Are Medicinal Herbs Hard To Grow?
Hello my herbal friends! Today we look at a common question about medicinal herbs.
Are they hard to grow?
That's a good question, but a bit too broad. Herbs can be like people. Some of them are high maintenance. (You know the type!). Some seem to thrive wherever you put them. Some may never be happy to grow for you.
If you're new to this, two good questions are:
Which herbs are easy to grow?
Which herbs do you want to use the most?
If you are new to gardening or feeling a little shaky, I suggest starting with native plants. What are the native plants in your area? Get out and take a drive. Are you looking at Red Clover in fields along the way? Do you see Butterfly Weed growing happily on the banks of the interstate?
The weeds in your region usually grow easily in your yard.
Did I say weeds?
Yep, all of our medicinals were weeds somewhere. Think of the dandelions that sprout enthusiastically in your yard year after year. Did you know someone is out there planting dandelions and fretting if they don't grow well? As crazy as it sounds, it’s true.
So back to your drive, another thing to observe is location. For instance, you might see Butterfly Weed or Chicory on the roadside, where you know the soil has to be terrible. What does that mean? Dry soil? Full sun? But then you see great thickets of Elderberry bushes in the partly shady ditches. Part shade? Damper ground?
Trust your observations. Make a point of matching the environment of the healthiest plant you see. Is your ground full of clay? Does it hold water for a long time after it rains? Consider herbs that love moisture, or change your soil by adding sand to help drainage.
Another consideration is your region. If you see that a particular plant takes full sun, ask some questions. Where does this plant grow as a weed? (If you Google the name and use the word “native,” you will see a map of where the plant occurs naturally.)
Your plant might feel a little toasty in Florida if it thrives in full sun in North Dakota. If it is a native plant to a cooler zone, you may want to offer some shade.
Finally, my favorite part. Listen to your plant. As your medicinal garden grows, so will your attunement to your plants. Some plants will be thriving. They are in the perfect spot. Some may be doing okay, but never spreading, or getting bigger. Maybe they rarely bloom. I call this surviving. Move them. We will look in-depth at how to move your plants safely in another post.
As your relationship with your garden grows, you’ll develop an intuition about when and where to put your herbs. The best part is that you’ll be growing your own medicine and feeling good about your progress. Take the first step today!