THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606140094
SECTION: HOME & GARDEN PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: 56 lines
PARSLEY, SAGE, rosemary and thyme. Whatever your favorite herbs, it's not too late to grow them at home. In about an hour, you can fill a strawberry pot with a selection of herbs that will meet most of your cooking needs.
The Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Bureau says this is all you need:
A decorative planter. A strawberry pot is ideal. The protruding pockets allow herbs to cascade from all sides for an attractive display.
Potting mix. To make sure your herbs grow, create a healthy soil that drains well. Use a top-quality potting mix that includes peat moss. Yard soil retains too much water for herbs, which may cause roots to die. Poor-quality potting mixes allow water to drain too quickly. You can use the potting mix again next year, so buy the best.
Herb plants, about 10 kinds. Drought-tolerant herbs are best for strawberry pots, because the pots dry out quickly. Herb gardener and author Susan McClure suggests that in the side openings, use small cascading or bushy herbs that dangle, such as sweet marjoram, thyme, lady's mantle, lavender, creeping rosemary, winter savory, oregano and ``Lemon Gem'' marigolds. Linda's Garden in Pungo, which specializes in herbs, and many other garden centers, have herbs on sale now.
A cardboard tube, such as from a roll of wrapping paper.
Enough small stones or gravel to fill the tube.
First, put 2 inches of potting mix in the bottom of the strawberry planter. Then stand the cardboard tube upright in the center of the planter. Work it into the potting mix so it remains upright.
Then fill the pot with potting mix up to the lowest tier of pockets. Insert plants in those pockets and then fill the pot with mix up to the next tier of pockets and repeat the process until all pockets are planted.
Save the tallest herbs, such as chive, parsley and dill, for the top of the planter.
Leave about 1 inch between the potting mix and the planter rim to allow watering.
Fill the cardboard tube with small stones and then carefully pull the tube out. The column of stones provides a place to water so that water reaches all herbs nearly simultaneously.
An alternate method is to use a perforated plastic tube instead of the cardboard tube and stones.
Most herbs are sun lovers, so place the pot in a sunny site on the patio where it is convenient for picking the herbs.
Water the planter frequently to keep the soil moist but not wet to the touch.
Use a water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks.
You should have some herbs ready to use within a few weeks.
For the most flavor and fragrance, pick herbs before their flowers bloom and pick them early in the morning. ILLUSTRATION: Color by CSPMA
A strawberry pot planted with a variety of herbs can be kept on the
patio to fulfill your cooking needs. by CNB