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Wed, Dec 22, 10 at 9:14
| I've only grown basil, and would like to expand into other herbs for sale. I don't want to start with cuttings or perinnals at this time. Any tips or instructions would be appreciated.
Marla |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| many herbs are perennials but are no different to grow than the annuals. if you can grow basil you can grow the others pretty much the same way. any particular ones you have in mind? |
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| Marla, Herbs are like weeds or simple flowers . Germinate them in potting soil about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch according to seed size. The good germinating temp is about 70-75 degrees. Keep greenhouse above 45 degrees at night after germination and use heat if necessary during cold cloudy days. Almost--- like you would do a tomato plant. Personally, I use a weak rapid grow solution on all my plants in my greenhouse because its cheap and effective. If you are a organic person, you can use a natural liquid fertilizer (compost tea, fish oil mix, or other.) Remember to transplant to larger container or to earth ground( after 5 weeks) as plant outgrows starting container. You do not want it to go to seed too early. I grow basil,oregano,Marjoram and (chives on which I sprinkle a pinch of seeds to get them to grow in a cluster.) As far as cost to customer ,I charge about a .75 cent per single plant Avg, at about the 5-6 week transplant stage. Good luck- Nick |
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm (My Page) on Wed, Dec 22, 10 at 17:25
| I don't have a heated greenhouse, actually it's just a car canopy covered by plastic. I start my tomatoes inside my old mobile home. Does anyone see a problem with that? I'm looking for some herbs that will sell well and easy to get started. Otherwise, I'm open to most anything. Cheap seeds to start would be good, also. Marla |
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| Good luck Marla. Just think only 3 more month for our seed starting here in Michigan,s thumb. Hope you have some beautiful herbs at your stand next spring/summer. Nick |
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm (My Page) on Wed, Dec 22, 10 at 20:26
| I won't be waiting 3 months, sometime next month I'll start my tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. I'm about halfway south of the MI/IN stateline, where are you? Marla |
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| Michigan thumb peninsula. We get freeze in mid-may so we plant tomato,s outside in ground around the end of may or so. The Amish grow them in hot- houses around here in march and they are ready around end of June. Boy, do they get the high dollar for their first of the year mountain spring tomato,s. Nick. |
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm (My Page) on Thu, Dec 23, 10 at 8:19
| That the UP, right? We can get a frost mid-may but it's not the usual. I like to have some of my tomatoes in the first part of May with the remainder by first of June. I don't think I could stay living UP there. Marla |
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| Marla, the thumb peninsula is not the upper peninsula. The thumb is about 50 mile by 40 miles and comprised of roughly 3 counties. We are similar to the U.P. -- as to the fact that we are surrounded by water on 3 sides but not as cold or the huge snow totals here as they have in the U.P. I think our land is better for farming in the thumb, also. We have good fertile land throughout the thumb. We are about 44 degrees latitude. Nick |
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm (My Page) on Thu, Dec 23, 10 at 13:32
| I'm at 40. Marla |
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- Posted by boulderbelt (My Page) on Fri, Dec 24, 10 at 6:48
| cilantro and dill i direct seed. Cilantro likes it cool/cold so does well fall/winter/spring and not so good in summer unless you are willing to seed it every 2 to 3 days, keep extremely well watered and shaded (like lettuce). Dill I direct seed in April/May/June and again in August and generally get some all summer (though it is never ever in the correct stage when the pickling cukes are coming in.). of these two cilantro is by far the better seller. Oh Italian parsley is another annual I do. That is started indoors under lights in Feb. I prefer the large leaf Italian to the curled parsleys. I am at 38� longitude on the western frontier of Ohio |
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| I don,t have an established dill spot because I plow everything up every year. I plant dill each season just to sell with my pickles mainly. I just take about a pound of seed and rake it in along a border of my choosing(early may). Cilantro - I plant the same way by raking about 4-8 oz. of seeds in along the border somewhere. problem is my salsa stuff(peppers /tomatoes) is not done till after the cilantro is in its prime. My dill, although, is done and ready about the time the Boston pickles are ready. Mark |
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm (My Page) on Fri, Dec 24, 10 at 8:36
| boulderbelt, can you keep 'good' lettuce throughout the summer by just shading and watering? I know other vendors can't keep cilantro during the summer. I don't know if they get tired of caring for it, or what? Also, anyone, do you sell your dill as fresh or dried, or both? which sells the best, I've seen both at our market. Marla |
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- Posted by boulderbelt (My Page) on Sun, Dec 26, 10 at 7:32
| No Marla, i cannot and will not-too much other stuff to do that time of year other than coddling lettuce that will be bitter no matter what I do. I have found that as long as we are not in a drought like we had this summer that both dill and cilantro will self seed well (the cilantro too well as it will end up all over the place after a few years of crop rotation and letting it go to seed because we do harvest and sell coriander plus the flowers are very attractive to beneficial insects) The cruel joke of mother nature is salsa-as there is a very limited window where you have both cilantro and the maters and peppers. |
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