Grow Your Own Herbs
There are many reasons to
grow your own food, and recent unresolved food safety concerns about summer
favorites like tomatoes and cilantro, the official herb of Tex-Mex cooking
– are likely to have more folks cultivating
an interest in growing edible plants.
Herbs are the perfect entry-level
plant for first-time food growers. Given the right conditions and a minimum
of care, they’re quite easy to grow, even if your outdoor space is limited
to a small patio.
There are many more fringe
benefits — the taste and scent of fresh herbs can’t be beat. You’ll never
again pay grocery store prices for a bunch of past-their-prime herbs. Often
those prices are only a little less than you’d pay for the plant itself,
though growing your own, you will have to invest in pots, good soil and
a few other necessities, as well as make a small investment in time.
But perhaps the biggest advantage
of growing herbs is what people have known for centuries – that they have
considerable health benefits to give. Researchers began looking into the
role of circumin (the principal ingredient in turmeric) in preventing Alzheimer
disease after noting the much lower number of elderly with the disease
in India, where turmeric is
the spice that colors Indian
curries yellow.
Tumeric, which can be grown
in the warmest regions of the U.S., also has been cited as a preventative
for certain cancers and for rheumatoid arthritis, because of its anti-inflammatory
properties. It is being studied in the treatment of several other medical
disorders.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
studies also have found that many herbs are high in antioxidants. A tablespoon
of fresh oregano contains as much antioxidants as a medium-sized apple.
And by growing your own,
you’ll have no worries about whether pesticides or synthetic fertilizers
were used if you stick to organic practices.
Andrea and Matthias Reisen
of Healing Spirits Herb Farm near Rochester in western New York raise and
sell wholesale herbs and host educational sessions for people who want
to learn about herbs. In more than 25 years of business, they’ve seen interest
grow, and Andrea has a simple explanation: “The nice thing about herbs
is that they don’t take that much space and they’re good for the soul.”
It’s difficult to single
any out for special mention, she adds. “They all have such wonderful medicinal
properties.”
The Reisens grow a huge variety
of herbs for both medicinal and culinary uses, including some relatively
obscure ones, like nettles, which Matthias cites for being high in vitamins
and minerals (calcium in particular). Still, it’s doubtful if most backyard
growers will be willing to put up with nettles’ spiny stems.
Instead, let’s focus on five
herbs that are quite easy to grow and known for their health-promoting
properties. It’s best to get planting times and other region-specific growing
requirements for your neck of the woods.
Cilantro, also known as coriander.
Ironically, as cilantro joins tomatoes and other possible suspects in recent
salmonella-related illnesses reported nationwide, this herb was shown in
a 2004 study to contain a natural antibiotic, helpful in fighting bugs
like salmonella. Some believe it also helps remove metals from the body.
This is best grown from seed because it is difficult to transplant successfully.
Cilantro likes well-drained soil.
Oregano. Everyone’s favorite
pizza seasoning is packed with antioxidants. In the USDA study mentioned
earlier, researchers found oregano contained more than any other herbs,
vegetables or fruits. It’s incredibly easy to grow in a pot or in-ground
in full sun (good as a ground cover), and prefers to not get too much fertilizer
for best flavor.
Dill is also high in antioxidant
activity. It’s a favorite of caterpillars and butterflies, so expect to
share the bounty with a few of these creatures. Both the foliage and seeds
are used to flavor salad dressings and dips, potatoes, and fish. Dill grows
two to three feet high and likes full sun.
Rosemary is a much-loved
plant that enhances meats and potatoes and is simply lovely to encounter
in the garden because of the wonderful smell. Rosemary is another full
sun plant that does best in well-draining soil. Because it loves the sun,
it can be a bit of a challenge outdoors in northern climates (but you can
raise it year-round indoors). Rosemary will sprawl into aromatic shrubs
in warmer, dryer parts of the country. It is thought to enhance memory
and brain function.
Turmeric, part of the ginger
family, will survive the winters in semi-tropical parts of the country
and can be grown in greenhouses elsewhere. The plant bears pretty flowers,
with a bright yellow tuber, and the yellow powder is ground from these
dried roots, but other parts of the plant are edible as well. If you don’t
want to order it from an online source, try an Asian grocery store. Grown
in India and long used in Ayurvedic medicine, it’s thought to be helpful
as an anti-inflammatory, to treat allergies and to help regulate the female
reproductive symptom, among many other uses.
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