Herbs Continued

How are the tomatoes doing? Did you know cucumber is 95% water? So, how are the Cucumbers doing? What about Basil, Mint and Dill? Did you try their leaves yet or are they still too small?

If you are wondering where this is headed, click on the Organic Cooking section on the portal and read through all that we have covered from the basics of Organic Gardening to growing your own vegetables, Salads and Herbs in the last few articles.

Last week we covered a few herbs such as Basil, Dill and Mint; whereas this week we’ll cover Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, needle-like leaves that can grow to a height of around a metre. The evergreen leaves of this herb are about 1 inch long, linear, with an odour pungently aromatic. The small, blue nettle-shaped flowers appear in May to June and are a great attraction to bees. Rosemary generally grows best in light, well-drained, rather dry soil.

Their seeds can be difficult to germinate as it can take close to 3 months to see the first sprouts. Fortunately it can be propagated from an existing plant by clipping a shoot 10–15 cm long, stripping a few leaves from the bottom, and planting it directly into soil.

A Rosemary plant needs an area of around a square foot and loves the company of carrots, beans, cabbage and sage. Avoid planting rosemary and basil together.

They are used in treating rheumatic disorders and circulatory problems. Rosemary also has calming effects by working against fatigue, sadness, anxiety, calming muscle soreness, digestive pains and also, indigestion caused by stress. Apart from this, scientific researches indicate that rosemary is an ideal memory stimulant for both adults and students.

Thyme

Ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage while in the European Middle Ages; the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares.

Thyme is a short heighted perennial growing to a height of around a foot having fibrous roots and woody stalks. Small aromatic lilac flowers are borne in the months of May to August. It requires a hot, sunny location and is at its aromatic best if grown in well-drained soils that are low in nutrients. Thyme serve as companion plants for cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes and egg plant and require an area of half a square foot to grow in.

Thyme helps in healing cuts, bruises, acne, rash and so forth on the skin, especially in the area of the face, neck, throat and forehead. It strengthens the lungs and relieves throat and bronchial irritation.

Oregano

Oregano, also known as Sathra or Mirzanjosh, is a perennial herb with creeping roots, around 2 feet high, branched woody stems and hairy leaves. The flowers are aromatic, pale purple and the flowering period extends from late June to August.

Oregano prefers a growing condition of well drained soil with a lot of exposure to sunlight. The plant must be spaced at least a foot apart from each other for optimal growth. It grows very slowly and the soil must be weeded on a regular basis to ensure maximum growth of the crop during the growing season.

Oregano tea is a strong sedative and traditionally used to treat colds, bronchitis, asthma, fevers, and painful menstruation because of antiseptic action. The tea is also used to relieve flatulence and menstrual pain. When used as a steam inhalant, oregano helps clear sinuses while a few drops of oregano oil rubbed on the scalp at night helps control dandruff and also removes lice.

Author: Vaibhav Dugar

Me, I am a Green Warrior and yes you are either with me or against me! On paper I’m a telecommunication engineer but professionally, a farmer. Work takes me setting many-a-farms, tilling many-a-lands and playing with soil which I thoroughly enjoy. I love playing football (avidly), going cycling, watching Formula 1 and writing!

If you need company to watch Formula 1, pit stop at Vaibhav.Dugar [at] EkTitli.org

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