Herbs - Spice Up Your Garden

Chives and Garlic chives

Herbs play a significant role in the flavor structure of a given dish.  The world, although geographically separated, are defined by the culinary flavors as determined by the indigenous herbs on top of the food available in the land.    Modern technology has allowed plants to  cross geographical borders and to be cultivated far from their places of origin but the different cultures have long been steeped in the herbs that they had from time immemorial.   For example, garlic chives and garlic with fish sauce and vinegar says Philippines;  the combination of mint and oregano with Feta say Greece; curry (a mixture of many herbs and spices) and coconut and some spicy peppers say Thailand; Wasabe on soy sauce and seaweed say Japan - just to name a few.  That is reason that sometimes the addition of a specific herb to your dish at home brings back memories of a place that you once visited.

However the reason I'm writing this article is to remind home gardeners that herbs should be part of every garden.

French Tarragon

Herb Garden..  Herbs are better when they are fresh when their aroma has not left them yet.  That is why some grocery stores now carry live herbs that you can grow in your kitchen.  But believe me, they don't do well in the kitchen unless you they get at least four hours of sun in there.  The best solution to having a good and prolonged supply of herbs is to have an herb garden - even if it is done in a container.    It does not have to be sophisticated; a good-sized container and some potting soil and some hours of direct sunlight.

Italian Basil

Choose Herbs That You Like.  There is nothing more useless than planting herbs that you do not use.  Well, I take that back because if you don't use them they will flower and attract bees - which is a good thing.  But if you grow herbs for culinary purposes then you better plan on the ones you like on your food and actually use.  Keep using them to encourage new growth.  Clip off the flowers to keep them going for a while.  And for annuals you might want to plant a second batch.  

Since most annual as well as perennial herds produce mostly in the warmer months, it is a good idea to preserve some of your harvest.  The Internet provides a vast information on how to preserve the different herbs.  As for my family, we like to make basil pesto in the summer - then freeze them.  We seem to always have frozen pesto in the freezer ready for use in various dishes.  This year, because we planted a lot of cilantro, we might have enough to make cilantro pesto. 

Near the Kitchen.  There is a great benefit in growing herbs in places where they are visible from your kitchen.   Sometimes we pull out the drawer in the fridge to check what herbs we have but won't it be nice to look out the window to see which herb you can use for your dish?  When we can see them from the kitchen window we get reminded to harvest them and sometimes to water them - especially during the hot summer days. 

Cilantro (Coriander)

Every home should have a functional herb garden, I think.  

Edibles in Bloom

Fig. 1   Thai Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

This is a partial glimpse of my vegetable garden this year.  Instead of showing the fruits, I chose to focus on the flowers.  Flowers are generally the early indicators of a forth coming harvest for any food crop.  For some plants such broccoli and cauliflower, the flower directly translates to the crop yield. Still for other annual plants where the leaves are the harvestable parts, flower initiation marks the cessation of productivity. 

Fig. 2    Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)

Basil
Basil and cilantro (Fig. 2) are among of my favorite herbs of all times.  Basil is generally a summer crop and a long-day plant, which means that it flowers when the daylength (photoperiod) is longer than 12 hours per day. Thai basil (Fig. 2) is particularly sensitive to increasing photoperiod - the seedlings almost always have flowers when I buy them from the nursery.  For a plant where the leaves are the harvestable/edible part, this poses a problem.  However, that is when management comes into play.  It is my practice to  decapitate my basil plants at the slightest hint of flowering in order to induce branching and prolong vegetative growth. 

Fig. 3    Meyer Lemon (Citrus x meyeri)

Citrus
The 'Meyer' lemon seems to be enjoying its current location (Fig. 3).  When my father-in-law and his wife could not get it to fruit in their shady front yard, they gave it to me - knowing that we have the sun here.  So far it is looking good. 'Meyer' lemon, which is believed to have originated from China, is different from the true lemons such as 'Eureka', 'Lisbon', and 'Ponderosa' in that it is sweeter and less rindy (thinner rind).  Such characteristics are attributed to a genetic relationship to the Mandarin orange.
Now there are two types of lemons in my backyard.  I have yet to succeed in growing the Filipino lemon - Kalamasi (Citrus microcarpa).  



Fig. 4     Celery (Apium graveolens)

Celery

Last winter I planted a row of celery (Fig. 4).  It was great to have something green in the garden during the dead months of winter.  It was but we could not use it all up.  I left the plants to flower to encourage the pollinators to linger around.

   

Every gardener in our area would be interested to know that celery is deer resistant.  But then again - as I always say when people ask me whether a plant is deer resistant or not - it all depends on how hungry the deer are. 

Fig. 5    Italian Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum)



Fig. 6     Phaseolus vulgaris

Beans

Not all good things are meant to be for the gardener. I planted beans and watched them grow all the way to flowering (Fig. 6). One morning after I took the picture above, all those plants were defoliated. Everything above ground was gone except for the stems. To say that I almost cried is an understatement. The voles are here and they are destructive! Some say that voles come every three years; 2012 appears to be third year. Sadly, we'll have no beans this summer.

Fig. 7   Thai Pepper (Capsicum annuum)

Fig. 8     Fingerling Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

Potatoes 

From last year's harvest, I saved the really small tubers and planted them in early spring.  If it is still true that the condition of the foliage (Fig. 8) is an indication of what lies underground, then these spuds must be hiding some gold in the ground.  Unless, of course, my enemies (voles) have dig a secret tunnel to get to the tubers.  

Fig. 8     Tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica)

Tomatillo

This is my first time growing tomatillo.  So far the plant is doing what it is supposed to.  Flowers hang from the branches but there has been no sign of fruit as of this time.  I keep my fingers crossed on the possibility of homemade salsa verse. 

What's flowering in your edible garden today?

Lemongrass at Last

Two lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) seedlings found their way into my garden last week when I bought two plants from Green Acres.  During the last two decades of living here in California, this is the first time I owned a live lemongrass!  

When I was growing up in the Philippines, my grandmother always had a huge specimen of this herb in our backyard.  I can still remember how it grew so robustly in a seemingly shady space as it was situated between the banana plants and a dwarf jackfruit tree.  Whenever my grandmother prepared fresh-water fish and shell fish, which were so common in our diet back then, I always expected she'd ask me to get some leaves of the 'baraniw' (the Ilocano term for the lemongrass) for her.

From what I can recall, the plant prefers to grow in soil rich is organic matter.  My grandmother did not have to water her plant since it rained almost nine months per year in her garden.  In my case, however, I will have to compensate for the dry condition of the area through watering until the plants get established. 

During my growing up years, I never saw a lemongrass flower - which means that the only method of propagation for the plant I've seen so far is cloning.  However, I am prepared to see the effect of the different photoperiod on this side of the globe on the flowering of lemongrass.  It will be a good experience to grow this tropical plant in our Mediterranean climate. 

So far, the plants have been transferred into larger pots although I intend to plant one of them in the ground soon.

The lemongrass looks nondescript but the citrusy fragrance of the plant is not common at all. 

My Winter Herbs

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

While basil, cilantro (annual), garlic chives, sage, and oregano (perennial) have surrendered to the effects of winter, some of them are still growing and providing us with the needed aromatics for the season.   

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is growing beautifully - it is hardy in temperatures that are way below temperatures in our area.     My rosemary plans are planted in pots.  Every year I transfer them to a bigger pot allowing them to get bigger.   When trimmed properly they make great topiaries and landscape plants.   The good thing about rosemary is that it is very easy to propagate.  Early in the fall, my fifteen-year-old son cut some branches and propagated them.  With his "high-neglect" technology he was still able to get a good survival rate.

   

Surviving rosemary cutttings.

The scientific name Rosmarinus comes from the Latin words: ros meaning dew and marinus meaning sea.  In other words dew of the sea.  Rosemary, a Mediterranean plant, is drought tolerant.  It is believed that the dew of the sea is enough to supply its water requirement.  The word officinalis indicates that it is a plant with a medicinal value.

Peppermint (Mentha piperata)

These mint hills are planted in hollow blocks that I used as border for my vegetable plots.  It turned out to be a great container for this ever-spreading plant.   They were planted last spring and have been trimmed twice - once in the summer and once in late fall.  Regular cutting-back prevents the stems from touching the ground - which is to be avoided at all times.  Mint is roots so easily and sends out stolons that spread underground.  Stolons are modified stems that grow underground.  They emerge out of the ground, to function and become regular stems.  By the time the stolons appear above-ground it's usually be too late.  An invasive plant has established itself in your territory.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and Onions (Allium cepa)

The tiny-leafed thyme is maintaining its foliage.  In the vegetable garden, I plant it as ground cover in between rows of vegetables.  It is shallow-rooted which means that it is not a potential danger to other plants.  Last spring I tucked thyme under zucchini and tomato plants.  In the shade, thyme produces longer internodes and softer leaves which I prefer for kitchen use.   As an ornamental plant, it is best to plant thyme in full sun.   

In early November I planted some small onions (too small for consumption) from the previous crop.  Now they are almost ready to be harvested as green onions (see picture above).   

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

Chives which were divided at the end of summer are doing well in 4" x 4" pots.   Rain and wind have caused the plants to lodge but they look great.   I am waiting till we get closer to warmer temperatures before I trim them down.  This is to discourage new growths from coming out (and allow the old ones to just die down.  

Herbs make a plant-choice for beginning gardeners.  My first advice is to plant the ones that you think are useful in your kitchen or those that would be beautiful in your garden.   Then learn about the growth habits of your herbs.  Some of them are invasive and self-seeding - they can cover your yard if left alone

They look somewhat sad now but it won't be long till they get revived again.  See how some of the herbs looked during the spring and summer of last year: Sage and Rosemary; Chives; Mint; Garlic Chives; and Oregano. 

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) has been named as the herb of the year 2011.  It might be a good time to try it in my garden.   

What plant are you going to add to your herb collection this year?

Summer Grooming for the Chives

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum): Reproductive stage.

At this time of the year, chives shift growth and development from vegetative to reproductive phase.  Flowers develop and then seeds follow.  Although the flowers are very ornamental with lavender color, the plants stop producing leaves when their flowers come out.  

The young flowers are edible and make good additions to salads.  However, if you want the chives to continue producing green parts, trick the plant into thinking that flowering is over by trimming it down to remove the developing seeds. It is best to remove or trim the flowers off on or before they start to fade. This not only encourages renewed vegetative growth but it also prevents the spread of chives seeds all over the yard.   They can become perennial weeds if allowed to disperse in places where they are not welcome to grow. 

If your herb is planted in a pot, apply a small amount of complete fertilizer to replenish the nutrients that got washed out by frequent watering.

The chives were cut very close to the soil - about one inch was left.

Ten days after cutting back:  Vegetative stage.

Trim your chives for a continuous supply of this aromatic herb.

Update on the Vegetables

Defoliated pepper  (Capsicum annuum) seedlings

About two weeks ago, I had healthy seedlings of peppers planted in my garden.  Now they are all defoliated like the picture above.  Finch birds have been eating them.  Last year, they ate my eggplant seedlings too.  I had to replant them and covered them with clear large soda bottles until they got tall enough for the finches.  I could wait for these poor seedlings to leaf out but that would be wasting too much time.  I will replant and make sure to protect them.  The birds also ate all the radish and bok choy seedlings which my daughter Miriam started from seeds. 

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)

These cilantro are planted next to the peppers.  Can anyone argue if I say that finches are a little bit picky when it comes to their salad?  They don't seem to like cilantro leaves.  However, when the seeds called coriander are ready, it will be a different story.  Anyway, I'm very pleased with the way my cilantro are growing right now.  I just hope that they will not bolt quickly.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum 'Better Boy Hybrid')

Although finches also like tomato leaves, these plants were taller than they can reach.   One tomato plant behind these two is a smaller and they managed to eat its lower leaves.  These tomatoes are just waiting for the temperature to get warmer now and they soon will leap.  'Better Boy' is an indeterminate hybrid tomato.

Indeterminate plants are those that produce flowers on the lateral buds allowing them continue growing for extended period of time.  As long as they continue to grow they will still continue to produce flowers and fruits.  Determinate plants bear flowers on the terminal buds.  Once flowers begin to develop, the plant stops growing.  The life cycle of a determinate plant is shorter than its indeterminate counterpart.  Since we have a long growing season in California, I prefer indeterminate varieties.  However, in other years, I planted determinate tomatoes and then planted a different crop during late summer or early fall.

Mint (Mentha spicata)

These are spearmints that I started from stolons three weeks ago.  Since they are very easy to propagate, I often start new plants every year and replace the root-bound plants from last year.  Unless you are growing mints for commercial purposes, it is a good idea to keep your mints in pots.  Once in the ground and left unattended, it will take over your garden. 

Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

I planted potatoes once and every year since then we have volunteer potatoes in the garden.   They come from the tubers that were left unharvested from the previous crop.   I could pull them out or wait for another month and we'll have young potatoes for boiling.

Other vegetables that a in the ground but have not emerged are basil (Ocimum basilicum), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris 'Maxi') and luffa (Luffa cylindrica). 

Well, I need to stroll in my vegetable garden more often and try to outsmart the birds.

Garlic Chives (Kutchay)

Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)

As of yesterday, this is how my garlic chives looked like.  They were planted maybe three or four years ago still in the same pot.  They are ready to be divided but I have been delinquent.  Anyway, it looks very good at the moment.  

Garlic chives are different from the common chives (Allium schoenoprasum) by appearance and flavor.  Sometimes they are referred to as Chinese chives or flat chives but in Ilocano (my dialect) they are called Kutchay.   Unlike the chives, kutchay has a strong garlicky flavor which is an important material in my partly-Asian kitchen.  It is good in fried rice, omelets, soups, meats, and noodles.  The leaves as well as the young flowers make a good substitute for leeks, green onions, and sometimes cooked by it self.

Garlic chive is a perennial plant that is easy to grow.  I prefer to start with seedlings purchased local nurseries. Once established, it will continue to spread and comes back year after year.  In fact it is a self-seeding plant thus can become a weed if flowers are not cut off before the seeds get dispersed naturally.  I like to harvest them as needed starting from one end of the row or one side of the pot and moving on.  This way there will always be new leaves to use in the kitchen since regular cutting or harvesting encourages new growth and even spreading.  To harvest, cut the leaves 1-2 inches from the base. 

Annual application of compost early in spring will provide the needed nutrients.  When grown in pots, apply complete or nitrogen fertilizer at a very low rate to replace the nutrients that get washed off during watering. 

Divide and replant when the plants get to crowded (maybe every three to five years). 

Important definition:

Self-seeding plants. (n.) plants with seeds that spread their seeds naturally and without special attention given, the seeds will grow.

Start a kitchen garden...plant herbs.

Mint in the Garden

Peppermint (Mentha pepireta)

Mint must be one of the easiest herbs to grow.  As a perennial plant, mint does not have to be replaced every season.  In fact depending on your location it remains green throughout the year.  I grow mint for adding to drinks, making cucumber sandwiches, yogurt sauce for Moroccan Lamb Kabobs, and garnishing.  

Some Common Mint species:
Peppermint (Mentha piperita) has dark green leaves with a reddish stem and lavender flowers.

Chocolate Mint is a peppermint cultivar which had bronze-green leaves. 

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) has lighter green, pointy leaves and pink flowers.
Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens) has light green foliage.
Pineapple Mint (Mentha suaveolens 'Variegata’) has green leaves that are banded with white.

It has been my observation that mint undergoes two distinct growth phases in a given year. Understanding the events that happen during these phases helps a gardener grow mint the proper way.

1.  The first phase is the above-ground vegetative growth which happens in early spring (see above picture). The stems will then prepare to flower in the summer.  Frequent cutting will encourage branching and delay flowering. As the plant flowers, the vegetative growth comes to a halt to give way to reproductive development.

2.  After flowering, stolons, which are modified stems, begin to grow laterally underground covering a lot of distance in a very short period of time.  Eventually, these stolons will emerge from the ground and start to grow the next set of stems covering a much larger area.  This is the reason why mint need to be contained.  It is invasive and can become a weed.

Clone your mint
Dig into the soil at the base of your mint plant and look for stolons.   Pull it out and cut into short sections making sure that there are at least three nodes in each section.  I prefer the nodes that already have little buds and roots on them.  Then plant the sections horizontally and cover with soil.  Keep it watered but not too wet.  In no time you will see new green leaves emerge. 

Important definitions:

Propagate  (v.) to clone or grow a new plant from a vegetative part of an existing plant.

Stolon  (n.) a modified stem growing underground.  Distinguishable from the roots by the following: larger in diameter; white color; presence of nodes.

Herbs in My Garden

Sage

Herbs are plants that are used to add flavor, color, or spice to food. They are easy to grow and require a relatively small space to grow.   While some herbs are grown for their medicinal value, mine are grown them for their culinary value.  They come in different colors, shapes, and height that they can be ornamental at the same time.  In my garden, I like to plant herbs that I use in my cooking.

Herbs Found in My Garden:

Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Thai Basil (Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora)

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

Peppermint (Mentha piperata)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)

Flat Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Rosemary, sage and thyme are perennials.  Perennial plants come back year after year. They need to be trimmed from time to time to control their shape or to encourage more branching.

Annual herbs like basil and cilantro complete their life cycle within one season or one year after which replanting is necessary.  Sometimes their life cycle can be delayed by cutting removing the flowers.  This works weel with basil.

Mint is also a perennial plant but here is a word of caution: Mint is invasive and can become a weed.  To prevent it from becoming a problem contain its growth by planting it in a pot or a planter box.

Chives has its own special feature.  It is a perennial and self seeding plant.  Not only does it come back year after year, it also spreads its own seeds.  Unless the flowers are cut off before they mature, chives can also become a weed.

Rosemary

Yesterday I bought some cilantro and parsley seedlings.  There are three seedlings in a pot so what I normally do is to spread the seedlings apart into a bigger pot to allow more room for each plant to grow.   I like to plant them in pots so thatI can move them around.  When it is too hot I move them to a place where they get more shade.  As the cooler months approach I will be moving them so they get more sunlight to compensate for the shorter days.  The California temperatures will gradually decrease and by the time temperatures become limiting to plant growth it will be December.