hello all, here is a new section about growing your herbs for your magic garden...
some herbs tend to be temperamental in the growing state like catnip others grow like weeds like mint
in this section you will learn how to grow the temperament herbs or the herbs that are hard to grow...
say you have catnip seeds and want to grow them... what i have done is i start them in a plastic sandwich baggy i wet a cotton pad (which you can find at any pharmacy in the woman make up area. make sure they are flat, the balls wont work as well and you'll see why) ok like i said wet your cotton PAD and press the water out keeping the pad flat (i recommend pressing it between the palms of your hands) then sprinkle the seeds in the center of the cotton pad. then take another cotton pad and wet it then press it as done before take it an lay the pad on the other pad kinda sandwiching the seeds in the middle. place the pads in the baggy and set in the window seal.. after about 3 days take the baggy open it and take the pads and separate them exposing the seeds lay both of the pads in the baggy again and mist lightly blow air into the baggy gently and seal the baggy and set in the window seal again mist and blow air into the baggy 1 to 2 time weekly not to much because the baggy will hold moister and if you water to much the herbs will die from over watering. you will notice the seedlings in the first day after separation of the pads and you'll also notice they attach them selves to the cotton pad. that is all...
after about a half inch plant grow its ready to be placed in the pot...
potting in the pot
all you have to do is place the cotton pad on the top of soaked soil the wet soil will decompose the cotton pad and the roots will grow into the soil over time... after the plants have grown about 6 to 12 inches feel free to cover the top base of the cotton pad with soil if not its up to you you don't have to.
thanks for taking the time to learn my way of growing fickle herbs enjoy :)
I have found Catnip is a herb that requires little water. It is best just to keep it damp and top it up daily for the bestresults. It needs plenty of light- I like to put mine under fluorescent lights to encourage good growth.
I have also found that it only requires very simple soil, just like ordinary potting soil. Personally, I liketo use the common mixture of 1 part sand, one part potting soild and four parts compost.I top up mine with fertilizer every day. (When I am on vacation I ask a friend/neighbour if they could do it.)
As it is a member of the mint family, it is perennial and will grow back year after year!
Just thought I would provide a little info on its requirements, from my personal experiences with the plant.
On the more technical side of growing herbs, and plants in general. They make lights called LED Grow Lights, which only use certain colors of light to help promote plant ground. But these can be expensive, so a cheaper, though not as affective, alternative is to use colored filters with lights.
From my research on the subject, orange and red light (red being better) works best with plants and herbs in general (as well and fruit bearing plants), while blue and purple work best with vegetables.
I purchased a cheap LED light panel online, and while it isn't great quality, it still works well. I've only been able to test it on tree seeds (jacaranda and empress), but it did seem to cut the seeds germination time in half.
I ordered seeds for mugwort (through amazon), which will be my first herb, so, once they arrive, I'll post on whether or not it helps that much with herb growth.
