# Square foot gardening II Herbs



## mdprepper

I would like to grow some herbs for cooking and medicinal purposes. I am very new to medicinal herbs. What would you grow in a very limited space of 8'X3' that gets the afternoon sun? 

I would like to grow the plants that I can with the most uses. I will grow peppermint in a container since I know it will spread everywhere. I am planning chives, thyme, rosemary, parsley, lemon balm, oregano. I would also like to try to grow Mullein. 

What are your suggestions?


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## *Andi

mdprepper said:


> I am planning chives, thyme, rosemary, parsley, lemon balm, oregano. I would also like to try to grow Mullein.
> 
> What are your suggestions?


Your list looks like a good start,:2thumb: The ony thing I would add is lavender ...also keep in mind mullein is a biennial and in it's second year wll be a very large plant. (Mine gets 6 ft easy)

Mullein grows wild here and it's all over the place. It may be you could look around and find it just off the road somewhere. :flower:


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## UncleJoe

We grow oregano, basil, dill, and parsley indoors in containers all year round. I don't know how large some of the other herbs will get except what *Andi mentioned. You may be able to do all your herbs in containers to leave more room outside for plants that need more space. A very small amount of basil and oregano will go a long way.


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## Woody

Is there any other space to grow the herbs? The rosemary turns into a bush and really spreads, at least here in NC. Mullein gets large as pointed out and will have a huge ‘dead spot’ around the base as leaves die. Last year I harvested flowers from… 6 or 7 plants and got a quart jar of tincture and a pint jar of dried flowers. The dried were not crumbled or pressed down, just put in the jar after drying. Perhaps you can plant them off to the side of the yard? Finding them wild would be great as long as you know if they have been sprayed or grown in uncontaminated soil.

My main medicinal herbs are Anise Hyssop, Lemon Balm, St. John’s Wort, Valerian, Skullcap, Chamomile, Catmint, Hyssop, Blue Vervain and Mullein. Several are still waiting on the first harvest, Ginseng, Astragalis, cone flower and... something else, I forget. I would suggest starting with ones you are familiar with, perhaps cooking herbs and then add one or two others each year. You will get the feel for how much of each you use and can adjust the space devoted to them each year.

For my suggestion along with your list, are Anise Hyssop and Catmint. The Hyssop is tasty and makes a great tea, I mix just a pinch of it with Chamomile or use it straight up. It grows maybe 2’ tall and stays bunched. The Catmint grows low and could be planted in the front, under the Hyssop. I would also leave some space unplanted to start. You might find some plants that interest you in your travels to local markets and shops or from neighbors.


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## UncleJoe

Something else you could consider; incorporate them into your landscaping. Plant your herbs with your foundation shrubbery as long as you know it's not a plant that's prone to spreading uncontrollably. I know a fellow that has blueberry bushes planted here and there around his house mixed in with the rest of his non-edible landscape plants.


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## mdprepper

I have decided on...

rosemary
lavender
chamomille
feverfew
lemon balm
anise hyssop
oregano
chives
parsley
thyme
peppermint
catmint
skullcap

Hopefully, I can find the seeds to everything. I will put the peppermint and rosemary in pots. I may try do do a few (oregano, parsley, chives) in small pots in the kitchen window.


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## *Andi

Looks good. ..


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## TechAdmin

I recently saw a documentary on King Tut that said Coriander is good for fevers. Any body ever heard of this?


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## mdprepper

UncleJoe said:


> Something else you could consider; incorporate them into your landscaping. Plant your herbs with your foundation shrubbery as long as you know it's not a plant that's prone to spreading uncontrollably. I know a fellow that has blueberry bushes planted here and there around his house mixed in with the rest of his non-edible landscape plants.


I am actually planting the herbs to replace my landscaping. The blizzards snapped the evergreen bushes that were in this spot. I fiqured if I had to plant something there, it may as well be useful.


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## mdprepper

I bought my seeds on Saturday (see Square foot gardening post). Here is what I have:

rosemary
chamomile
lavender
catmint
chives
parsley
oregano
thyme

I could not get feverfew, skullcap, lemon balm, peppermint (I may try to transplant the stuff that had spread form my original planting years ago) or the anise hyssop. I will still try to find those, but if I can not find the seeds this year I will order them dried from mountain rose and try to get the seeds again next year.


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## *Andi

Dean said:


> I recently saw a documentary on King Tut that said Coriander is good for fevers. Any body ever heard of this?


Coriander has many medicinal benefits and it does help with fevers.

Coriander seed, Powder, Spice | Benefits and Medicinal uses of Coriander Herb


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## *Andi

mdprepper said:


> I could not get feverfew, skullcap, lemon balm, peppermint (I may try to transplant the stuff that had spread form my original planting years ago) or the anise hyssop. I will still try to find those, but if I can not find the seeds this year I will order them dried from mountain rose and try to get the seeds again next year.


I have never found skullcap at any of our local shops, it may be you will have to order it. :dunno::dunno:


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## sailaway

What about catnip, a GREAT way to attract protein in a survival situation!


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## Woody

I got all my original herb seed stock from Johnny's seeds but I see they do not list Skullcap this year.


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## mdprepper

Lessons learned part 2:

I grew absolutely NOTHING in my herb garden. 

I had put all of my seeds out and was waiting with such anticipation!! I would go out daily and check my barren little patch of dirt. Until one day I came home and.... there in my herb patch my daughter and son in law had suprised me by planting some lovely flowers. A dozen or more little flowering plants. They were beautiful. (Not nearly as beautiful as my herbs would have been.) What could I say or do? :flower:

Next year I will put out labels, so they will know that something is already there!!!


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## The_Blob

sailaway said:


> What about catnip, a GREAT way to attract protein in a survival situation!


SHAME on you...


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## fobhomestead

mdprepper said:


> Lessons learned part 2:
> 
> I grew absolutely NOTHING in my herb garden.
> 
> I had put all of my seeds out and was waiting with such anticipation!! I would go out daily and check my barren little patch of dirt. Until one day I came home and.... there in my herb patch my daughter and son in law had suprised me by planting some lovely flowers. A dozen or more little flowering plants. They were beautiful. (Not nearly as beautiful as my herbs would have been.) What could I say or do? :flower:
> 
> Next year I will put out labels, so they will know that something is already there!!!


I have an off topic (kind of) question... Is there a book that you have that explains the different uses of these herbs? Anyone? Any book(s) in particular that has helped in your education of medicinal herbs?


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## bunkerbob

The last issue # 242 of Mother Earth News has a very good article on "75 Safe and Effective Herbal remedies" page #36


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## Woody

fobhomestead said:


> I have an off topic (kind of) question... Is there a book that you have that explains the different uses of these herbs? Anyone? Any book(s) in particular that has helped in your education of medicinal herbs?


Check the reviews forum. I listed two books that I use all the time.


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## *Andi

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f49/book-making-plant-medicine-richo-cech-3997/#post37963

fobhomestead - Woody has listed a few herb books in the Product Reviews section, also you can check your local library ...

mdprepper - Sorry to hear about your herb garden ... but very nice of the kids.  I had to put a sign in mine ... lol - (hubby and son with a weedeater)


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## gypsysue

Meanwhile..."Home Herbal" by Penelope Ody is a good one. She has other more in-depth books but they're prices are staying high. High as in $30 to $50. Home Herbal was the cheapy but goody.


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## mosquitomountainman

sailaway said:


> What about catnip, a GREAT way to attract protein in a survival situation!


Got any good recipes?


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## bunkerbob

gypsysue said:


> Meanwhile..."Home Herbal" by Penelope Ody is a good one. She has other more in-depth books but they're prices are staying high. High as in $30 to $50. Home Herbal was the cheapy but goody.


 I have that book as well.


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## josephines

*lost herb plants*

Between grass and weeds, and the herbs often looking like weeds, I start my herb seeds indoors and go heavy on the perennials. I have a short rosemary hedge that has been growing for 4 years. I put in a new plant this Spring, at one end. I have four kinds of mint in painted tires that I placed 7 feet from a young almond tree. I have thyme in another tire, near that same tree. My oregano is about to quiet, so I need to get an official herb bed going and transplant it over there. I have garlic chives that are gettting puny, too.

My daylilly flowers are nice, though eating them raw affects me somehow--I have gotten so that I just won't eat them until they are cooked, and I eat a lot of raw on purpose! They add a nice touch, torn and stirred into hot rice or millet. Stir in a few slivered almonds and/or some minced radish root.

High on my list to add is yarrow officionale. The good herbologists say that drinking a couple of cups of yarrow tea can stop internal bleeding. Tossing tumeric or cayenne pownder on an external wound stops bleeding there, so I grow some peppers each year--even the hot pickle juice will stop the bleeding, though the vinegar might fight the affect somewhat and burn. The powders don't burn much at all.

I grow onions and/or garlic, but don't always get a good crop--i'm getting better and my garden beds are getting better. having these alkalizing and flavoring foods can make a winter on cooked or sprouted grains or beans rather interesting. Some beans make me really gassy when sprouted, though the southern peas don't--including adzuki. Add some kale or winter lettuce surviving under snow or standing in a protected garden bed, and people can get by short-term.


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