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growing herbs/ other plants

anybody grow any plants other than cp's? i've often thought about growing some herbs but never got around to it because i don't have a sunny windowsill and texas summers are brutal. i live in an apartment so any plants i have can either be inside or outside. the patio gets full texas sun but there are some areas where it's shaded.

right now, i've got jesus the vft and a garlic plant outside. the garlic was quite by accident. i just kept growing before i got to use it so i planted it and it's growing even more. anyway, i thought i'd throw some basil, parsley, or something out there too. does this seem like a wise idea or should i just not try until we get a house?
 
Go for it! Last year I grew a bunch of basil, green onions, cilantro, oregano and rosemary on my porch and it was great. I've got a lot of them coming back this year and I'm going to start even more once I make some more space outside. You really can tell the difference with fresh produce, and growing it for yourself makes it even better.
You might try to shade your plants later in the day when it begins to get hot; full sun works for me but I'm far north of Texas and our summer highs are usually just in the 90s. It shouldn't be a problem this early in the year, but watch for wilting or burning in the summer and shade accordingly. Try some vegetables, too - many pepper and tomato plants do well in hanging baskets and excel in your climate. The best thing to do would be to go to a local farmers' market and ask around there. If you don't have a farmers' market, a nursery or garden center will do, but I find that farmers usually have the best insights into what works locally.
~Joe
 
basil grows like mad for me every year, and you just can't beat it in cooking. i'm also very partial to rosemary and sage... i agree with seedjar, ask local growers and maybe look around online for varieties that will grow well in your area.
 
grow chives. my mom usees it as a garden flower at her house. it gets purple flowers and is quite drought tollerant. spreads nicely to
 
Go to the farmers market downtown. It's right off of 30 & Harwood. They have every single herb that grows well in Texas. They have good stuff and are also quite cheap.
 
get what ever you want....BUT GET MINT!!! and whatever you get be sure you are going to use it. my mom is a HUGE herb grower. she grows mint, jalapeno(pepper jelly), habanero(pepper jelly), banana pepper, dill, sage, rosemary, chives and a partrige in a pear tree(haha)
good luck
alex
 
my housemate fancies himself a good cook  (he's not
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), and he has a window box of a few herbs...parsley, oregano, basil, and rosemary I think.  and, let's just say he's not as into plants as I am.  The soil he used to pot them was from a pile of dirt in his backyard, and apparently was so nutrient-poor that there were NO weeds or grass growing on it.  Also, the poor plants will be brown and on the verge of death before he finally waters them.  Though they aren't exactly the vision of health, they've lived this long.  The parsley actually looks pretty good.  So, heck, get some herbs...if you water them more often than my housemate does, and put them in soil intended for growing plants, they should do great!
 
I say do it~ i bet there are some great herbs that grow in the texas sun, plus you can grow them in just about any container from a tin can too, well ~ ive seen beautful thymes and nastertiums growing outta old potty's ~ { you know pink cute ones ~ } not just any ole..well ~ lets just leave it at that ~ ... i would say though if you use terra cotta pots leave a saucer underneath as the clay will suck up all the moisture. you'll be an epicurian expert in no thyme
www.centraltexasgardening.net/herbs.htm[/EMAIL]
 
ps ~ maybe try to use an organic soil ~i know what your thinking ~ from the girl who recomends a potty for a grow space is asking for organic soil ~ but you know ~ you are what u eat `
 
  • #10
I grow, off and on, a lot of exotic plants and herbs. They're fun, and it does beef up one's general plant knowledge for working with other kinds of plants.

Avoid toxic plants, though... and I'm talking the "eat it and you die" toxic. They're usually trickier to work with, and inevitably someone will have a scare.
 
  • #11
Herbs are always good because they smell good, they taste good and make for some mighty fine cookin'.
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And if you really want to get into plants, you can always set up a fluorescent light fixture inside and grow that way...orchids, african violets, etc.
 
  • #12
thanks for all the input. i couldn't find any chives for the tume being and i dont have time to go to a nursury and my daughter just spit up on me...
i got a basil plant for now.

anybody know if i can put it in the same pot as my garlic?
 
  • #13
i think chives are basically wild onions. you know the ones in your yard? i have never tried garlic before...i might give it a try!
alex
 
  • #14
Never tried garlic before? This is sacrelidge! You've never had any sort of Italian or French or Chinese or Thai or one of the dozens of other cuisines that feature garlic? Garlic is a wonderful thing. Just don't eat it raw - it makes raw onions seem like candy.
bugfreak, the basil will work in the same pot as the garlic, but make sure they both have plenty of space. The basil should have at least a couple inches more space in the new pot as it did in the pot it came from, and the garlic should have a space to itself several inches wide. The deeper the pot, the better, and some time-release vegetable-safe fertilizer in the soil doesn't hurt either.
~Joe
 
  • #15
Basil is a fantastic herb to grow ~ you can use it as a puree a paste ~,here is my quick favorite / sliced baguette, a little olive oil a little garlic a basil leaf or two and a pop in the toaster oven for a few minutes ~mmm yummy ~ plus you already have two of the ingredients growing for you in one pot ~ i advise keeping your basil well watered and dont let it get to a flowering stage ~ keep it low and manicured rather than long and leggy.it will have more flavor and will last longer for you.
 
  • #16
Darn you plant people!!! well, i went to get some potting soil. it seemed ridiculous to have such a big bag for my one little basil. so now i've ended up with oregano, parsley, and rosemary. did some quick digging (no pun intended) to see what they liked and if they are perrineals/annuals. now i've got jesus the vft, a common houseplant indoors, garlic in one pot, parsley and basil in one pot, and oregano in another. i blame you plant people... yeah.. uh huh... my husband's gonna freak when he gets home.

well, i must say at least this was a LOT LOT cheaper than spending the day spoiling Pookie the beetle. i just spent a little good chunk of $$$ getting the bug chipped. now that it's got more power, i want to get a paint job because Pookie is all scratched up. if it's getting painted, i might as well get a new front end. i'm not a big fan on body kits in general but i think the beetle cup front end would look subtle and sweet. hmmmm.... exhaust would be much cheaper. sorry guys... i just kinda went off on a tanget. i'm done with pookie. maybe i'll get some body shop guys to touch up the scratches in real life.

suddenly the plant thing seems like a very good thing i did.
 
  • #17
I would go with a lip kit. Its cheap, not to showy, and it would look awsome in black.

jpbk_jp-btl-pu.jpg
 
  • #18
having all these herbs are a great insight into the world of jesus ~ he'll continue to snack on the critters and you'll reap the benefits of snacking on the herb plants ~you both will dine 2gether eating str8 outta the pot~
i recently sold my 66 bug ~ i felt like a tin can about to be crushed by the modern world ~ i sold it to a collector ~ she was my main form of transportation and now she is with others taken it easy~goin out on sunday afternoon drives ~i was able to put a nice downpayment on a new car though ~ she always pulled through for me ~till the very end ~ awwe i'll miss my lil bug
 
  • #19
thanks guys! i've never gotten to experience an old beetle first hand but man, they have changed. new and old still have that weird round shape thing going on though.

well, here is a photo of my meager outdoor plant collection
IM000799.jpg


i'm not as smart as you guys when it comes to plants so i can pat myself on the back for not killing them.. yea, me!

okay, i'm done being self-absorbed for such lame accomplishments...

oh wait.. yea!!! i went potty!!!

okay, now i'm done
 
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