When we speak of herbs, many thoughts come to mind as each of us has different experiences. While the first thoughts of herbs will surely be associated with food, herbs are associated with many other uses around the home from scented lotions and baths, medicinal, houseplants, dyes and more.
When we speak of herbs, many thoughts come to mind as each of us has different experiences. While the first thoughts of herbs will surely be associated with food, herbs are associated with many other uses around the home from scented lotions and baths, medicinal, houseplants, dyes and more.
In the botanical sense, herbs are small, fleshy plants and are the root word of the term herbaceous used to describe these types of plants. For this article I would like to use the definition from The Herb Society of America which states that herbs are “valued for their flavor, fragrance, medicinal and healthful qualities, economic and industrial uses, pesticidal properties, and as coloring materials (dyes).”
While herbs and spices are often used interchangeably, herbs can be distinguished from spices in the following way: Herbs are generally the leaves of herbaceous plants (fresh or dried), while spices are the seed, fruit, root, stem or bark of a plant.
While many of us still rely on dried herbs sold in individual containers, growing your own is quite easily done in Hawaii. With year-round growing conditions, garden fresh herbs are possible every day of the year. If it is handy, you are more likely to use it to season food and for other uses around the home. Fresh herbs impart greater range and heighten levels of flavor because of the phytochemicals available in fresh herbs.
If you are thinking that this is a great idea, but don’t know what to grow, think of the herbs you use or would like to use daily or weekly. Could it be green onions, basil, cilantro, mint and lemongrass or others like rosemary, dill, thyme, oregano and parsley? The great news is that many of these can be grown in garden beds or pots and can also be integrated into the landscape to add color and textural and fragrant accents to your garden. For those with limited space or who require just a little amount of many herbs, a strawberry pot maybe just the right container to use. You can select various pot sizes based on the number of plants you wish to grow. Smaller pots have five planting spots, while larger one can have nine or more.
In general, herbs grow well in well-drained soil, however, there are some which like dryer soil and others that thrive in moist soils. Knowing something about where in the world the herb originated can help in determining its moisture preference. For example, herbs commonly associated with the Mediterranean Sea tend to grow best in sunny locations with lower moisture and well-drained soils. Examples of these herbs would be thyme, oregano and rosemary. Herbs like the mints prefer moist fertile soils to produce the large aromatic leaves.
When planting herbs it is important to know that herbs are generally divided into groups based on their duration in the garden. Perennial herbs are generally propagated by seeds or vegetative means and will grow for many years with proper care. For some perennial herbs, you may only have to plant once. Annual herbs are generally propagated by seeds and normally survive until the reproductive cycle (flowering and seed formation) is complete. To prolong the harvest of annual herbs, the practice of removing flower buds can keep the plant in a vegetative state, inducing the growth of new shoots and leaves. This works well with annual crops like common or sweet basil.
Herbs are great for what they contribute to our well-being in food, medicinal and other uses, but care must also be taken with their use. Herbs naturally produce many phytochemical compounds, active chemical compounds that contribute to taste, fragrance, protection from disease and pest, or to make them undesirable to be eaten in large quantities. Therefore, caution and knowledge are important in the use of herbs. First you need to ensure its identity, since a case of mistaken identity can cause illness and even death. Also important is knowing how to use the herb properly. Learning what part of the plant can be used for the intended purpose is important, as not all parts of the herb are equally safe or effective. Lastly, know if there is a dose threshold for the herb. The old adage about the “poison is in the dose” does apply.
As an ending note, some of the early uses for herbs were different from those today. While herbs were always used for a living pharmacy from which to cure anything that ailed you, used to make different dyes, and were used in cooking to flavor food, they were also used to help preserve food in the time before refrigeration. They also helps mask the flavor and odor of decaying foods, especially meats. Herbs were also used to mask the body odors of those who bathed infrequently or not at all.
For more information on this and other gardening topics, visit the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources website at https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/Site/Info.aspx or a Cooperative Extension Service office. Nagata can be reached at russelln@hawaii.edu.