Guide to Growing Herbs at Home in Florida
 
Part 2 - How Tos

 

Light
Most herbs are easy to grow, but you must select the proper location to grow them. Most herbs need a sunny location, and only a few are better grown in partial shade.   That said, the Florida sun can be very strong and the summer days are very long.  You might want to experiment by creating little garden patches in locations around your yard until you locate the perfect location for your herb garden.  If you donąt have a good, sunny location, many herbs will tolerate light shade, but their growth and quality will not be as good.  The oils, which account for the herbsą flavor, are produced in the greatest quantity when plants receive six to eight hours of full sunlight each day. If you are using a container, think about the reflected light as well.  A container on a cement slab receiving too much direct sunlight will not do well in Florida.

 

Soil
Herbs will grow in any good garden soil. The soil should not be extremely acid or alkaline; a soil nearly neutral is best for most herbs. A pH reading between 6.5 and 7.0 produces the best herbs. Most herbs do not require a highly fertile soil. Highly fertile soils tend to produce excessive foliage that is poor in flavor. Herbs grow best when soils have adequate organic matter. In preparing average soils, add peat moss or compost to improve soil condition and help retain moisture.

Drainage
When selecting a site for an herb garden, you must consider drainage. None of the important herbs grow in wet soils, but a few, such as mint thrive in fairly moist soils.  If the only area available is poorly drained, you need to modify the area. Build raised beds or install underground drainage tiles to grow herbs successfully.

Preparation
Once you select a site, cultivate the soil to a depth of 12 to 18 inches, then level it. If only a shallow layer of topsoil exists above hard subsoil, remove the topsoil temporarily. Break up the subsoil, adding organic matter. After improving the subsoil, put it back. Even though the topsoil may be better than the subsoil, the topsoil may also need additional organic matter.
Pests

Few insects or diseases attack herbs. In some localities, rusts infect mints. In hot, dry weather, spider mites damage some herbs.  Aphids attack anise, caraway, dill and fennel. Grasshoppers and certain caterpillars attack herbs when conditions are right. Control is usually not necessary until you notice a problem.  Remember you are going to eat these herbs so avoid pesticides.  If you use a lawn service be sure to advise them not to apply pesticides or fertilizers to your herb garden.  The herb garden should be something you lovingly tend yourself!

CONTAINER-GROWN HERBS
Most herbs can be successfully grown in containers attractively arranged outdoors along borders of drives, walks, and patios or on porches and balconies. Hanging baskets are especially suitable for herbs. A few can be grown fairly well indoors with special care. Attention must be given to providing plenty of sunlight. The culture of herbs in containers, including soil preparation and fertilizing, is similar to that for vegetables.

HERBS INDOORS
You can grow many herbs indoors, but they will be less productive than those grown outdoors. They are best used fresh. They require the same conditions as herbs that are grown outdoors: plenty of sunlight and good, well-drained soil.  Select a south or west window. During winter, they need as much light as you can give them. If a bright location is unavailable, supplement existing light with "grow lamps" or fluorescent lights.  For herbs in pots, use a mix of about two parts potting soil to one part coarse sand or perlite. Because most herbs prefer a nonacid soil, add a cup of ground limestone per bushel of soil or about one teaspoon per 5-inch pot. Good drainage is important. Never leave herbs sitting in a saucer of water. Water well, so a little water runs through the pot but does not accumulate. Allow moderate drying, but not wilting, between waterings.

PROPAGATION
Most of the annuals and biennials ordinarily are grown from seed sown directly in place. Perennials generally are best started in plant beds or boxes using seed or cuttings, and then transplanted into the garden or growing containers.

A few plants, such as sage, balm, and rosemary, can be propagated best by cutting. Stems from new growth or the upper parts of older stems make the best cuttings for easiest rooting. Cut the stems into 3- to 4-inch sections, each containing a set of leaves or leaf buds near the upper end. To prevent wilting, place the cuttings in water as soon as they are removed from the plant. A shallow box filled with 4 to 5 inches of a mixture of clean sand, peat, and perlite makes a good rooting bed. Insert the cuttings to a depth of one-half to two-thirds their length in the moist mixture; then saturate the mix with water. Place the box in a protected place and keep moist (but not sopping wet) continuously until roots develop in about two weeks. Continue to water until the cuttings are ready to set out in pots or in the garden.

Such plants as thyme, winter savory, and marjoram can be propagated by simple layering, which consists of covering the lower portions of the side branches with soil, leaving much of the top of the plant exposed. When the covered parts of the stem have rooted, they can be cut from the parent plant and set as individual plants. Older plants of chive, rosemary, and tarragon can be multiplied by dividing the crown clumps into separate parts. These subdivisions can be set as individual plants. Mint spreads rapidly by means of surface or underground runners that may grow several feet from the parent plant. These runners, with roots attached, can be removed and transplanted to other locations.

 

Part Three - Harvesting Herbs