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:

1. Which herbs are easy to grow?

2. 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!

Plant Confidence

If you’ve landed here, you likely have an interest in growing medicinal herbs, using them, or both. Maybe you’re a beginner. We all start there. Maybe you’re a professional. If so, you might have some tips for the rest of us!

Maybe you’re like me, somewhere in between, looking for some company on the way.

Unfortunately, these days the world can be hard to predict. On the one hand, people seem desperate to regain some control, and there is a growing interest in plant medicine. But, on the other hand, it’s kind of scary to offer anything medicinal to anybody without a good insurance policy.

What brought you here?

I can tell you what brought me…

I’ve loved nature and plants for as long as I can remember. When I began to study medicinal herbs seriously, there was SO much information and SO many opinions.

Have you been there? Who’s right? Who’s wrong? How do you decide?

I was also confused by the number of ways to make plant medicine. Many of my classes focused on formulas that took weeks to complete.

What if you need something sooner? How do you anticipate the medicine you’ll need to start months ahead of when you may or may not need it?

Some formularies I studied called for using a lot of plant material. This gets expensive quickly!

I began looking at ways to make herbalism more accessible.

Can you make a high-quality tincture in less than six weeks? Yes.

Is there a way to stock your herb closet without breaking the bank? Sure.

Is this the right place for you?

I think herbal medicine should:

1. Fit a busy schedule. Six-week tinctures are great but only sometimes practical. So we will look for ways to speed the process up when what you need can’t wait.

2. Be a process. We’re not going to be perfectionists. We will gain confidence as we practice and gain competence.

3. Be hands-on. You will find many things to try that are safe and fun.

4. Be empowering. That’s the essential part for me. You are learning and connecting with your plants in a way that fulfills you.

If this sounds good to you, please join me. We can help each other along the way.