Buying Herbs?

[EBCIII]

Originally Posted by Starlight

Beale... Your lavender seeds should be arriving tomorrow or Sat, hopefully.

I got your seeds yesterday!! Thank you so much!! Beale.

[Starlight]

Your welcome Beale. Just remember not to over water Lavenders or they will rot on you. They don't like wet feet. I learned that lesson the hard way. : )

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by Starlight

Your welcome Beale. Just remember not to over water Lavenders or they will rot on you. They don't like wet feet. I learned that lesson the hard way. : )

Any other tips on getting lavender to start from seed? I have tried and tried and the germination rate is so poor I am beginning to wonder what am I doing wrong? I have tried them off heat, on heat, in peat, in potting mix, in different brands, in DE... the best I got was one seed packet germinated fairly well in those jiffy peat pellets off heat, but even that seemed to be a fluke. I haven't gotten anything to be consistent. Thanks.

[Fred Hempel]

The advantage of buying plants (in addition to quicker harvests) is that when you buy plants you know exactly what the herb will be like. You can smell it and see the parts you will eventually harvest.

This is particularly important for lavenders, mints and thyme.

[EBCIII]

Originally Posted by Starlight

Your welcome Beale. Just remember not to over water Lavenders or they will rot on you. They don't like wet feet. I learned that lesson the hard way. : )

I just put them in the tray with a bit of water. If they come up I will be very happy! If not? I did it wrong and may have to buy some. Heck I am not even sure I will have the space to plant them.

My beds may be full with just Tomatoes, Beale.

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Any other tips on getting lavender to start from seed? I have tried and tried and the germination rate is so poor I am beginning to wonder what am I doing wrong? I have tried them off heat, on heat, in peat, in potting mix, in different brands, in DE... the best I got was one seed packet germinated fairly well in those jiffy peat pellets off heat, but even that seemed to be a fluke. I haven't gotten anything to be consistent. Thanks.

Lavenders are not easy to start. Starting them from seed requires a lot patience. So like Fred mentioned if you want instant results it is better to buy the plants and actually take cuttings and root more.

To start from seed, I get them little tiny plastic soufee cups you see at the big box store in the paper supplies. The cocktail size about one ounce. I use a screwdriver or heat and poke a hole in the bottom.

In a bowl I will take a handful or what I feel I need of just straight vermiculite and just barely moisten it. I moisten it will a mix of water and hydrogen peroxide. You just want it barely damp, just so you know there is a touch of moisture in the vermiculite. because it can anywhere from two to 6 weeks depending upon cultivar for it to germinate and if you have it too wet your seeds will rot before they even have a chance to grow.

I fill the little soufees up with the vermiculite, drop one seed in each little pot, right on the top. Than I take just a very thin, and I mean thin layer of dry vermiculite over it and give it two quick little mist sprays of more of the hydrogen/peroxide water.

Than I make a small tag from cut up blinds, so that it sticks up about an inch to an inch and a half above the top of the pot. Place all the little pots in a sealed plastic gallon baggy and put someplace where it is warm, but not super hot. About 60-70F and keep lights on it 24/7 til germination.

Because it takes so long for germination some times, I will open the baggy up for a minute about once a week and let some fresh air in and than reclose. If you can't see through the top of your baggy than you have too much moisture and I would pull the cups out, let them dry a bit and put into a new baggy.

They do take work, but Lavender is worth it. I trying to get my hands on some of the yellow to try. The only one I wouldn't recommend is Pink Ellegance. The flowers are so tiny you can barely see them and it rambles all over, not so nice to look at , nor a strong fragrance.

[clkeiper]

Thanks. Maybe I am keeping them too moist. I am not looking for instant. I grow to sell at markets and I have a roadside stand. this has been my biggest challenge for starting from seed. I have a greenhouse and it is just sitting on benches... but not doing much, I have it in plastic trays with covers on them. Maybe I will cut some slits/holes in them and cover with a paper towel to see if they will do something. I had some germinate last year, but as soon as I planted it it died. I don't know if it was the potting mix, too moist, too dry, too whatever, but it died. I will say it was Scotts potting mix in the green bag. Someone gave it to me and I thought I would try it. I wouldn't ever buy it after trying it , though. I think it will be fine to dump in the high tunnel, but not plant plants in pots in it.

[Worth1]

I would really like to have one of my beds full of French lavender.

But no way I could afford to buy all of those plants.

Worth

[Starlight]

You and me both Worth. Ya know I wouldn't be opposed to you buying a field of them and gifting them all to me.

That is a dream I am trying to work on one seed at a time, though this year some of my plants are big enough to root a few cuttings. A friend has been to Hawaii and says they have some of the biggest most beautiful and fragrant fields of Lavender there and it is well worth the trip to Hawaii just to go visit the Lavender fields. Maybe someday.

Clkeiper... If you want for market. I think it would be worth buying online if they don't sell in your stores a True Lavender at least and hack it all up into cuttings and you could probably root them a whole lot faster and have for market in a year or two.

Also a word of warning, that if you are pregnant there are alot of studies out and ask a doc, that you should not be around or handling Lavender as it may affect an unborn child.

I am trying Heather for the first time this year. I hope it is going to be easier than Lavender.

[clkeiper]

I tried cuttings. They are as hard as seeds. No worries here for any unborn or future generations.... My children are all graduated and I am not needing any more, but thanks for the warning. It isn't one I have ever heard of.

[drew51]

I bought four different lavender plants last year. I think I already mixed them up, as to what is what? One was for culinary uses. One has pink flowers! They were small but all grew really fast! I need to prune them! I buy a lot of plants online all the time!
I have three fruit trees coming, 1 currant, 4 blackberries, 2 basil hybrids, Cuban Oregano and some potato tubers.
The fruit trees are a Weeping Santa Rosa plum. a Satsuma plum, and Nadia a natural hybrid of a Japanese plum and a sweet cherry.
I don't think you can buy seed of Cuban Oregano? It's not really an oregano, but a plant that can be used like oregano. I want it for my Tex-Mex dishes. Coleus amboinicus var.
I bought the variegated type. taste is same as non-variegated. I will start new plants in the fall and overwinter indoors. The Basil hybrids are
GREEK COLUMNAR BASIL and AFRICAN BLUE BASIL

[clkeiper]

Drew, I had cuban oregano last year and it is very citrusy. I am not sure if that is the flavor you want for tex-mex or not. Just remembering how clean and fresh it smelled, I don't think I would try it in tex-mex unless someone told me to. I didn't get mine to winter over, so I am hoping my friend did and will share some with me again.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Drew, I had cuban oregano last year and it is very citrusy. I am not sure if that is the flavor you want for tex-mex or not. Just remembering how clean and fresh it smelled, I don't think I would try it in tex-mex unless someone told me to. I didn't get mine to winter over, so I am hoping my friend did and will share some with me again.

In Mexico they use a lot of lime and citrus in some of their hot sauce.
I can buy it here in town.
It is very good we even have Lime and chilli tortilla chips.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.eXY&cad=rja

Worth

[clkeiper]

It doesn't really remind me of lemon or lime specifically. just fresh clean and citrusy. Silly sounding description, I know, but it just doesn't strike me as tex-mex and I love our mexican restaurant here in town, it just doesn't "go" with the cuisine I get there. Maybe I should ask for something different the next time i go. Like maybe # 39 or # 56... etc. Just pick a number and try it whatever "it" is.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

It doesn't really remind me of lemon or lime specifically. just fresh clean and citrusy. Silly sounding description, I know, but it just doesn't strike me as tex-mex and I love our mexican restaurant here in town, it just doesn't "go" with the cuisine I get there. Maybe I should ask for something different the next time i go. Like maybe # 39 or # 56... etc. Just pick a number and try it whatever "it" is.

Sounds like it would be good on Tacos Al Pastor.(meaning in the shepherds style)
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.eXY&cad=rja

Worth