Mint Propagation

One of my 2015 garden goals is to propagate more plants so that I spend less money on plants, as well as share more plants with friends and family.  I decided to try my hand at one of the easiest plants to propagate - mint.

I have both spearmint (above) and peppermint (below) in my herb garden, so I decided to propagate a little bit of both.

All I had to do was dig up a small clump of the runners and roots.  As long as some of the plant has some roots, it should be a cinch to propagate.

I places three to four root clippings into a small pot with potting soil and watered in.  There was no need to use any kind of rooting hormone, since the mint already had roots.  I then placed them on the grow shelves for a few weeks.

After four weeks, I was left with a jungle of mint to either plant around in other areas of the yard or share with friends (I'll be sharing most with friends).

Mint has been, by far, the easiest plant to propagate.  Now... who wants some mint?

Bay Laurel

A gardener friend gave me a bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) tree for Christmas.  I finally got around to potting it in a larger container today.

The evergreen bay trees are native of the dry, rocky slopes of Greece, which make it the perfect for xeriscape gardens in Texas, or other locations in Zones 8-11.  They also perform well as long-lived houseplants.  I stuck with keeping it in a container for now, since I'm not sure that I want to plant this tree, which can grow up to 60 feet high, on my property.  It will stay smaller in the container, and I'll have the option to bring it indoors as a houseplant, if I feel so inclined.

The leaves of the bay tree are the same ones that are used in soup recipes, which means this plant gets added to my growing herb collection!  In cooking, bay leaves are always used dried, since there are several bitter compounds that are lost when dried.  The leaves can be harvested at any time of year, but if kept as a houseplant, the bay leaves are most flavorful in the summer.  Tried bay leaves will keep for up to 1 year.

Bay leaves also repel flour weevils:  add several leaves in a muslin bag to a flour canister and change to fresh leaves every six months.

Bay trees are very slow growing, but once it is old enough (10-30 years), it will flower in the spring and produce small berries that birds love.  I will be very interested to see if I still have the bay tree 10-30 years from now!

Garden Fresh Herbal Tea

Herbal teas can do wonders for the body with their natural healing properties.  Lucky for me, I have plenty of fresh herbs out in the garden, so I decided to make some fresh herbal tea today.

For today's concoction, I selected lemon balm (melissa offinalis) and spearmint (mentha spicata).  Lemon balm helps calm nerves and anxiety, as well as aid in digestion and can improve memory and uplift one's mood.  Spearmint helps with digestion, including nausea and relaxes stomach muscles.  It also includes the essential oil menthol, which has local anesthetic and counter-irritant properties.

I grabbed about two handfuls of herb leaves (one of each type of herb in this case), then chopped up the leaves so that they will infuse the tea better.

I then put the herbs in a tea ball, and placed the tea ball in a 20 oz glass jar.  Next, I poured boiling water over the tea ball and let it steep for 20 minutes.  If you don't have a tea ball or other infuser, you can also place the herbs directly in the boiling water and either stain them out, or let the herbs settle to the bottom of the glass.

After steeping, add some extra flare to the beverage by adding some stevia or honey (antibacterial/anti-inflammatory) for sweetness, and maybe some lemon (antioxidant vitamin C) for some zestiness.  It ended up being a very mild and enjoyable tea.  

I can't wait to try out some other herbal tea concoctions.  Some future herbs (and a couple extra additions) I may try and their medical benefits include:

BASIL _{is useful in maintaining liver health and eyesight, is high in vitamin A, magnesium, iron and beta carotene, reduces kidney stones, cholesterol, inflammation, fever and free radicals, is a fungicidal, antioxidant, COX-2 inhibitor which can aid in the treatment of colds, asthma, cough, acid reflux, indigestion and headaches.}

BAY LEAF _{is a decongestant, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, astringent and diuretic capable of aiding digestion and boosting the appetite as well as improving insulin function.}

BLACKBERRY LEAF _{contain flavonoids, which are known for their antioxidant properties.  The leaves will also add a berry flavor to the tea.}

CHAMMOMILE _{is an anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic uterine stimulant and a mild sedative which assists in stress relief and muscle relaxation, contains apigenin - a flavonoid capable of initiating renal regeneration in rats and potentially capable of triggering adult neurogenesis in humans and works to reduce nausea, bloating and singular instances of insomnia.}

CHILI _{boosts the immune system, reduces chills and aids in pain relief due to the effects of capsaicin.}

DILL _{can cure indigestion or flatulence, aid in treating bronchitis, UTI, cough or cramps and is high in calcium.}

ECHINEACA _{is used to prevent the common cold.  It boosts the immune system, relieves pain, and reduces inflammation.}

FENNEL _{relieves gas, helps to treat stomach ailments or indigestion, reduces fever and encourages healthy menstruation.}

GINGER _{is an anti-inflammatory, anti-emetic, expectorant and antioxidant which aids in the production of saliva and digestive enzymes, reduces heartburn and nausea, clears sinuses, boosts the immune system, cleanses the lymphatic system, flushes toxins, stimulates the appetite and soothes a sore throat.}

HIBISCUS FLOWER _{is known to reduce blood pressure, reduce high cholesterol, and strengthen the immune system (high in vitamin C).}

HONEY _{is anti-bacterial, anti-septic and anti-oxidant, full of minerals, capable of soothing the throat, reducing GERD or acid reflux and allergies, is an antitussive that has been proven to lessen coughing in children and helps to sweeten bitter herbal teas.}

LAVENDER _{can assist in the treatment of anxiety, flatulence, tension and indigestion and is also a sleep aid.}

LEMON _{is astringent, antioxidant, diuretic, full of vitamin C and potassium, capable of maintaining an alkaline state and can stabilize the catechins in tea.}

LEMON BALM _{calms nerves and anxiety and can aid digestion.  It also has several properties which control herpes (including cold sores) and also regulates the thyroid.}

LEMONGRASS _{aids in digestion and can add a lemon flavor to teas.}

NETTLE _{lowers blood pressure, reduces cramps, PMS, dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia and coughs, improves circulation, is high in calcium-magnesium, anti-spasmodic, anti-rheumatic, decongestant, expectorant, astringent and an anti-histamine.}

OREGANO _{is an anti-rheumatic and anti-fungal used to treat sore throat, coughs, UTI, slow digestion, menstrual pain, malaria, insomnia, anxiety, asthma, congestion and flatulence.}

PARSLEY _{contains apigenin - a flavonoid capable of initiating renal regeneration in rats and potentially capable of triggering adult neurogenesis in humans, is used to treat UTIs, kidney stones, colic, dropsy, bloating, flatulence and amenorrhea and also stimulates blood vessel rejuvenation.}

PASSIONFLOWER _{is used for insomnia and to aid in a restful night’s sleep.}

PEPPERMINT _{is effective at treating nausea and cramps by numbing the nerve endings in the stomach, reduces stress, soothes coughs or sore throats, is anti-spasmodic and boosts the immune system.}

POPPY _{(Papaver Rhoeas) is a narcotic, soporific, mild sedative, analgesic, anti-diarrheal and antitussive that is highly effective at relieving pain and inducing sleep.}

ROSEHIP _{is high in vitamin C, which is important for the immune system, skin and tissue health, and adrenal function.}

ROSEMARY _{is antioxidant, antiseptic and analgesic, stimulates blood flow, helps to treat headaches, indigestion and fever, and prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine.}

SAGE _{is an anti-inflammatory and an anti-fungal, can be used to treat sore throat, insomnia, indigestion, anxiety, hot flashes and fever, is a COX-2 inhibitor, and prevents both the loss of acetylcholine and the depletion of glutathione.}

SPEARMINT _{helps with digestion, including nausea and relaxes stomach muscles.  It also includes the essential oil menthol, which has local anesthetic and counter-irritant properties.}

THYME _{is an antioxidant, antimicrobial, decongestant, aids digestion, relieves bloating, rich in vitamin K, helps to treat both respiratory and nervous disorders.}

Herb Salt Gifts

What to do when the herbs in your garden are growing like crazy and you are in need of some thoughtful, homemade gifts for friends and family?  Herb salts are a perfect option!

I've never tried making my own spices before and haven’t even dried more than a handful of my own herbs until now.  However, the mild Texas winter means my herbs are taking over the garden and need to be harvested.  I also wanted to give my good friends and family a Christmas gift from my garden, so I thought now would be a great time to try out some homemade spices.

After some online searching, I opted to make herb salts, since it would stretch my herbs the furthest so that I could provide even more loved ones my homemade gift.  I had quite a variety of herbs available, so I decided to go with two different recipes, as described below from the Vegan Mother Hubbard website.

ROSEMARY, CITRUS & PARSLEY

2 tbsp minced parsley

1 tsp rosemary (stem removed)

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 tsp finely grated lime zest

2 tbsp kosher or sea salt*

LOVELY HERB SALT

1/4 cup parsley leaves (curly or flat leaf)*

2 tbsp dill (all but the finest stems removed)

2 tbsp sage leaves (no stems)

2 tsp oregano leaves

1 tsp thyme leaves

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp rosemary (removed from stem)

3 tbsp kosher or sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Use a very sharp knife to chop the herbs into a very fine mince, or put the herbs into a food processor until finely minced.
2. Pour the salt over the herbs. Continue to chop, until the salt is worked into the herbs, so you have a homogenous mixture (or add the salt the food processor and mix well)
3. Spread the salt over a dinner plate, and allow the salt to dry overnight or until there is absolutely no moisture left.  The herbs can also be dried in an oven.
4. Store the dried salt in a sealed container. It will keep for 9-12 months.

NOTE:  Do not use iodized table salt in the recipe.  Kosher and sea salts have better flavor and a texture that will match the minced herbs.

I tripled or quadrupled the recipe in most cases, since I had so many harvest herbs from the garden, and I wanted to gift the salts to quite a few people.  The whole process was quite simple, but was very time-consuming; primarily the part where I needed to remove the individual leaves from the rosemary.  But then again, I’m pretty picky and want to make sure no leaves, woody stems, or little critters are getting into the picked leaves.  I also opted for drying my finished herb salts in the oven instead of letting them air dry.  I mainly did this because I was crunched for time and needed to get the salts packaged before they would have time to air dry. 

To oven dry the herb salts, I spread them on baking sheets and put them in the oven at 170 degrees with the oven door slightly open.  It is important to keep the door open for proper air circulation and to make sure the oven doesn't get above 200 degrees, otherwise the herbs will cook instead of drying.  Every 30 minutes, I removed the herbs from the oven and stirred them up to make sure they were evenly drying.  The baking sheets that had thinly spread salts on them took about one hour total to dry, while the sheets that had a lot of herbs took about two to three hours to dry.  The process worked well, however, I wonder if letting the herbs dry out naturally or in a food dehydrator would keep them more flavorful.  I’ll have to try another method next time to compare the difference.

I then packaged the salts in 4-oz. glass jars that I purchased online and labeled with chalk labels.  The salts should keep for 9-12 months and can be used to flavor a wide variety of dishes, including poultry, red meat, fish, cooked vegetables, and salads.  I hope my friends and family enjoy my homemade gifts!

How to Plant Ginger

The ginger that I bought from the grocery store started sprouting recently, so I thought, what a great time to try to plant my own ginger!  I've heard it is a very easy herb to grow, so wanted to give it a try myself.

I first started by cutting the rhizome into smaller pieces, making sure that each piece had at least one eye bud.

Since I live in a climate that experiences freezes, and since ginger is a tropical plant that can't handle freezing, I decided to plant my ginger in a container, so that I can bring it indoors in the winter.  I selected a plastic container, since it makes for easier transport while lugging it in and outside. I also opted for a pot that has a removable bottom, so that there is easier drainage when it is outsides, but then I can put the bottom back on when I bring it indoors.

While I did not start with an organic ginger root, I want the ginger I grow to be as organic as possible, so I bought some local organic potting mix for my ginger - Lady Bug Vortex Potting Soil.  I also added in some compost from my bins to give it a little extra nutrients.

Next, I planted my ginger roots, spacing them evenly in the pot, with the eye buds facing up. Then I covered them with 1-2 inches of potting mix and gave them a good watering.

Ginger root likes partial shade and to stay moist, so I selected a place on my patio that will get filtered sunlight.  I'll need to make sure to keep this plant more watered than most of my other drought-tolerant plants.  It will also need to come indoors before a freeze.

Ginger is a slow-growing herb, so I will need to wait at least 4 months to do any harvesting.  The longer I wait, the bigger my harvest will be, so if I can wait closer to a year, I will get an even better harvest.  The best time to harvest is in the fall, when the leaves start dying back.  I will probably do a small harvest this fall, but leave a lot of the roots in the pot and bring it indoors over winter.

I always love trying out new plants - I'll let you know how this one goes for me.  Have you ever planted ginger?