Foodgardens7

School Science Lessons
(Foodgardens7)
2025-02-21

"Grow Your Own Herb Garden", by Annette McFarlane
Acanthaceae
Acanthus family, bear's breech, king of bitters, mushroom plant

Amaranthaceae
Amaranth family, bhajhee, grain amaranth, mukunuwenna, purple mukunuwenna, sambu lettuce, tampala

Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllis family, chives, garlic, leek, onion,, shallots, society garlic, tree onion

Apiaceae, (Umbelliferae)
Carrot family, ajowan, angelica, anise, arracacha, asafetida, caraway, carrot, celeriac, celery, chervil, cnidium, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, gotu kola, lovage, mitsuba, monsterio, parsley, parsnip, poison hemlock, rock samphire, sweet cicely, thai coriander

Apocynaceae
Dogbane family, periwinkles

Araceae
Arum family, (aroids), arum, calamus, coco yam, monsterio, taro

Asteraceae, (Compositae)
Daisy family, bellis perennis, blessed thistle, burdock, calendula, camomile, cardoon, chicory, chop suey greens, chrysanthemum, cobblers pegs, coltsfoot, cornflower, curry plant, dandelion, echinacea, eclipta, elecampane, emelia, endive, everlasting daisies, feverfew, globe artichoke, golden rod, groundsel, Jerusalem artichoke, lettuce, marigold, milk thistle (puah), mouse ears, mugwort, pyrethum, southernwood, St. Marys thistle, stevia, sunflower, sweet tarragon, sweet fruit root, tansy, tarragon, toothache plant, wormwoods, yarrow

Boraginaceae
Borage family, alkanet, borage, comfrey, forget-me-not, , heliotrope, honeywort, hound's tongue, lungwort, vipers bugloss

Brassicaceae, (Cruciferae)
Mustard family, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cress, flickweed, horseradish, kale, maca, money plant, mustard, radish, rocket, shepherds purse, swede, turnip, wasabi, watercress

Cucurbitaceae
Cucumber family, bitter melon, chilacayote, choko, courgette, cucumbers, gourds, long bean, loofah, pie melons, pumpkins, rockmelons, snake gourd, squash, watermelons, zucchini

Euphorbaceae
Spurge family, cassava, sweet leaf bush, star gooseberry, petty spurge, phyllanthus, Queensland asthma weed, candlenut, snow-in-the-mountains

Fabaceae, (Leguminosae)
Pea family
Subfamily Caesalpinioideae, tamarind, carob, bauhinia, cassia
Subfamily Mimosoideae, (Mimosaceae), sensitive plant, wattles, icecream bean
Subfamily Faboideae, (Papilionaceae, Papilionoideae), alfalfa, fenugreek, lentils, American ground nut, peanuts, (many bean varieties used as food), caterpillar plant, jicama, kudzu, binko, lupin, chickpeas, licorice (or liquorice), mellilot, peas, butterfly pea, indigo, pigeon pea, pinto pea, guar, red clover, rice beans, mucuna, vegetable hummingbird tree, senna, crotalaria, gidee-gidee, tree lucerne, bush lucerne, tephrosia, derris, goats rue, leuceana, sturt desert pea, cancer bush / sutherlandia

Lamiaceae, (Labiatae)
Mint family, alehoof, basils, bergamot, betony, bugle, calamint, catnip, cat's whiskers, chia, chinese artichokes, germander, hottentot, hyssop, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram, mints, mother of herbs, motherwort, oregano, patchouli, pennyroyal, perilla, plectranthus / coleus , ratala/inula, rosemary, sages, savory, self heal, skullcap, thymes, white horehound, woundwort

Lauraceae
Laurel family, bay, avocado, cinnamon, sassafras, camphor laurel

Liliaceae
Lily family, aloe species, lily-of-the-valley, daly lily, New Zealand flax

Malvaceae
Mallow family, okra (gumbo), hollyhock, marshmallow, rosella, red lantern hibiscus, Queensland greens, cotton tree, paddy's lucerne, mallow, curled salad mallow

Moringaceae
Horse-radish tree family, drumstick tree, phantom tree

Myrtaceae
Myrtle family, allspice, clove, eucalyptus, culinary myrtle, Brazilian cherry, Indian hill gooseberry, midyim, Cedar Bay cherry, jambolan, nutmeg, grumichama, lillypilly, bottlebrush, jaboticaba, guava, lemon myrtle, rose apple, Malay apple, melaleuca, wax jambu, feijoa, leptospermum

Papaveraceae
Poppy family, greater celandine, poppy

Poaceae, (Gramineae)
Grass family, wheat, barley, rice, oats, rye, bamboo, palmarosa, vetiver grass, lemon grass, Australian native lemon grasses, vanilla grass, corn, incense grass, citronella grass, reed canary grass, job's tears, zebra grass, jobs tears

Polygonaceae
Buckwheat family, buckwheat, Vietnamese hot mint, tade, rhubarb, turkey rhubarb, french sorrel, sheep sorrel, docks

Portulacaceae
Purslane family, purslane, leaf ginseng, jade

Piperaceae
Pepper family, peppercorns, betel leaf, betel pepper, kava

Rosaceae
Rose family, rose, hawthorn, nectarine, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, native raspberries, agrimony, salad burnet, meadowsweet, ladies mantle, potentilla, cinquefoil, avens, apples, pear, quince, almond, peach, cherries, apricot, prune (all prunus genus)

Rutaceae
Rue family, curry leaf tree, bael fruit, rue, lemon, orange, mandarin, wampi, pummelo, grape fruit, elephant apple, lime, Australian finger lime, boronia, kaffir lime, white sapote, kumquat

Scrophulariaceae
Fig wort family, brahmi, rau om, paulownia, black mullein, white mullein, brooklime, speedwell

Solanaceae
Potato family, tomato, potato, capsicum, chillies, indian ginseng, goji berry, eggplant, cape gooseberry, chinese lantern, pepino, duboisia, udder plant, mandrake, henbane, tobacco, datura, jimson weed, shoofly plant, native gooseberry, Australian native tomato, black nightshade, belladonna, duboisia, kantikari, devils apple, tamarillo

Tiliaceae
Linden family, salad mallow, jute, linden, grewia

Valerianaceae
Valerian family, lemon verbena, vervain, valerian, chaste tree, corn salad, aztec sweet herb, lantana

Violaceae
Violet family, sweet violet, heartsease

Zingiberaceae
Ginger family, gingers, cardamom, galangals, turmeric, kenchur, Chinese keys.

by Annette McFarlane
1. Herbs are easy to grow and are a great option for beginner gardeners. They are ideal for people with limited space as they adapt well to pots and can be grown in small garden beds. There is a huge range to choose from. Most herbs are plants that does not develop a true, woody trunk, and are herbaceous or soft. Some herbs, e.g. rosemary and lavender, do develop hard stems, but not really a trunk, so these plants do not respond well when you prune them back into their tougher stems. The bay tree can grow to become a very big tree. Herbs are often aromatic and usually have a traditional culinary or medicinal use.

2. Potting Mix
Use 5 parts potting mix and 1 part coir peat plus organic fertilizers based on blood and bone. Always check the soil pH with a simple soil test kit. Add sulphur to lower pH. Add lime to increase pH. Make your own potting mix using 7 parts compost, 3 parts coir peat and 2 parts washed river sand + an organic fertilizer product, but follow the application rate recommended on the pack.

3. Pots
A planter troughs containing 5-6 litres of potting mix is the minimum size for most herbs. However, the more vigorous growing herbs, e.g. lemon grass, lemon verbena, pineapple sage, forms of rosemary ("Tuscan Blue"), and true trees, e.g. bay tree, will require much larger pots containing at least 9 litres of potting mix.

4. Plant Selection
Group your herbs according to:
4.1 Life cycle: Annual, biennial /short lived, long lived / perennial.
4.2 Needs: wet, dry, full sun, semi-shade, acid soil, alkaline soil.

5.0 Examples of good combinations:
5.1 Garden mint, spearmint, apple mint, Vietnamese mint, all other mint types. These plants are perennial, aggressive growers. They require neutral to slightly acid soil and lots of water.
5.2 Coriander, dill, fennel. These plants are relatively short lived, like cooler conditions, all hate root disturbance, sow seed direct, and require slightly acidic to slightly alkaline pH. Sow seeds of these plants directly into the pot and cover lightly with coir peat, as with other herbs or vegetables. Apply liquid fertilizer when the seeds germinate. Later you can harvest entire plants (roots, stems and leaves), just the way you buy them from the shop.
5.3 Italian parsley, triple-curled parsley, sweet basil, rocket, purple basil, lemon balm. They are relatively short lived, tender plants, and require a slightly acidic to slightly alkaline pH.
5.4 Thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage, rosemary, lavender, (the "Mediterranean herbs"), onion chives, garlic chives, stevia, perennial coriander, golden oregano are all perennial, like hot, full sun, neutral to slightly alkaline soil, and can cope with some dryness once established. Include flowering plants with herb combinations to create a more attractive feature, e.g. nasturtiums, salvia, marigolds, calendula and viola.
The flowering plants are edible.

6. Maintenance of a herb garden
6.1 Check the herbs every day so put them where you will notice them. Water the herbs as required and at least every second day if there is no rain.
6.2 Add mulch to the pots to reduce evaporation and keep the roots cool. Add stones or pebbles to prevent potting mix splashing out when you add water to the pots.
6.3 Apply liquid organic fertilizer every fortnight and dry fertilizer at the beginning of every season. Fertilize the soil, rather than the foliage. Rinse herbs after harvest to get rid of any fertilizer residue.
6.4 Allow herbs to become established before you begin to harvest them with kitchen scissors.
6.5 Herbs, including perennial herbs, do not live forever, especially if you grow them in pots. Potting mix eventually breaks down and turns to dust. Pots will become filled with roots.
6.6 Days of rain and high humidity suit mint but not the Mediterranean herbs. Sprinkle of garden lime over the foliage of "grey foliage" or "hairy" herbs, e.g. rosemary, lavender and sage, to help overcome the effects of excess humidity during the summer.