Growing herbs in Florida is rewarding because a large number of these great plants will keep providing enjoyment throughout the entire year. There are four important factors that must be considered when growing herbs in Florida. They are soil, heat, rain, and frost. The soil found around Florida has been subject to hundreds of years of heat and erosion. Much of it is depleted of its fertile nutrients and minerals. The soil in Florida consists mostly of clay and sand. This is not a problem though as this article will disclose the secrets around tough Florida soil. Next is the scorching heat of the Florida sun. Summer thunderstorms can bring torrential downpours which can overwhelm some sensitive herbs. This along with the high humidity makes Florida much different for herb gardens compared to those grown in northern states. Plants can overheat from high heat or rot away from too much rain. Not a problem though as we have some solutions for that too. Finally is the dreaded frost of cold winter nights. The threat of frost makes gardeners scurry around wildly covering all their vulnerable plants, trees, and shrubs. There is an easy remedy though for this icy phenomenon. With all the talk of herbs some of you are now a bit excited about wooing your friends and family by using your very own home grown parsley as a garnish on top of your next steak dinner or making homemade ice cream from your very own vanilla beans. Thankfully Stephen Sharp, the founder of Florida Herb House, has shared with the most prominent secrets to herb growing success. So lets get started.
The first order of business for your herbs is to decide where you will host your herb garden. Will it be indoors, outdoors, or both? Will you plant in pots, flower beds, or an outdoor herb garden? There are advantages and disadvantages to both. If you decide to grow your herbs indoors, for one thing frost will not be a factor. Another advantage is the heat and humidity of the summer months will not threaten your plants. A couple of disadvantages though will be the source of light for your herbs. If you use indoor fluorescent lights, then make sure they are giving your plants light for 14-16 hours per day. For plants that will get the benefit of sunshine from a window or lanai, then allow a solid 6-8 hours of natural sunlight per day. Your herbs do need darkness too! In this way our little herb plants are like us. They should receive around 8 hours of darkness per each 24 hour cycle. One other possible problem with growing indoors is your air conditioner. Air conditioners are a must in Florida but for plants they can pose a problem if set at too high a setting. Herbs especially when young will benefit from some degree of humidity. It is best to keep your air conditioner no lower than 77 degrees and 80 degrees is more appropriate for your herbs. As for outdoor growing, it seems herbs just tend to naturally thrive and grow better in their native environment. This does not mean your outdoor basil will tower over your indoor basil by no means. It is just the natural elements of the environment have a nurturing effect on botanical life. The obvious disadvantages of your outdoor garden in Florida are the extreme elements of the environment as we discussed earlier such as frost, thunderstorms, heavy rain, and high heat/humidity. Luckily herb plants are a tough plant species and can forgive you for one or two mistakes during their lifespan. We think the best way to approach this is to select only Florida's strongest herb survivors for your outdoor planting and keep the more delicate herbs inside for growing. Not before becoming more experienced with your herbs should you attempt to raise delicate herbs such as caraway, chamomile, lavender, marjoram, rue, sage, tarragon, or thyme outdoors as these usually fall victim to Florida's hot summer heat.
Next is choosing the herbs you wish to grow. This is one of the most fun parts for most. This obviously is entirely up to you depending on your needs. Some want to grow beautiful flowering herbs for ornamental purposes. Others wish to use their herbs for their cooking needs. Still others have health and medicinal needs for these miracle plants. Whatever your needs may be, there are hundreds and hundreds of different herb varieties to choose from. To list them all would be beyond the scope of this article so we will concentrate on 20 or so of the most popular plants. What we also suggest is starting your herb garden with choices that grow well in Florida. For this list we went again to our friends at Florida Herb House and they shared with us their golden list of the top 22 herb plants for Florida gardens indoors and outdoors. There are as follows; Aloe, Anise, Cardamom, Chicory, Chives, Comfrey, Cilantro, Elderberry, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Gotu Kola, Sage, Horseradish, Lemongrass, Lemon Verbena, Juniper, Peppermint, Spearmint, Oregano, Passion Flower, Rosemary, and Tarragon. Some additional popular herbs that should be grown indoors are Basil, Parsley, Thyme, and Basil - these will not fair well in the Florida heat. All the above mentioned herbs except for Aloe and Lemongrass should survive the Florida winters provided there is no frost. When frost lurks it is best to bring your herbs indoors if possible or cover with a protective blanket. Before you make your final herb selection, it is also wise to approximate how much space will be available for your plants. A good rule of thumb is to allow approximately one square foot of space for each herb. For example, if your herb garden will be 5 feet wide by 4 feet long then you should be able to easily accommodate 17-20 individual types of herbs.
Now it's time to choose seeds and plants. Will you be growing from seeds or starting your garden using young plants? Unless you are just head over heels with seeds then we are going to recommend against it. Sprouting seeds in Florida is more difficult than other states. The first problem is the quality of the seeds available in Florida. The viability of seeds stored in Florida are poor. Sometimes the "sprouting" part is the seed is destroyed only after 6 months or so of storage. Therefore it is very hard to determine if the seeds you buy will sprout. What compounds the problem is that you may think the problem is the way you are planting the seeds and then change up your entire planting method when the whole time it was the seed that was the culprit. If you must plant from seeds then the best way is to gather the seeds direct from the herb plant that you wish to grow. If that is not possible then make sure you purchase quality seeds from a reputable store. Also make sure the seeds you purchase are treated with fungicide to help prevent seed rot. The seeds should have a light pink powder on them, this is the fungicide powder. Store your seeds in zip lock bags, label them accordingly, and then place them in your freezer. Don't worry the cold will not hurt the seeds, it will protect the viability of them for future use. Stephen from Florida Herb House adds, "We rarely grow our herbs from seed here in Florida. The risk of seed rot during germination in Florida is high and happens often with even minor errors in your sprouting techniques. Many times even the best seeds will remain unsprouted or sprout and then just give up. It takes constant care, proper temp's, humidity, food, and water to bring a seed through the first few weeks successfully. Yes it can be done and is done often by gardeners but we opt to eliminate this phase of the growth process which allows more time to concentrate on other areas such as planting new herbs from cuttings, harvesting, and picking our herbs."
The advantage of starting with a young healthy plant rather than seeds is the fact that you can pick and choose from a variety of plants and select the ones that look the best. Now this can serve as your master herb and once it has grown large enough, a cutting can be made and then rooted to form new plants. This saves the many hassles of nurturing a seedling through the first four weeks of intensive care. Many people don't realize the simplicity of rooting plants from simple cuttings. To root any herb from a cutting, you simply snip off 4-8 inches of the plant. Make the cut above one of the plant's nodes (the node is a junction point on the plant where branches form). Also never take too much of the plant, never snip more than one third of the total plant as this can cause undue stress. Next make a diagonal shaped cut at the base of the cutting, this will help with the rooting process. Remove any of the leaves at the bottom of the cutting so you have a clean shaft to plant. Now fill a 4" pot with some quality soil or vermiculite from your local gardening store. Make a hole with your finger a few inches deep or enough to cover the cutting up to its first node. Insert the cutting and firm up the soil around it. Some will also use a root hormone to help speed the rooting process. If you purchase one of these, carefully read the directions and apply it before you plant your cutting. An old wise tale also recommends applying a small amount of saliva for prevention against bacteria and disease. If you do this it is best to use a cotton swab to apply. Don't put the plant in your mouth. Once finished, put your pots in a spot which allows 8-12 hours of sunlight per day and water as neccessary. Humidity is beneficial for your cutting so leaving the pot outside on your lanai or putting it in a ziploc bag is a plus. Now after about 1-2 weeks give your new plant a little tug. If it gives some resistance then it is probably rooted and you have turned your first herb cutting into a new plant! Transplant your new herb using a spoon. Make sure you scoop enough so that the roots are not left behind. Transplant into larger pots or flower beds. If your ultimate goal is to move your new herbs into an outdoor garden wait about 4-6 weeks. You can maximize the growth potential and living conditions for your outdoor herbs by following this great preparation technique. Stephen Sharp from Florida Herb House once again shares his secrets, "If you are getting ready to plant an outdoor herb garden here in Florida, then this procedure has been handed down from past generations and works well for us. After we have a garden marked off, what we do is line the bottom with old newspapers. We use about a section of black and white newspapers. This will help ward off weeds as well as improve soil mineral content and furthermore help with aeration. On top of that, add a mixture of compost and soil. For the compost a blend of grass clippings and brown leaves works well. The compost will rot away and provide nutrients for your herbs. On top of your compost/soil layer add one more thin layer of newspaper, about one or two pages thick will work fine. Top it all off with good soil and your garden is ready for planting. If you find the newspaper is interfering with your planting process, then use a screwdriver to poke through the paper just enough to get your herbs planted. Water your garden well after planting and that's it! As your herbs grow you will want to keep them healthy by providing adequate nitrogen, phosphorous, magnesium, and other food/nutrient enzymes. A quality fertilizer from your local home and garden store should contain all these ingredients. Follow the directions for use, normal applications for fertilizers are about once every couple of months during summer months and less during the remainder of the year. During summer give your plants a daily soaking to dislodge insects and protect from overheating. Pick weeds as they appear for a beautiful looking garden. Take cuttings, harvest your plants for culinary and medicinal needs, and trim plants as needed. You are now on your way to being a true herb gardener! For more information on herbs, visit Florida Herb House at www.SharpWebLabs.com or www.FloridaHerbHouse.com.
Stephen Sharp
Green People United
Florida Herb House
Daytona Beach, FL 32128
(888) 476 9414
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