So I want to start growing some herbs in my backyard; white sage, peppermint, and possibly some sort of pepper. I'm absolutely clueless as to where to begin and what I need to buy and do. Can anyone help me out, step by step on what I need to buy and how I go about this? I know its not as simple as dropping a seed in some soil and watering it. I'd really appreciate any help thanks!
^it CAN be as simple as dropping some seeds and seeing what they do you dont always get the best yeilds right off and you sometimes have to experiment with different plants for your area, but with the correct plants, you drop the seed, kick some dirt over it and leave, some comes up and dies some comes up and makes it and some makes it without producing much, but there is basically no effort, things grow on their own, right along with some weeds and you harvest what does produce though this probably isnt what youre looking for...
well I went out and bought some spinach and chamomile seeds. I read online that i have to wait until the "last frost" to plant.. upon a quick Google search I found that the last frost in my area is around April. Do I really have to wait until then?! Also, the chamomile seeds are supposedly like you said; just toss seeds and water.
well the method i was talking about you dont water because that makes them come up artificially and dependent on you on ACTUAL techniques i recommend considering permaculture - google it last frost is generally when summer starts, some greens like cold and actually taste better if sown JUST a bit before lost frost or a month or so before first frost - when it turns to winter some greens even grow through the winter, like kale and cabbage and stuff
Depending on the variety of spinach ... It's January & I still have spinach growing in my garden (outside) here in Indiana. I direct sow in mid March every year. I think it's all a personal experiment... Depending on (micro) climate.
Whatever herbs you use most in cooking will be your best choices: usually dill, chives, thyme, rosemary, basil, tarragon, savory. Find out what garden zone you live in, and plant accordingly. A lot of herbs are either hot or cool season herbs - dill grows in winter for me, basil in summer. Growing rosemary from seed is a long process, I buy mine already potted up. Mint does well in containers: it will take over your garden for years if you don't container it, actually. Basil is a tender annual and yes, you have to wait until after the frost to put them outside. I grow mine in my aerogarden in winter, harden them off for a few days - basically taking them on longer and longer field trips to the outdoor garden - and plant as late as I can. Lavender is nice both as a flavoring and an ornamental, and bees and butterflies love it. Arugula, watercress, nasturtium - add nasturtium flowers to a salad and impress your loved ones.
Yeah, I planted chamomile a few weeks back and its growing, but very very slowly. It's still a tiny seedling. I also planted a cannabis seed for the hell of it and its been several weeks and it's still tiny. Spinach I planted a few weeks back as well and nothing has come up. I don't know why.. maybe because of the soil - I have red clay soil where I live. But I mixed it with compost i had and it still doesn't look all that great.. I went out and bought potting soil and I'm gonna try that. No clue whether that soil would work for spinach though. I also have this seedling mini greenhouse kit where hopefully my spinach seeds will grow into seedlings. I hope I'm doing everything right
be warned, its harder to start herb seeds vs cannabis seeds. my cannabis seeds break earth in 3 days directly in soil, while my tomato, pepper, basil and dill take 5-10 days. when you get them to germinate, the process is the same happy growing