Subject: help with growing at home

From: [email-masked] (Andrea Donato)
Date: 31 Dec 1994 18:58:06 GMT

help! I have been having the worst time trying to grow my herbs at home. 
my sage grows wonderfully, but i cant seem to get my oregano or thyme{or 
anything else for that matter} to grow. Also does anyone have any info 
on how to order seeds to grow herbs such as echinacia or comfrey. 
thanks!

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From: [email-masked] (Conrad Richter)
Date: Sat, 31 Dec 94 16:04:22 EST

> on how to order seeds to grow herbs such as echinacia or comfrey. 

There are a number of reasons why your herbs are not doing well.  In 
my experience, the most important is light (they need lots!), followed 
by water (under/overwatering), pests and diseases, soil, and temperature. 

Please describe your sun exposure (or other light source) -- how many 
hours daily, direct, indirect, etc. -- as well as the type and size of 
container the plants are growing in, how long have they been in the 
container.  Please also describe in more detail what the thyme and 
oregano look like now -- are the leaves dropping, turning yellow, etc. 

As for echinacea and comfrey seeds, we offer them.  You can order a 
catalogue at the email address listed below.  

Conrad Richter

RICHTERS HERBS                     | Info:                 [email-masked]
Goodwood, ON  L0C 1A0, Canada      | Catalog Requests:  [email-masked]
Tel +1-905-640-6677  Fax 640-6641  | What's New for '95:    [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Carolyn M Wetzel)
Date: 11 Jan 1995 20:48:59 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
Hilda Marshall <[email-masked]> wrote:
>"K. Hanson" <[email-masked]> writes:
>
>>I leave my tarragon in the garden.  It thrives  (looks like small
>> bushes) here in northern Minnesota.
>
>Yeeow!  Mine croaked in eastern Massachusetts!  Is yours French or
>Russian?
>
>Love, Hilda

When I lived in upstate New York, my french tarragon died every winter out
in the garden.  But here in central Iowa (same hort zone as where I was
before, 4b, although it never stayed so cold, so long, when I was in NY!) it
makes it through fine.  I think it depends on how well the soil drains, so
when it is very damp (like the heavy clay of NY) they die, but in lighter
well-drained soils (like the beautiful black "potting-soil" stuff we have
here) they survive.  Also, we tend to have better snow cover here so the
plants are protected from the bitter winds almost all winter.  But yes,
french tarragon can survive the winter outside under the right conditions. I
did not believe one local grower who told me this when I first moved here-
had to try it myself!  -30 oF for a couple of days, weeks below zero, and we
had fresh tarragon the following spring.  Speaking of which, is everyone
enjoying the seed catalog blitz?

Regards, Carolyn

-- 
Carolyn M. Wetzel			[email-masked]
Postdoctoral Research Associate		Tel. 515/294-7784
Department of Botany			Bessey Hall
Iowa State University			Ames, Iowa  50011-1020

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From: [email-masked] (Hilda Marshall)
Date: 12 Jan 1995 14:54:07 GMT

>here) they survive.

Aha - our "soil" is about 6 inches deep on top of some very heavy
clay.  I think that's probably what happened to the rosemary too.
Maybe next time I'll put them in barrels.  Thanks!

By the way, I've come up with a REALLY good tarragon vinegar.  Add
slices of fresh garlic, and use half red wine vinegar and half rice
vinegar.  Is this stuff ever good!

Love, Hilda

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 14 Jan 1995 15:57:36 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, "K. Hanson" <[email-masked]> writes:
>  Also any plant you bring in from outside will shed some of it's
>leaves as it adapts to new lighting.  When you bring in a new
>plant, put several stakes in it and then set it in a plastic bag 
>for several days (the stakes are to keep the plastic off the plant.
>You should be able to tell with in  3 or 4 days if you have insects
>on it.  You should really do this when you bring in any new plant.
>(flowers and plants from nurseries, floral shops, etc. often have
>pest problems!)
>  Mint if it looks really ill can be trimmed and the tops placed in
>water.  Just keep them in a glass jar until you replant them outside
>next Spring.  (Works only on regular mints, not exotic mints)
>  I work  (in the Spring) at a green house and raise a lot of my 
>own herbs, and house plants.
>                               Kid Kaos

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From: "K. Hanson" <[email-masked]>
Date: 10 Jan 1995 02:37:22 GMT