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The Citizen, 1988-04-27, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1988. ■$R£^&Home & Garden ’88 Herbs are easy to grow in indoor garden Most herbs grow as weeds in their native lands, including sage, thyme and mints, which grow right here in sunny fencerows and riverbanks. Even foreign herbs grow quite well out-of-doors in Canada, but of course most cannot survive our hostile winters, and are forced to retreat indoors. The biggest problem in growing herbs indoors is the lack of light, often less than one tenth the duration and intensity of the outdoor light. But most will grow happily indoors in any east, west or south-facing window that gets at least four hours of direct sunlight a day. Artificialgrow-lights can help supplement the lighting, but are not, in themselves, sufficient to grow herbs with enough vigour to survive a good cook’s demands. PLANTER BOX EASY TO MAKE A simple growing system that works well for most of the more popular herbs is the ordinary window box. It may be plastic or wood, but should be at least six inches wide by six inches deep by three feet long, and should fit the window it is intended to grace so that the plants are as close to the light as possible. Bits of charcoal should be placed in a one-inch layer at the bottom to prevent he soil from going sour, especially if there are no drain­ holes in the box. Spread a layer of potting soil at least two inches deep over the top of the charcoal, then place the potted herbs - pot and all - firmly into this layer, and packing more potting soil around them, to just slightly below the rims of the pots. This simple planting system has several important features. First, individual herbs can be removed, re-potted or replaced when neces­ sary without disturbing the rest of the planter’s inhabitants. Second, the extra soil around the pots allows the roots to penetrate new soil when they would have other­ wise exhausted their own soil in stand-alone pots, Third, with careful watering, the herbs will be happy even in a planter without drain holes, which will keep moisture off your furniture or window sills. If possible, however, it is always bettertohave drain holes in the planter; any good tin-smith or sheet-metal shop can make you a few shallow drain trays to put under your planters, at very little cost. This system works quite well with most popular herbs, and with minimum care should allow them to flourish for a year or two, until the whole system needs a complete overhaul. If the potting soil used is agood compost mix, little extra fertilizer will be necessary (these are weeds, remember), butaliquid fertilizer high in nitrogen (the first number in the analysis) can be applied two or three times a year if yellowing occurs. During the summer, your herbs will be healthier if you move their planter outdoors, but do allow them several weeks of gradual exposure to allow them to adjust to the stronger light. You will also need towater them more often out - of-doors. When you bring them back inside in the fall, again allow them several weeks of gradual reduction in light, to give them time to adjust. Contrary to popular belief, Add your favourite dish deter­ gent to your wash, pouring it straight into the washing machine. It not only cleans your clothes effectively, but also dissolves the blackish build-up that gathers in the machine and on some of its working parts. herbs are susceptible to pests despite their pungent odors, and this is especially true when they are grown indoors. They should be periodically checked for white­ flies, spider mites, etc., and a good insecticidal soap applied when necessary. Here are some of the more popular indoor herbs: BASIL - The lord of everything tomato, basil actually comes in more than a dozen varieties, varying in size, colour and scent. Among the more exotic are the anise, lemon and cinammon-scen- ted types, but most herb-lovers are already totally committed to the common “sweet basil’’, which comes in either the regular large leaf form, or in a lovely Italian dwarf compact, perfect for indoor use. Both grow well indoors, but tend to wear out after 4-6 months, and need to be replaced. Starts easily from seed, or can be purchased started from some nurseries. CHIVES - The most delicate member of the onion family, chives Pittsburgh I I i \ We've got the Interior & Exterior Paints to get you started on your Spring Projects - Fences, Gates, Truck Racks, The Barn, The House (Inside or Out) . In popular oils or latex base for easy cleanup... SALE RUNS TO FRIDA Y, MAY 6 OPEN MON. - THURS. 7 A M. - 6 P.M. FRIDAY 7 A.M. - 5 P.M., SAT 8 A M. - NOON &&& For “deftest QuciCxtcf see your local PITTSBURG PAINTS Dealer MANNING'S BUILDING SUPPLIES LIMITED offer great improvement to salads, soups, vegetables, egg and cheese dishes. There are two kinds, the regular onion chives with hollow leaves and a mild onion flavour; and the irresistible garlic chives with the flat leaves. Both are easily available as seed, or already started. CORIANDER - Regular corian­ der (also called Chinese parsley or cilantro) is best grown from seed, unless you can get the less common Vietnamese variety, which has the same flavour, but different leaves. Regu lar coriander must be sown in several pots a week apart, because they don’t grow back when cut and mustbe replaced. On the other hand, the Vietnamese coridander will grown continuously from the same pot. MINTS - Mints are ridiculously easy to grown, requiring only occasional pruning and repotting to curb their aggressive habits and to replace the soil they exhaust. There are dozens of varieties, the most popular of which are pepper­ mint and spearmint. One of the best for indoor growth is English mint because it has a sturdy, compact growth and a versatile flavour. Don’t try to start mints from seed: they will have little flavour. OREGANO - There are many types of oregano; buy only two plants whose leaves give off the familiar oregano smell when squeezed. Oregano can also be grown from seed, but it is hard to know what you are getting doing it this way. Greek oregano is highly recommended. PARSLEY - Fresh parsley is now so widely available in market produce sections that some people feel it is notworth growing indoors. However, outdoor-grown plants can be dug up and brought in in the fall, provided they are re-potted in tubs large enough to reduce damage to the large tap root. Such plants will likely thrive for several months if properly cared for, but you can also start them from seed or buy started plants. ROSEMARY - Fresh Rosemary has many unexpected uses in the kitchen, but needs to live in your brightest window. Plants should be purchased started, as seeds are very slow to germinate. TARRAGON - Its distinctive anise or licorice flavour is marvel­ lous, but since only the fresh leaves have the flavour, it is essential to establish one’s own fresh supply. But only the true French tarragon plants after applying the squeeze- and-smell test. Indoors, tarragon can thrive in a bright window for most of the year, but may languish in the winter unless it is given a cold treatment to revive it. THYME - Culinary thymmes come in several varieties, includ­ ing the common English and French varieties, an attractive silver form, and the lemon, caraway and nutmeg-scented kinds. English and French thymmes can be grown from seeds or purchased as plants; the others are available in plant form only. NOTE: An excellent herb cata­ log is available by sending $2.50 to Richter’s Herbs, Goodwood, Ontario. LOC 1A0.