HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1980-04-17, Page 52Grow herbs for year-round flavor
By iob Hatnersma.
HOrticulttlral Research
Institute
VINELAND r Although'
vegetable gardening has
become tremendously
popular in recent years, herb
gardening has lagged
behind; This . May be due to
the misconception that these:
'exotic' seasoning plants are
more difficult to. grow..
HoweVer,'growing herbs, as
aFrule, 'requires no more skill
or special conditions ' than,
most vegetables,
Generally speaking, herbs
row best in full sunlight, in
otected location, on well-
fined, sandy -loam soil..
away from competing
plants. The plot need not be
large - only a few plants are
necessary to 'meet •most
ome requirements. High
fertility is not important. In
fact, , most ' herbs produce
ff
more of the essential oils.
needed . for flavor and'
fragrance, on lessfertile
soils. If you wish to fertilize,
apply an. organic compost,
such as well -rotted manure,.
to the soil at planting time..
Also add a _ superphosphate
fertilizer, at a rate of 0.5
kilograms per 10 square
metres (1 pound. per 100
squaie feet), mincing it
thoroughly' into the top 15
' centimetres , (6 inches) of
soul.
Once the herb garden is "
growing, it requires only
minimum care. The reason
many herb gardens are not
as successful as they might
be, may be because they
have been treated too well.
,Once planted, herbs require
\no fertilizer, verylittle
wa er, no spray ng, .and only
an occasional weeding.
To overwinter hardy
perennial herbs, mulch with
straw to .-prateet .the. roots.
Some tender perennials,
such as rosemary, will not
survive the winter outside.
These plants should be dug
up in the fall, potted,, and
grown. inside in a sunny
window for the winter,.
The .leaves and seeds of
most herbs contain the
flavoring oils. Examples of
'leaf' :herbs are anise, dill,
caraway, coriander, and
fennel. Harvest leafy herbs
just before, or as the flower
buds open. Collect,.. seed
herbs when the seeds are
justripe.
4fter harvesting, herbs
should be dried properly, to
concentrate and preserve
the flavoring oils. Seeds can
i
e be dried in almost any
warm, dry place. Wash
thoroughly, and then dry the
leaves by hanging bunches of
the cut stalks, upside down,
in a warm, dry, well-
ventilated, and preferably
dark roo:mn. When leaves are
dry and' crisp, they can be
ground through a wire mesh,.
Pack in dark glass con-
tainers or air -tight tin cans,
and; store in a dry place,
away 'from direct light..
About 5 millilitre_ s (1
teaspoon) of these, dried
herbs ` is equal to .15
millilitres, (1 tablespoon) of
chopped fresh herbs:
An alternate drying
method is to wash the leaves,.
and put them on paper
towelling on a cookie sheet.
Bake in a 65 C (150 E,) oven.
Herbs are dry if they crackle
when crunched in your hand.
Be -careful not to over -dry
the herbs.
If you prefer the flavor of
fresh herbs, try freezing
them. Use the same method
that you use to prepare
vegetables for the freezer.
Tie the herbs in bunches,.
blanch in steam for 40 to 50
seconds, and cool without
immersing the' herbs in
water. Store small quantities
in moisture -proof containers
or bags.
Buying a mower,
Because lawn mowers are
used •more than any other
piece of gardening equip-
ment, it is important to
choose these machines
carefully.
Ross Irwin, School of
Engineering, Ontario
.Agricultural College, says
prospective buyers should be
aware that there are
basically two types of lawn
mowers.
There are advantages . and
disadvantages to both types
an d• like cars, there are wide
ranges of prices and models.
The reel -type lawn mower,
commonly used by
professionals, operates in a
scissor-like fashion with the
reel blade cutting against a
bed knife.
This type of mower, if
correctly adjusted and sharp
makes the cleanest cut and is
best for lawns that are
meticulously maintained
and cut low.
However, the reel -type is
not as versatile as the rotary
lawn mowers and is usually
more expensive initiallyand
more costly'to maintain.
Eggplant 'Easter Egg'
Garden grows an egg
'Easter Egg' eggplant isin the scramble for first place as a
1980 horticultural novelty. The life-sized eggs produced :by
this prolific .eggplant, are unmistakably graded as "Extra
Large." Their resemblance to their poultry counterparts are
real enough to make the hens take a second look.
A garden is more than a food producer. It is a conversation
piece, and few plants provide more conversation and interest
than 'Easter Egg.' The profuse purple blossoms are followed
by enough eggs to at least fill up'a carton.
Home gardeners who enjoy eggplant at the dinner table are
encouraged to plant 'Satin Beauty,' 'Black Beauty' or
'Dusky.' These traditional, purple -fruited hybridsare all
heavy producers for the palate.
To add a humorous note to the -home garden, plan a plan-
ting to please a child, or play the horticultural Easter Rabbit,
select this newest introduction from Ball Seed Company.
'Easter Egg' will be available this year as a pot plant at"
Eastertime, and should also be available as a fall ornamental
from greenhouse growers.
Bring out the magic markers, or watercolors and paint a
palette of eggs, on a living"Easter Egg' tree.
- STAIN GLASS
RESTORATION AND
NEW WORK
- RESCREENING
- PLATE GLASS, STORM
WINDOWS, THERMO
PANES
- GREENHOUSE
GLASS REPAIR
-CUSTOM MIRRORS
SASH REPAIRS
FISHER
GLASS It MIRROR
72 HAMILTON ST., GODERICH 524-7312
The hand -operated i reel -
type lawn mower is ideal for
small lawns. It will give a
good - cut, save gas and
provide exercise.
The rotary lawn mower
used by most homeowners
cuts by the sickle -like impact
of a whirling blade. This
action bashes the grass off
and causes the top of the
blade to turn brown. Because
of this, rotary lawn mowers
are best used for grass
control,. rather than for. lawn
appearance.
Whatever type of lawn
mower you select, get a good
quality machine to make
mowing as pleasurable as
possible.
Rototillers
Roto tillers are excellent
for soil preparation in the
vegetable garden, but don't
use them to prepare a fine
seed bed. Repeated trips
over the garden may destroy
the natural soil structure,
which may result in poor
plant growth during the
growing season.
Marigold 'Queen Bee'
New marigolds
Last year, Denholm Seed Company introduced the 'Boy
91Boy�-manrigolds, ear warf--doubte
varieties, with blooms up to 2 inches across on compact,
uniform plants that continue to flower without a summer let-
down: They were an immediate success,
Nota there is a new variety to join the four introduced last
year. 'Spry Boy' has a golden -yellow anemone crest with rich
yellow guard petals. This variety flowers more freely and
flowers are larger than those of its nearest competitor -
'Petite Spry.'
`Queen Bee' is another. variety worth noting, and a 1980
Fleuroselect winner. Flowers have red petals bordered with
golden yellow. The 8- to 10 -inch, compact bushy plants flower
early and continuously with no heat delay in summer.
Both these varieties can be purchased as small plants in
flower, and planted into tubs or beds for an "instant" garden
which will continue to bloom through the heat of summer
until frost hits them in the fall.
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Just finished the
19gardening for
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