech Herb Culture and Use. http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-420/426420_pdf.pdf Books: Growing Herbs by Yvonne Rees, Rosemary Titterington and Neil Sutherland Tours United States Botanical Garden , Washington, DC 22 “Nothing Beats The Fresh Taste” Thank You!