New to Herbology!!!

Katie85

Leafing Out
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
13
Reaction score
7
Points
22
Location
Corinth mississippi
I need some advice on how to keep my herbs from dying and how to get a good size crop to harvest. I keep killing rosemary, I cannout get seeds to go from germation stage on anything, and the few plants I have gotten to live don’t produce much. I love this but I am frustrated!!!
 

Ridgerunner

Garden Master
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
8,227
Reaction score
10,049
Points
397
Location
Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
I've killed a lot of rosemary too. I don't know why, I've seen some huge bushes growing in this county, one that had been abandoned for years. It takes the right factors of sunlight, soil type, drainage, and maybe wind protection to grow it. I just never found the right spot, over-watered it, or under-watered it. Some you win, some you lose.

Which specific herbs are you talking about? You can make statements in general for many of them but some are different. I've had good success with oregano, sage, basil, mint, cilantro, parsley, dill, and chives. I can get thyme to live but it doesn't produce much. I've killed some of those too so it is not always a success. Some are perennials, they come back from the roots every year once established. Some are annuals so you need to start seeds or get transplants every year.

Are you trying to grow them in pots or in the ground? Most herbs do not like wet feet so you need good drainage whether in a pot or in the ground. For most of them how you harvest them can have a big effect on productivity. Annuals will often die if you let then to seed but will produce a lot longer if you keep them cut back so they don't go to seed.

So tell us which herbs and a bit about how you are trying. Maybe we can give yo something helpful.

If you modify your profile to show your general location that can help a lot in a lot of this stuff too. Your climate and growing season will be quite a bit different in Mississippi than it was up north. If you put location in your profile it will always come up.
 

so lucky

Garden Master
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
8,342
Reaction score
4,953
Points
397
Location
SE Missouri, Zone 6
Several of the herbs everyone likes are from dry sunny areas, like Greece and Italy. Rosemary, lavender, oregano, lots of those woody stemmed herbs are like this. And I would think they would be difficult to germinate.
Dill, basil, parsley can be germinated pretty easily indoors. I think @digit'S has grown rosemary from seed, or perhaps cuttings.
Lately I can't get rosemary and lavender to over winter. Probably has something to do with the varieties that are available. It can't be that I have a blackened thumb.
 

Rhodie Ranch

Garden Master
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
3,515
Reaction score
5,686
Points
333
Location
Southern Washington State, 8b
I have to laugh. My ex left me for Rosemary, a woman with six kids. So when I moved and bought a home, I had a rosemary plant in San Jose in the front yard. I didn't water it. I kicked it. I hated that shrub. It never died. It would NOT DIE!

I got over it all and now like rosemary plants. So do the bees!
 

aftermidnight

Garden Addicted
Joined
Jun 5, 2014
Messages
2,182
Reaction score
4,016
Points
297
Location
Vancouver Island B.C. Canada
Those of you who live in colder climates and want to grow Rosemary look for the variety "ARP" I have a huge shrub now, take the hedge shearer to it every year to keep it under control. I've had it for years, doesn't blink an eye when the temp drops below 0ºf . Last year I lost quite a few things due to freezing temps but not good old Arp. I have another rosemary "Tuscan Blue" this one has to be kept in a container so it can be moved to the greenhouse for the winter. The only reason I keep it is it's such a pretty plant.
I use a lot of thyme and have several varieties but find the good old upright shrubby common thyme is my favorite to use for cooking. I have several different varieties of chives, keeled garlic and one tub of Greek oregano, haven't looked to see if it survived this last winter, I do have trouble keeping this one going, probably should move it to the greenhouse for the winter.
Parsley I buy, I use a lot and would need a whole row to keep me going, I buy basil too, we don't really have the climate for these unless we pamper them.

Annette
 

Katie85

Leafing Out
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
13
Reaction score
7
Points
22
Location
Corinth mississippi
I am trying to grow the basics nothing overly fancy.

Rosemary, thyme, oregino, sage, parsly, dill, bee balm, lemon balm/mint, cat nip()...

My spiremint is doing good and my lavender will again once it heals from my chicken attack when they escaped.

How do you start from cutting?
 
Top