The Many Uses of Organic Herbs
June 13th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Organic herbs have a multitude of creative uses, what better way to enjoy the bountiful crop you’ve so painstakingly grown than by putting them to good use? Since you may not be able to use all you’ve grown, here are four easy things you can do with your extra organic herbs.
Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically
High and Dry
Drying organic herbs is a relatively simple process, even in a humid climate. The herbs should be harvested in the early portion of the day when it’s the coolest using a sharp knife or scissors to cut the stems. They should be washed thoroughly, placed on towels to absorb excess moisture and then tied together with a ribbon or string.
Although it may be tempting, it’s best not to dry organic herbs by hanging them in the sun; this will cause them to lose some coloring. Just hang in a dry, cool location until completely dried when you can then store them in jars. Dried organic herbs that are stored in airtight jars will usually last for about a year.
Freeze for Later
One of the great things about organic herbs is that they freeze well and when thawed, they’ll be fresh and taste as delicious as the day you harvested them. Herbs should be washed thoroughly after harvesting and placed on towels to dry. Turning them occasionally will help remove excess water, and it’s best to leave them on the stems since they’ll freeze better this way.
The organic herbs should be put into labeled freezer bags and will keep for around six months or so. To use them frozen, simply break off the portion you need and place the rest back in the freezer.
Salad Sense
Oils and vinegar made from organic herbs are a wonderful and inexpensive addition to any meal. These delicious vinegars not only complement salads but can be used to spice up your cooked vegetables as well.
To make tasty vinegar with organic herbs, all you need is a glass jar with a lid, the herbs of course, and some vinegar. White vinegar works well enough, but you may want to consider looking for organic white vinegar. Some people choose to use wine or cider vinegars too, although the cider variety does have a strong, distinct taste of its own. Wash and dry your fresh organic herbs as you would with freezing or drying, fill up the glass jar, add vinegar and tighten the lid. After a few weeks, simply strain the herbs and you’ll have vinegar made with organic herbs.
As with vinegar, oils made with organic herbs are a great addition to any salad. They’re also ideal for cooking and using as an appetizer along with assorted breads for dipping. Organic herb oils are good for our skin as well; they can be used as a moisturizer or in the bath to soften skin.
To make your own variety of oils, fill a glass jar half full with extra virgin olive oil, but almost any would work, add the organic herbs, fill the remainder with oil and then tighten the lid. Herbal oils MUST be kept in the refrigerator with storage times being less when fresh organic herbs are used. If you’ve used ones that have been fully dried, they’ll keep for about a month in the refrigerator. Since flavored oils tend to be ideal places for bacteria growth, storage instructions should be followed carefully.
Share the Wealth
Now that you know a few things you can do with your organic herbs, remember that they can also be put into a variety of creative containers to make wonderful, home-made gifts from the heart. Organic herbs can also be used as shower favors or even housewarming gifts. Using various glass jars and pretty ribbons, organic herbs can be coupled with other items such as breads and salad sets to make lovely gifts that anyone would enjoy.
Whatever you decide to do with your organic herbs, you can see that there are several uses for them and just as many ways to store them. All it takes is a little imagination and some creativity and you’ll be able to enjoy your plentiful crop of organic herbs year-round!
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Growing Healthier Plants with Organic Garden Fertilizer
April 29th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Any plentiful organic garden will have been started with good soil that is rich with nutrients. And, any organic gardener knows that soil must be worked with at the start and end of each growing season to ensure an abundant output of healthy organic plants and flowers. Organic garden fertilizer is an excellent way of replacing essential nutrients, keeping plants well-fed and capable of producing a bountiful crop.
Organic garden fertilizer contains no chemicals and is made from live materials that are plant or animal-based. Soil additives, whether organic or not, may also be used in conjunction with organic garden fertilizer. These common additives such as Epsom salts or potash are used to control the PH balance of the soil and also to provide additional micro-nutrients.
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Hybrid and Heritage Organic Garden Seeds
March 6th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
You must use organic garden seeds in order to sell your produce as a USDA certified organic product. The guidelines for organic garden seeds are the same as those set for vegetables. Organic garden seeds must be free of GMO. They cannot come from stock that has been genetically modified. Plants that are either open-pollinated or hybrids are the only source that organic garden seeds can be collected from.
These guidelines may not seem very important, but they are. Otherwise you could end up with seeds from plants that were treated with pesticides or that were grown in soil that was chemically altered. This can lead to seeds that do not produce as much or do not germinate properly. The DNA of plant seeds treated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides can be altered. If you know you purchased organic garden seeds you will not be exposed to these problems.
Seed grown from old, non-hybridized plant variety are referred to as heritage organic garden seeds. Being able to produce specific characteristics is why hybridized plants were developed. There are some very positive aspects of hybridized produce. They tend to have longer shelf lives and are more insect resistant than the original plant. The quality is also better with more flavor, more colorful, and are larger and juicer. Many excellent varieties of plants have been produced by this ancient agricultural practice.
With hybridization there are some problems. One notable downfall is the seeds will not breed predictably from hybrids. The results of growing plants from hybrid organic garden seeds are unpredictable and could end up with mixed characteristics from the parent plants and the hybrid characteristic will not transfer.
Another problem is that a variety of plants are in danger of being lost. That is because they are not grown if certain characteristics aren’t met. You may end up with the original genetic stock being lost. We will not have a source for new seeds if the parents stock is gone. Organic garden seeds available in the US are nearly all hybridized seeds.
Growing vegetables from heritage organic garden seeds are, according to some gardeners, much more flavorful than those from hybridized seeds. A high percentage of organic gardeners use heritage organic garden seeds. To be able to use save and use the seeds from your plants you should use the heritage organic garden seeds. You can use your seed next year in our own garden or join a group to be able to trade heritage organic garden seeds with other organic gardeners. While being able to trade and save heritage organic garden seeds is great, you are also preserving a back up stock of the seeds in case it is ever needed.
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Organic Container Gardening
February 24th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Healthy plants with a limited amount of space
If you would love to grow healthy, fresh vegetables and vibrant, beautiful flowers but have limited space, organic container gardening can be the answer you’ve been looking for. This creative type of natural gardening can be done just about anywhere and it can even be easier than maintaining a traditional garden plot.
Here are three things to consider for simple organic container gardening, regardless of the amount of space you may have.
Start With Organic Soil
It only stands to reason that for any successful venture in organic container gardening, one would need organic soil. A regular, outdoor garden begins with the soil or dirt that you already have and then organic materials are added to increase nutrients. But you’ll be ahead of the game if you start with organic soil to begin with.
With organic container gardening, you won’t have any sub-soil to help retain water which in turn prevents the roots from becoming too wet. The best way to correct this problem is with simple peat moss. Peat moss can either be used alone or added to your organic soil along with compost or composted manure and the result is an excellent soil mixture for organic container gardening.
Use Plain or Creative Containers
Put your imagination to the test as just about anything that will hold soil and water can be used for organic container gardening. While some gardeners prefer to take the natural route and use pots made from clay or wood, you are really only limited by your own resourcefulness.
Although, pots and containers that won’t fall apart when they get wet and that will also drain properly work best for organic container gardening. If needed, you could always drill holes into the bottom of the container and then add about an inch or so of gravel to aid with drainage. Also, a few layers of torn newspaper or leaf mold atop the gravel will help retain water just enough to keep the soil moist as well.
Plant Your Crop
With the use of organic container gardening, you can plant the same plants and vegetables that you would in any other garden such as tomatoes, peppers, beans or herbs. The key is using containers appropriate in size to what you are planting. For instance, zucchini plants will need the same amount of room in the container as they do out in the garden, so be sure to have something that will allow the plant room to grow healthily.
Organic seeds and plants will work best with organic container gardening, and you will also find that you’ll rarely have a problem with most garden pests while using this particular method. It’s much easier to keep pests at bay and keep an eye on leaves and stems with organic container gardening rather than with a large, regular garden. Ladybugs will still help with insect infestation and diatomaceous earth can still be used to deter slugs from destroying your plants.
Basically, the same practices you would apply to traditional gardening can be used with organic container gardening. And anywhere you may have a sheltered area that receives enough light; you can enjoy the fruits, or vegetables, of organic container gardening all year long.
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How To Design Your Organic Garden
February 20th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Basic Elements of Organic Garden Design
Gardening started as a necessity with our ancestors and has become a love and pastime in our days. Organic gardening may before long however become more important as we are surrounded by genetically modified and artificially planted and grown fruits and vegetables. Here are a few tips and suggestions about organic gardening design and why it is important.
Garden Design
Organic garden design must be well thought out while keeping a few priorities in mind, for instance some plants and vegetables require more water than others and organizing them in the right arrangement will provide just that. The same applies to direct sunlight; numerous vegetables cannot flourish without direct sunlight and some will die if they are over exposed. This is why designing your organic garden carefully is pivotal to it’s success.
Last, but positively not least, we all want our garden to appear lovely and be in harmony with all things that surround it, and here is where yet again a planned organic garden design will help you accomplish your objective.
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Buying From An Organic Garden Center
February 20th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Organic Garden Centers Make Growing Organic Gardens Easy
Are you living the organic lifestyle? Having support would be tremendous, but where do you discover it? An organic garden center is the best location to discover all you want to understand about growing an organic garden. The organic garden center in your local area will keep all the supplies that you require and see that your garden thrives the way it should. When you are growing an organic garden, you have the benefit of no chemicals or insecticides in any of the materials that are used in your organic garden. Organic garden centers provide an invaluable service to its patrons. They warranty that all of their goods are 100% certified organic. Your garden will flourish and the foods you grow will taste better and even be more healthful.
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