Container Gardening

Did you ever wonder why the flavors of dried herbs are so dramatically different from fresh?  It is because the main flavor of herbs comes from oils that are produced by the plant as they grow and mature.  If you are looking for the best flavor possible from your basil, then, you need to work to get the highest concentration of oil in the basil leaves.

The first secret to growing basil with richer flavor is to give up on the idea that bigger is always better.  It is easy to encourage plants to grow larger by adding fertilizer and watering deeply and heavily.  This does not, however, make the basil plant produce more oil.  The most beautiful and lush-looking basil plants are often weak in flavor.

Higher heat will help your basil get a fuller flavor.  There is not much point to planting before daytime temperatures consistently reach into the 70s: you won’t see much growth until then.  Once it is warm enough for the basil, plant it in as much sun as possible.

The more frequently you harvest your basil, the more it will produce and the more flavorful the leaves will be.  Start removing leaves when the plan is around six inches high, and always trim above a leaf joint: this will encourage the plant to fill out and produce more.  Any time you see flower buds begin to form, pinch them off.  If the plant is allowed to go to seed, you will lose flavor.

You don’t want to cook fresh basil much, if at all.  The oils in them are quickly destroyed by the high heat of cooking, causing basil to blacken and loose its flavor.  Always add fresh basil in the last five minutes of cooking, or sprinkle it raw over cooked dishes.  Tearing basil rather than cutting with a knife can also help it maintain its best flavor.

With these tips, you can get the most of your garden basil.

If you are looking for a great multi-use, easy-to-grow herb for your containing garden, you can’t go too wrong growing parsley.

Herbs in general are much easier to grow in containers than other vegetables, and parsley in particular is an easy grower.  It’s a biennial plant, so will keep returning, but the second year plants tend to go to seed very fast, so it’s best to start fresh every year.

How to Plant Parsley

You can grow parsley from seed, but it takes up to 2-3 weeks to germinate, which is a long time for new gardeners.  Fortunately, you can buy parsley seedlings inexpensively at your local garden center or nursery.  Growing parsley from seedlings is much simpler.  To plant parsley seedlings, just dig a hole in the dirt and place the parsley seedling in, covering the roots shallowly.

How to Grow Parsley

Parsley is tolerant of many soil conditions, but it does best in well-drained, slightly acidic soil, pH 6.0-7.0.  For container growing, a standard peat-based potting mix with 3-month fertilizer will keep your parsley growing and thriving for a full season.  After 5-6 months, if your parsley is still going strong, you can fertilize monthly: this will be plenty.

Full sun is best for growing parsley, but if daily temperatures reach above 90F, they may start to wilt.  Move them to partial shade if the daily heat gets to be too much for them.  One advantage to container gardening is that it’s very easy to move your garden based on weather conditions!

How to Harvest Parsley

You can start harvesting your parsley when it reaches 6″ tall and is relatively thick.  As with all herbs, you should never remove more that 1/3 of the plant at a time.

Parsley grows from the center of the plant, putting up new stems and leaves all the time.  Because of this, you should harvest from the outside, taking whole stems and cutting near the base of the plant.  Harvested stems will grow back very quickly!

How to Use Parsley

Parsley’s flavor is very mild, but adds freshness to a dish.  It’s very important not to over-cook parsley: you can add it at the very end of the cooking process, tossing noodles or salads with it, or stirring it into a sauce.  Italian parsley, with its flat leaves, has more flavor than the curly varieties, but if you’re looking for garnishes, curly parsley is the way to go.

Enjoy!