Getting Ready to Spring into Action!
Spring for the herb gals at Garden Delights means we are getting ready not just to begin harvesting and finalize some cleanup but to set and get started on our yearly class series. Our classes are a time to share information and to answer burning questions about all things herbal, secretly one of things we like to do best. We sometimes make presentations to local groups and at once such recent event we were asked about fertilizing herb plants. Most of us think of our perennial herbs plants as sturdy hardy souls who require little attention. That’s part of the beauty of growing them. We did answer the question presented to us and would like to share that information with you.
Herb plants are kind of stuck in one place, unless we move them, so consequently over time they use all the nutrients in their soil. To keep plants healthy and maintain growth for continued harvests, we have to help them have a good source of nutrients which means a shot of fertilizer. A great time for this nutrient shot is in spring which will officially occur this month, so read on to get all the info on how to renew our hardy herb friends with some nutrients.
Herb plants are kind of stuck in one place, unless we move them, so consequently over time they use all the nutrients in their soil. To keep plants healthy and maintain growth for continued harvests, we have to help them have a good source of nutrients which means a shot of fertilizer. A great time for this nutrient shot is in spring which will officially occur this month, so read on to get all the info on how to renew our hardy herb friends with some nutrients.
Perennial herbs like the chives pictured above, will benefit from fertilizer application once or twice a year to help ensure a good harvest throughout the season.
Just what fertilizer to use? Many of the nurseries and even large variety stores will carry a good supply of organic fertilizers, many of them designed especially for herbs. Some are liquid to be mixed with water and applied with a sprinkling can. Others are dry and can be sprinkled around the base of the plants. Choose either dry or liquid, whichever you want to apply. We typically use a dry kind and let the spring rains water it in. Often they contain fish, feather or blood meal products, so keep that in mind if you have pets who may have access to your herb garden area. From experience we can attest to what happens when big black dogs begin to dig around your herb plants!
In ground plants have been resting all winter and will begin putting on new growth as soon as the temperatures increase. Before they get growing too fast and the spring rains are gone, apply some fertilizer. This one time application should be enough unless you harvest frequently and water often. Then you might want to make a second application in mid-summer.
In ground plants have been resting all winter and will begin putting on new growth as soon as the temperatures increase. Before they get growing too fast and the spring rains are gone, apply some fertilizer. This one time application should be enough unless you harvest frequently and water often. Then you might want to make a second application in mid-summer.
Holy Bail or Tulsi growing in a window box. Herbs in planter boxes and pots need regular fertilizing to ensure good growth and enough leaves and flowers for regular harvesting.
Herbs in containers, because they require frequent watering to keep them from getting dried out, their nutrients get washed away. They will need a fertilizer boost a little more often. Applying a small dose of fertilizer at least once a month or every 2-4 weeks will keep them green and happy. We like to give the mint plants we grow in pots around the greenhouse a monthly shot of liquid fish based fertilizer during the growing months, spring through fall (approx. June through October).
The huge leaves of comfrey make a great mulch and fertilizer under your herb plants.
There may even be some herbs growing in your garden that can be used as fertilizers. Two large, lush and green plants come to mind—comfrey and borage. Both are good sources of nutrients and minerals such as potassium and calcium, as well as the basics of nitrogen and phosphorus. You can harvest the stems and leaves, and lay them under your in ground herb plants as a mulch and fertilizer in one. They combine very well with manures and standard compost as well.
Comfrey and borage also make a fantastic liquid fertilizer. The large leaves and stems can be harvested, cut into pieces and stuffed into a 5 gallon bucket, covered with water and a lid. The herbs should be tightly pressed into the bucket – use a rock or old brick to help hold the plants down. Set aside, wait about 30 days, strain and use as a liquid fertilizer to water the soil under the herb plants. Just a caution—the first time the lid is removed there will be a very unpleasant odor. The tea is fine, that’s just how it smells. Dilute the finished tea 1 part to 15 parts water, and use to water the soil under any herbs. Try not to get it on the leaves, as sometimes it can burn the leaves of your growing herbs. This also gets the fertilizer down to your herb plants roots, where it will be the most useful. We loved this last summer and even got the kid to make it – he refused to help strain it once it was done – ha ha!
You can speed up the breakdown of the leaves in the bucket by adding a bit of molasses, up to 1 cup, to your tea mixture.
Comfrey and borage also make a fantastic liquid fertilizer. The large leaves and stems can be harvested, cut into pieces and stuffed into a 5 gallon bucket, covered with water and a lid. The herbs should be tightly pressed into the bucket – use a rock or old brick to help hold the plants down. Set aside, wait about 30 days, strain and use as a liquid fertilizer to water the soil under the herb plants. Just a caution—the first time the lid is removed there will be a very unpleasant odor. The tea is fine, that’s just how it smells. Dilute the finished tea 1 part to 15 parts water, and use to water the soil under any herbs. Try not to get it on the leaves, as sometimes it can burn the leaves of your growing herbs. This also gets the fertilizer down to your herb plants roots, where it will be the most useful. We loved this last summer and even got the kid to make it – he refused to help strain it once it was done – ha ha!
You can speed up the breakdown of the leaves in the bucket by adding a bit of molasses, up to 1 cup, to your tea mixture.
Harvest whole comfrey stems, with leaves and flowers, to use as mulch and fertilizer in one. It can also be chopped up and turned into an herbal compost tea, which can be used as a liquid fertilizer.
Many herbs have nutrients in them, so consider adding them to the compost tea recipe above, fresh or dried.
As we approach spring and warmer temperatures (surely it will happen soon!) help your herb plants have a healthy growing season with a nice dose of delicious fertilizer.
- Nettle: vitamins A, C, & K, calcium, magnesium, Sulphur, phosphate, phosphorus, potassium, boron, bromine, copper, iron, selenium and zinc.
- Parsley: vitamins A and C, iron, copper and manganese.
- Dandelion: vitamins A and C, calcium and potassium.
As we approach spring and warmer temperatures (surely it will happen soon!) help your herb plants have a healthy growing season with a nice dose of delicious fertilizer.