Care Level: I'm Easy
Pet Friendly: Warning
Toxic to pets if ingested.
Salsa with Cilantro
Credit: Southern Discource @southerndiscourse
YOU WILLNEED:
1/2 medium yellow or sweet onion
1/4 C finely chopped cilantro
2 jalapenos
1/4 C vinegar, skinny
2-3 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4-1/2 lime
DIRECTIONS:
Finely dice tomatoes & onion and place in medium glass mixing bowl. Add chopped cilantro. Slice jalapenos in half to remove the seeds and the membrane than that holds them. Finely dice peppers and add to tomatoes and onion. (Note: You may want to wear gloves while you work with the jalapenos or make sure to thoroughly wash your hands after) Add vinegar, garlic, chili powder and 2 tsp of salt and sugar. Toss well. Taste to determine if another tsp of salt and/or sugar is needed. Squeeze lime over salsa. Toss once more. Cover and refrigerate or serve immediately with tortilla chips or with any Tex Mex dish.
Care Level: I'm Easy
Pet Friendly: Warning
Toxic to pets if ingested.
Place this plant in full sun (6-8 hours) to part sun (4-6).
Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy.
This plant needs humidity levels between 40-60%.
The optimal temperatures to grow basil are in warm temps at 72°F-90°F. In these warm temps, you'll have several harvests throughout the season. For basil to amass a strong flavor and beneficial oils concentration, nighttime temps need to drop in the 64°F-71°F range.
This cultivar will grow as a perennial in plant hardiness zones 9-12. It grows as an annual in cooler climates.
Apply your fertilizer six weeks around the drip edge of the plant or sprinkle some rich compost around the area. Container garden: If growing in a container, fertilize monthly with an organic balanced fertilizer.
To transplant into a garden container or the garden bed, water your plant the night before. Dig the hole twice as wide as the grower pot and slightly shorter than the grower pot (not deeper) to raise the crown. Remove the plant and center in the spot. Add rooting hormone around the roots of the plant. Water in the hole and let drain. Add soil amendments like organic compost to enhance the soil consistency and ensure its well-draining. Fill around the plant and up to the top of its soil line. Tamp down with your hands to remove any air pockets. Water again around the drip line. This herb is susceptible to slugs, snails, cucumber and japanese beetles. You may add organic slug bait around the soil area and plant chives or garlic as a deterrent to beetles.
Harvest your plant's leaves when the plant has grown three to four sets of leaves or more. The plant has gotten strong enough to accumulate resources from photosynthesis, and his roots have nestled into the soil. Once your basil grows three sets of leaves, it's time to harvest. Younger leaves taste better too! Prevent your plant from going to flower as long as possible since flowering deters leaf production. Flower production is the end of your harvesting. Prune the plant slightly above two sets of leaves with sterile sharp scissors. (Do not pinch or tear the stems or this could lead to disease and a bigger wound.) Count up from the bottom and go up at least three sets before pruning.
When plants grow lots of foliage in the spring, prune a 4-inch stem cutting. Cut the stem just below a leaf node. Remove leaves on 1/3 of the bottom half of the branch with pruners. (Do not tear off.) Dip the roots' ends and place down to the first leaf intersection in the damp, well-draining, seedling mixture. Tamp down around the stem to secure them. Use a 2-3 inch container with a 5 inch deep base with deep drainage for the roots to grow. Set it in bright, indirect sunlight while they are rooting. The soil needs to be at 70°F. Check the moisture each day and add misting to the soil (not the leaves) while the roots establish. After 3-4 weeks, roots will begin to form. You can tug onto the stem to ensure the roots establish after new growth begins. Place the cuttings in the morning sun for a couple of hours each day to harden them off. Increase the time each day and check to ensure the leaves aren't getting sunburnt. Once they have transitioned into the sun, you can transplant them to the garden after the roots are mature.
Plant this herb in full sun (6-8 hours) to part sun (4-6 hours).
Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy until he gets established and then let dry between deep waterings.
This herb is used to average humidity climates similar to the Mediterranean.
Give this herb afternoon shade.
The herb likes a more Mediterranean climate.
To transplant into a garden container or the garden bed, water your plant the night before. Dig the hole twice as wide as the grower pot and the same depth as the grower pot (not deeper). Remove the plant and center in the spot. Add rooting hormone around the roots of the plant. Water in the hole and let drain. If you have clay soils, add composted leaves, to enhance the soil consistency. Fill around the plant and up to the top of its soil line. Tamp down with your hands to remove any air pockets. Water again around the drip line.
Prune any signs of flowers to alleviate bolting. Harvest leaves early in the morning and eat while fresh. When harvesting, use pruners and cut a stem above existing leaves to promote ongoing growth. Prune old growth out at the end of the season or the stems will become more woody and the leaves will turn bitter.
Stem cutting: To propagate, prune 4-6 inch stem cuttings with no buds or bloom from the parent plant. Remove leaves on 1/3 of the bottom half of the stem with pruners. (Do not tear off.) Dip the ends in root hormone (mixed in water at a paste consistency) and place 1-2 inches down in damp, well-draining, moist potting soil mix and tamp down around the stem to secure it. Use a 2-3 inch container with drainage and is deep enough for the roots to grow. Mist inside a clear plastic bag to create moisture and humidity and place the bag over the top of the plantings loosely. There is no need to tie off the bag but allow a little airflow under and into the planting pot. Set it in bright, indirect sunlight while they are rooting. Check the moisture and humidity each day and add misting to the soil (not the leaves) while the roots establish. After 4-6 weeks, roots will begin to form. You can tug onto the stem to ensure the roots establish after new growth begins. Transplant to the garden after the roots are mature.
Plant this herb in full sun (6-8 hours).
Thyme is a drought tolerant plant once it gets established. Water the first several weeks if natural irrigation isn't available. Let it dry between waterings.
Average humidity is good for this plant.
This culinary herb or groundcover prefers moderately dry climates and mild winters in full sun.
The herb likes a more Mediterranean climate.
To transplant into a garden container or the garden bed, water your plant the night before. Dig the hole twice as wide as the grower pot and the same depth as the grower pot (not deeper). Remove the plant and center in the spot. Add rooting hormone around the roots of the plant. Water in the hole and let drain. If you have clay soils, add composted leaves to enhance the soil consistency. Fill around the plant and up to the top of its soil line. Tamp down with your hands to remove any air pockets. Water again around the drip line.
Any time of year, remove any dead, damaged, or diseased stems from the plant. After flowers fade on the plant, sheer back 1-2 inches to shape and promote new growth. This herb may wane in the heat of summer, so trim back, and it will recover in cooler months.
To propagate your French Thyme: Container planting: Water your plant a couple of days before dividing and transplanting. Inspect your plant for overcrowding or if you want to spread more of the love in your garden. If it is root-bound in the pot, remove the plant and tease and pull apart the mass of roots. You can use a sharp, sterilized knife to divide the root mass. Ensure you have several healthy root sections in each division. Divide each clump into its new pot, using a size smaller to compensate for less root mass and deep enough for its roots to grow. Plant in well-draining potting mix amended with rooting hormone. Place the plant at the same level as the previous pot adding soil at the bottom. Water the soil and add more if settling occurs. Set it in medium, indirect sunlight for several weeks to settle in. Check the moisture each day and add misting to keep the soil moist while the roots establish. After 6-8 weeks, roots will begin to develop. You can tug onto the stem to ensure the roots are anchoring well. Once its roots establish, move the container to a sunny spot giving it full sun (6-8 hours). Garden planting: Water your plant a couple of days before dividing and transplanting. Lift the plant out of the ground with a shovel. Lay it gently on the ground with roots in tack. Use a knife to cut through the roots and divide the clump into sections for replanting. Transplant each clump by digging the hole no deeper than the root system and twice as wide. Center the transplant in the hole and add rooting hormone around the roots and water. Fill in around the plant with organic matter mixed with the native soil, careful not to cover it any more than the original plant. Water again well and monitor the soil moisture if it begins to dry.
Plant this herb in full sun (6-8 hours) to part sun (4-6 hours) with afternoon shade.
Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy.
This herb is used to average humidity climates similar to the Mediterranean.
This herb needs afternoon shade and a drop in the temperatures at night.
This is a biennial culinary herb and only spreads by seed—therefore, plant in consecutive years.
Apply a balanced fertilizer around the base of the plant in every six weeks during the growing season.
To transplant into a garden container or the garden bed, water your plant the night before. Dig the hole twice as wide as the grower pot and the same depth as the grower pot (not deeper). Remove the plant and center in the spot. Add rooting hormone around the roots of the plant. Water in the hole and let drain. If you have clay soils, add composted leaves, to enhance the soil consistency. Check to ensure your pH levels are between 5.5-6.7 with our 3 in1 plant meter. Fill around the plant and up to the top of its soil line. Tamp down with your hands to remove any air pockets. Water again around the drip line.
To harvest, trim stems around the outer edges. Trimming will promote more growth.
Since Italian Parsley is a biennial, you will need to plant him for two consecutive years to harvest each year. To extract the seeds, the plant flowers and dries first. Trim the Parsley with the seed heads and place into a bag to lightly remove the seeds. Dry the seeds in a warm place by turning them daily on a paper plate or towel for two weeks. Label and store in an envelope and place in an unused refrigerator for up to three years. To plant, use well-draining soil with rich nutrients and compost. The pH should be between 6-7. Use our 3 in 1 plant meter to test the pH. Soak the seeds in warm, soapy water for an hour. This procedure will break the outer layer of the seeds and help them germinate faster. Afterward, rinse the seeds in a colander with warm running water to remove the soap. Place the seeds in a warm bowl of water to soak overnight to help with germination. Then strain and place on wax paper to dry completely before planting. Prepare seed trays with well-draining moist soil for seedlings. Start this process 2-4 months before the last frost date in your area. Plant the seeds in 1/2 inch of soil and 12 inches apart if growing outside. Once the plant has germinated at around 70°F, let it grow to 3 inches before transplanting into the garden. Keep the seedlings in bright light or under grow lights to germinate.
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