Hydrophonic herb gardening: Think of a garden on steroids
To say the least, hydrophonic herb gardening is intriguing! Best suited for the cleanliness freaks, it is a process that keeps the bothersome elements (the mud and the weeds) away while also putting up some extra décor for your home. Let’s see the way to do it.
The key point of hydrophonic herb gardening is growing bigger and better plants without spending a fortune; all that you’ll need is some chemicals, some recycled water and a few parameters that one must strictly adhere to. The result is bigger and healthier plants throughout the year.
The process is as simple as making the plants sit in plastic baskets (filled with rock-wool) at its most basic state. The rock-wool is inert, lightweight and holds onto a lot of moisture, which is particularly effective when it comes to absorb and supply the water as well as the nutrients to the plants. At the base of the buckets are the air-stones (the type used in aquariums); these pump oxygen into the whole setup.
When everything the plants need is present in ample quantities, they are bound to grow phenomenally well. Just a little care is needed regarding the required amount of sunlight, which often require medium to low sun. The best herbs to start a hydrophonic home herb garden are the culinary herbs; stevia, basil, oregano, mint and parsley come next. It is also a very fruitful way to grow medicinal cannabis; however, for users of cannabis as a recreational drug, it is not at all recommended.
However, if you lack space and sunlight, you may sum up everything within a 10 to 14 gallon opaque tub and get hold of a few artificial lights. The opacity is to keep algae from growing. Bubblers meant for the aquariums along with a regulating valve come next; this must be fitted with air tubing. Net baskets are essential to hold the plants set in rock wool, which in turn, holds the plant nutrients. Keep the temperature within 70 to 80 degrees F and you are all set for a whale of a hydrophonic mini herb garden.
Now, if you are thinking about the widespread rumors, then verify the facts before doing so. Hydrophonic herbs are criticized for their lack of taste. This is because they are not supplied with the proper nutrients (in terms of quantity as well), which can be solved by following the proper guidelines, except for dandelions.
If you are thinking about making a hydrophonic fresh herb garden for commercial purposes, know that the profit per square foot may reach as high as $60! That’s from the culinary herbs alone; if you are planning to sell dried herbs with medicinal qualities or fragrant herbal oils or maybe even the ornamental variety, profits shall multiply by multiples of the said figure. Just keep a few more points in mind and things shall flow as smooth as red wine.
i. Mint requires indirect light and lots of water.
ii. Rosemary prefers a moderately dry atmosphere, sage alike.
iii. Don’t hunt for French tarragon seeds; they propagate from cuttings from the stem.
iv. Pinch back the growing tips regularly; this shall make the plants more compact and bushy in appearance.
v. Harvest when a plant is blooming but hasn’t yet flowered, for making oils.
Herbs in the News: What it is and what it should be?
From sky-high successes to miserable failures, herbs never conk out when it comes to generate news and get noticed by the public eye. The phenomenal herbal supplements industry; however, seems to remain unaffected; it is the real herb enthusiasts who seems to face all the blows. A probable reason could be that the herbal supplements manufacturing industry themselves making or breaking the market for a certain variety; it’s possible because true information is scarce and certain topics, for example, weight loss or sexual incompetence sell like hot cakes.
What most of us fail to realize is that it is a chain reaction… Most of the herbal supplements manufacturers recommend overdoses (printed on the labels), which bring the fruits initially but also triggers a number of unwanted, negative side effects that require another class of supplements to get rid of.
A bright example is the current fad on Tribulus Terrestris; despite its miraculous healing properties, it can lead to serious pancreatic failures when used in excess of 750 mg a day. That again brings Aloe Vera into the scene for setting right the pancreatic disorders and money rolls.
Adding fuel to this flame are the declarations: “No side effects” and most people are not capable of reading between the lines. Yes, it is no side effects unless you try the herb in excess of the recommended doses. The incomplete information is just a vehicle to take the herbal supplements industry further and everyone seems to be happily getting aboard.
On the flip side, the hypes created by the industry flock people around certain herbs and a mention becomes enough to sell the bottles by dozens. For example, we know what wonders Panax ginseng can create; what we don’t know (or rather, we don’t intend to know) is: it is true, provided there’s present the right quantity. So, anything with Ginseng printed upon disappears from the shelves faster than you can ask – “How?” with no noticeable benefits in a user. As a result, it turns people off within sometime, but the industry, by then, has recovered more than its investments. It’s time to take out an alternative and the story repeats. So what’s the proper way out?
To get started on herb gardens for the home that are personal and on your own terrace (or bedroom window sills or even in the kitchen). It shall make sure a few things:
i. No more dependency on the market for availability.
ii. You shall be able to grow the herbs organically, which means, their medicinal properties shall remain unaltered.
iii. No preset mode for consumption in terms of quantity.
iv. It will save a lot of money. For the price of a jar, you shall be able to raise an entire garden.
Now, question remains, what should you plant?
This is a tricky situation. Every herb has its own share of virtues and though very little, of vices. However, there are some that treat a wide array of disorders and these make a good choice. But first of all, you must know the disorder you are suffering first.
The recent news about the confirmed efficacy of St. John’s Wort in driving away depression and menopausal symptoms shall be helpful to a lot of people trying to find what to start their indoor herb gardens with; the same applies to Ginkgo Biloba, which is currently in news for not comprising the toxic alkaloid colchicines. Or, if you are more patient and daring, try the Ginseng itself; it is currently making the headlines for being proven to help a speedy recovery in patients of acute, chronic bronchitis.
Herbal Tea – The valued replications
Infusions or decoctions, herbal tea may be called either. The names come from the preparatory procedures that essentially comprise ‘soaking’—leaves and the flowers and ‘boiling’—roots, stems and fruits, the herb(s) in hot water. They fit in well for other beverages and unlike just the taste or the flavor.
Peppermint Bed
Herbal teas bring forth a fair amount of benefits that people often seek through surgical or non-surgical methods. However, an overnight benefit cannot be expected from singular herbs; except for a few like incontinence or dysuria treated with caltrop. Any degree of such disorders is curable with caltrop within 24 hours or Aloe Vera; the latter in known to cure diarrhea within a few hours. It will take an appropriate combination.
Unlike pharmaceutical medications that fight the symptoms alone, Herbs strengthen the system from the insides while fighting the symptoms; and we all know multi-tasking takes more time. That applies to anything from hemato-cardiac unrests or neural fusses or even the bone and joint unhinges.
It’s not that herbs are always the sweet-smelling froo-froo goodies; sometimes they are as bitter and pungent as Hell itself. A perfect example is the Che Dang; an extremely bitter tea made from the Ilex causue leaves. But they comprise enough goodies to let go off, so an easy way was devised to blunt the bitterly experiences. Herbal tea was born to take care of some of them. The process is simple: pour some boiling water on crushed herb, allow steeping for sometime and the drink is ready.
Lemon grass
There are two choices: First is, buying it from herbal tea stores and next, growing it in a tea herb garden. Indoors or outdoors, designated or non-designated, it entirely depends on the planter. However, there also stays a third choice present; befriending someone with an herbal tea garden or making someone start a herb garden. You may often get free supplies besides what you buy from the person.
Growing and harvesting herbs – contrary to what commercial producers claim – is something easier done than said. Fennel from a homegrown herb garden shall brew as good as its commercial variety; of course, it won’t look as good. Just put in a few hours every week and a quarter of the money you’d spend to buy the OTC herbal teas, your herb garden at home will be ready.
However, to derive the most of the herbs, they need harvesting early in the day, during the end of the season, just before frost sets in. The perfect time is in the cool of the morning, when the dew has dried but the herbs still lush from it. The active ingredients in the herbs reach their peak this time, just before blooming. You are; however, not supposed to tear/crush them for storing; this shall make the essential oils and other beneficial stuff to get wasted. They must be crushed only before the boiling water is poured.
Chamomile flowering
Tribulus Terrestris: The cool, strengthening agent
You don’t need to reside in the hills to grow the Tribulus. The herb that normally grows at an altitude of 5400 meters above the sea level may well be grown in a small indoor herb garden provided you follow a few simple rules. But, why in the Heaven’s name would someone take the pain of growing this particular herb in his or her personal herb garden?
Due to many-a-reason; in short. However, let us get introduced to Tribulus Terrestris first. This prostrate, annual herb of an average height of 90 cm has featherlike leaves, with leaflets on each side of the common axis leaves. The pair of leaflets at the apex is a fair indication of the Tribulus Terrestris plant.
The flowers of Tribulus are small; five-angled and spiny with a yellowish tinge and grow solitary. Its Indian name (Gokshura) speaks clearly of its appearance; the fruit of Tribulus resembles the hooves of the cow and look like spherical bacteria when they adhere together. Another indicative feature is its odor resembling that of sugarcane; hence another Indian name for it is Ikshugandha. From fruits to the roots, every part of the Tribulus Terrestris plant bears its own legacies. However, to keep this discussion short, we shall focus on just its prime aspects.
Tribulus is the prompt, one word answer for many a complications, which, even when treated with normal antibiotics, take substantial amounts of time to heal. From various types of urinogenital disorders, renal calculi, erectile dysfunction, impotence and various other urinary tract infections all can be treated with Tribulus. The high levels of calcium in the Tribulus also make it a good remedial measure for bone related problems in combination with other appropriate herbs. That’s sure going to invite the question: What else does it comprise?
Tribulus contain a mix of alkaloids, tannins, resins, sugars, essential oils, sterols, diastase, peroxidase and glucosides (saponins), which makes it an ideal herb delivering:
i. Non-irritant diuretic effects.
ii. Antiseptic effects when dysuria sets in.
iii. A real fast curing effect when the problem relates to urinary stone formations.
iv. Cure against urinary incontinence.
v. Relief from headaches, gout and eye-related disorders, such as itching, conjunctivitis, weak vision.
vi. Nervousness and hypertension alleviation by rebalancing the hormonal levels; this is why the herb is particularly useful for people undergoing decreased libido, irregular menstruation and menopause.
vii. Anti-carcinogenic measures for the prostate; it also keeps the prostrate healthy by increasing free testosterone levels in the blood.
viii. Optimal treatment for a low-sperm count.
Traditionally use of Tribulus is also found to be effective in case of gout.
The effects of Tribulus are best noticed when administered the pure extract; most of the OTC formulations contain just traces of the herb. Besides, they may also comprise the herb particles, which have been proven to deliver an overall detrimental effect on the liver.
Tribulus also has a dark side to it. The high levels of calcium in the herb may interfere with the insulin production of the pancreas, leading to hypoglycemia (an abnormally low blood sugar level, usually resulting from excessive insulin) if consumed more than 750 mg a day. Being a diuretic, it may make the body retain less water than it’s essential, which may as well lead to acidity and an upset stomach. And though a very rare symptom, the androgenic-anabolic effect of Tribulus gives rise to gynacomastea (the body’s own mechanism to fight excess testosterone by producing more than normal estrogen).
Stay away from it if you are a pregnant/nursing woman or a man suffering from prostate cancer. Tribulus prevents prostrate cancer but doesn’t cure; it’s the excess testosterone that aggravates the disorder.
Aromatic herbs: Formulas vital to the flesh
Chamomile (medicinal)
Recognizing aromatic herbs is just a quarter of the whole process. Along with it comes knowing how to handle and use them properly and more than that, the ways to preserve them for an extended usage. Done this way, it won’t be long before you shun the salt and the rest of the artificial flavor enhancers. You just need a personal culinary herb garden to make the most out of it.
Aromatic herbs are easy to grow and that explains why one must not depend on the varieties available commercially – either in the plant, leaves, flowers or fruit form or in packaged varieties. It doesn’t take much long for the herbs to lose their freshness; so the best are derived only from the home herb garden. The freshness of the herbs is directly proportional to their effects and this is enough to prove the importance of homegrown herbs.
Aromatic herbs are the best non-invasive therapies that one may find. From over 300 varieties, around 45 can be grown in home to treat disorders as insignificant as acne and hair loss to as severe as anxiety, depression, arthritis and sexual disorders. All you need to know is how to put them into use – either through foods or as tonics, purgers and consolidators.
One great advantage regarding aromatic herbs is that they do not require to be planted in tons. They are to be used in minute quantities; if used in excess, they turn the food less than palatable. This also points toward knowing how to keep them fresh over a longer period of time and that takes more than sprinkling water or refrigerating them. But that’s another story to be covered later. For now, just keep in mind that dried herbs lack the essential oils that stay responsible for their healing effects; at times, dried herbs may play an alternative to fresh ones, but not always.
A few of the aromatic herbs that offer the same effects even when dry are the bay leaves, the marjoram, mint and oregano; for rosemary, sage and thyme, the flavor strengthens when dried. But basil, chives, chervil, dill and parsley are best when fresh and freezing is the best way to retain that freshness. However, all herbs stale and lose their flavors if preserved for over a fortnight’s time; during winters, they retain their goodness for around a month.
Apart from the aforementioned most widely used aromatic herbs, there is also a variety, which is tough to find in the market. So, in that case, starting an in house herb garden stays the only choice. The following list comprises a few such names:
i. Lovage: This seasoning herb is pretty hardy in its constitution and does not require much care. Semi-shady areas and moist soil are absolutely vital for it, so an indoor herb garden is the best place one can grow them.
ii. Salad Burnet: Although delicate, its perennial availability depends on the amount of sun it’s getting as much as on a lime-rich soil.
iii. Tarragon: Again, it doesn’t require much care and has a rather strong flavor. Sunny to moderately shady areas and a soil rich in humus is what it requires.
iv. Lemon Balm: The name is due to its scent resembling with lemon and requires full sunlight and a somewhat moist soil.
v. Savory: This is a seasoning herb that needs sunny area and a well-drained soil.
However, if your preference is toward the exotic, Mediterranean herbs, then the Florence fennel, the Rosemary, the Rue, the Thyme, the Sage, the Oregano, the Oyster Plant, Basil and Lavender must be your initial choices. As you grow more experienced, you may start including the Sweet Cicely, the Comfrey, the Angelica, the Marigold and the Lady’s Mantle one by one.
