4 ms·

I was taught by a couple of friends from Italy about how to harvest the seeds and re-grow them, very easy to do. Probably my favorite plant to cultivate now con

I was taught by a couple of friends from Italy about how to harvest the seeds and re-grow them, very easy to do. Probably my favorite plant to cultivate now considering how simple it is to grow it, it's always nicer to have fresh herbs than store-bought (often going bad) or dry (no flavour). There is a key time to harvest but I think it depends on the climate you're in so I can't really advise on that unless you live in köppen zone AF. Mint is about the same and I think even more easy. One of the things about herbs is that alot of them are great chelating agents for soil. It's something to be aware of because if for example your soil is rich in arsenic, cadmium or lead, you can remediate some of it out with oregano or thyme but since these things absorb enough of that to become a potential hazard to health it's actually fairly prudent to grow your own as consumer reports has pointed out that all brands they have tested in stores have this crap in them [1], especially if you're gardening in an urban setting [2] [1] https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/your-herbs-and-spices-might-contain-arsenic-cadmium-and-lead-a6246621494/ https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/your-herb... [2] https://clf.jhsph.edu/sites/default/files/2019-03/suh-soil-testing-guide-2019.pdf https://clf.jhsph.edu/sites/default/files/2019-03/suh-soil-t...

civilitty 3y ago
If you're growing the herbs in planters, it pays to use a custom potting mix that is 1 part peat moss, 1 part compost, and 1 part vermiculite. It eliminates most risk of heavy metals and provides a very light and fluffy medium with lots of aeration and water retention.
- pixl97 3y ago
  Honestly the water retention alone is more than worth the soil costs with the potting mix. Many herbs can be very sensitive to water/heat and good control here allows the plants to grow much larger and more resilient.
  - jamal-kumar 3y ago
    So I haven't been keeping on top of this so please correct me if I'm wrong anywhere, but what I've seen to get around this in some experimental hydroponic designs is using piezoelectric ultrasound emitters to make a fog that plant roots hang into, keeping them at a certain level of humidity. The issue I recall they encountered was that the roots ended up making these dendrites that kind of went nowhere and it inhibited growth. I wonder if they've come up with some kind of hybrid method at this point which solves any of these problems because that sounds like a pretty good use case for that kind of technology if water retention is important. I think I saw something like this at a ritz grocery store in California growing basil somewhere but it didn't really look like it was making the best basil I've ever seen or anything, and I didn't really look that hard to see how it worked but it did look a little foggy in there.
- cameronh90 3y ago
  As fantastic as peat moss is, I have to recommend considering an alternative. Peat moss isn't sustainable, and at least in Europe, we don't have too many peat bogs left now. Coco coir is my favourite peat moss alternative, but as it's sterile, you do need to use a bit more organic matter or add some leachate/"compost tea".
  - jamal-kumar 3y ago
    Thanks for the tip that's something I can get out of my backyard haha

civilitty 3y ago

If you're growing the herbs in planters, it pays to use a custom potting mix that is 1 part peat moss, 1 part compost, and 1 part vermiculite. It eliminates most risk of heavy metals and provides a very light and fluffy medium with lots of aeration and water retention.

pixl97 3y ago
Honestly the water retention alone is more than worth the soil costs with the potting mix. Many herbs can be very sensitive to water/heat and good control here allows the plants to grow much larger and more resilient.
- jamal-kumar 3y ago
  So I haven't been keeping on top of this so please correct me if I'm wrong anywhere, but what I've seen to get around this in some experimental hydroponic designs is using piezoelectric ultrasound emitters to make a fog that plant roots hang into, keeping them at a certain level of humidity. The issue I recall they encountered was that the roots ended up making these dendrites that kind of went nowhere and it inhibited growth. I wonder if they've come up with some kind of hybrid method at this point which solves any of these problems because that sounds like a pretty good use case for that kind of technology if water retention is important. I think I saw something like this at a ritz grocery store in California growing basil somewhere but it didn't really look like it was making the best basil I've ever seen or anything, and I didn't really look that hard to see how it worked but it did look a little foggy in there.
cameronh90 3y ago
As fantastic as peat moss is, I have to recommend considering an alternative. Peat moss isn't sustainable, and at least in Europe, we don't have too many peat bogs left now. Coco coir is my favourite peat moss alternative, but as it's sterile, you do need to use a bit more organic matter or add some leachate/"compost tea".
- jamal-kumar 3y ago
  Thanks for the tip that's something I can get out of my backyard haha