When we speak of herbs, many thoughts come to mind as each of us has different experiences.
When we speak of herbs, many thoughts come to mind as each of us has different experiences.
While the first thoughts of herbs surely will be associated with food, herbs are associated with many other uses around the home from scented lotions and baths, medicinal purposes, house plants, dyes and more. In the botanical sense, herbs are small, fleshy plants and “herb” is the root word of the term “herbaceous,” which is used to describe these types of plants.
For this article, I want to use the definition from the Herb Society of America that states herbs are “valued for their flavor, fragrance, medicinal and healthful qualities, economic and industrial uses, pesticidal properties, and as coloring materials (dyes).”
While herbs and spices often are used interchangeably, herbs can be distinguished from spices in the following way: herbs are generally the leaves of herbaceous plants (fresh or dried) while spices are the seed, fruit, root, stem or bark of a plant.
While many of us still rely on dried herbs sold in individual containers, fresh leaves from the supermarket or farmers market, and/or as a package mix such as chili or spaghetti seasoning, growing your own is quite easily done in Hawaii.
Here, garden-fresh herbs are possible every day of the year. If it is handy, you are more likely to use them to season food and other uses around the home. Fresh herbs impart greater range and heighten levels of flavor because of the phytochemicals in them.
If you are thinking this is a great idea but don’t know what to grow, think of the herbs you use or would like to use daily or weekly.
Could it be green onions, basil, cilantro, mint and lemongrass or others such as rosemary, dill, thyme, oregano and parsley?
The great news is many of these can be grown in garden beds or pots and also can be integrated into the landscape to add color, textural and fragrant accents to your garden. For those with limited space or that require just a little amount of many herbs, a strawberry pot might be just the right container to use.
You can select various pot sizes based on the number of plants you want to grow. Smaller pots have five planting spots, while larger ones can have nine or more.
In general, herbs grow well in well-drained soil; however, there are some that like drier soil and others that thrive in moist soils. Knowing something about where in the world the herb originated can help in determining its moisture preference.
For example, herbs commonly associated with the Mediterranean tend to grow best in sunny locations with lower moisture and well-drained soils. Examples of these herbs would be thyme, oregano and rosemary.
Herbs such as the mints prefer moist fertile soils to produce large aromatic leaves.
When planting herbs, it is important to know herbs generally are divided into groups based on their duration in the garden.
Perennial herbs generally are propagated by seeds or vegetative means and will grow for many years with proper care. For some perennial herbs, you might only have to plant once.
Annual herbs are generally propagated by seeds and normally survive until the reproductive cycle (flowering and seed formation) is complete. To prolong the harvest of annual herbs, the practice of removing flower buds can keep the plant in a vegetative state, inducing the growth of new shoots and leaves.
This works well with annual crops such as common or sweet basil.
Herbs are great for what they contribute to our wellbeing in food, medicinal and other uses, but care also must be taken with their use.
Herbs naturally produce many different phytochemical compounds — active chemical compounds that contribute to taste, fragrance, protection from disease and pests, and/or to make them undesirable to be eaten in large quantities. Therefore, caution and knowledge are important in the use of herbs.
First, you need to ensure its identity, as a case of mistaken identity can cause illness or even death. Also important is knowing how to use the herb properly.
Learning what part of the plant can be used for the intended purpose is important, as not all parts of the herb are equally safe or effective.
Lastly, know if there is a dose threshold for the herb. The adage about the “poison is in the dose” does apply.
As an ending note, some of the early uses for herbs were different from those today.
While herbs always have been used in living pharmacies from which to cure anything that ails you, used to make different dyes, and used in cooking to flavor food, they also were used to help preserve food in the time before refrigeration.
Herbs also help mask the flavor and odor of decaying foods, especially meats. They were used to mask body odors of those who bathed infrequently or not at all, too.
For more information on this and other gardening topics, visit the CTAHR electronic publication website at www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/Site/Info.aspx or visit any of the local Cooperative Extension Service offices around the island. I can be reached at russelln@hawaii.edu.