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Posted: Thursday, April 3, 2014 10:30 pm
Winston-Salem Journal
Q: What is the difference between culinary herbs and medicinal herbs? Can both be grown in our area?
Answer: Culinary and medicinal are terms that refer to the end use of the herb after harvest. Culinary herbs are typically used in cooking. Some of the more popular commercially grown herbs that will grow well include cilantro, chives, dill, French tarragon, horseradish, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet basil and thyme. Medicinal herbs have been grown for hundreds of years as traditional medicines. Some of our modern medicines are derived from herbs or are manufactured in laboratories to mimic the botanical compounds found in medicinal herbs. Herbs such as American ginseng, black cohosh, bloodroot, purple coneflower, pale purple coneflower, narrow leaf purple coneflower, false unicorn, and goldenseal are examples of herbs grown for medicinal uses. Both culinary and medicinal herbs can be grown in our area. Each herb has specific conditions for growth. Research the herb you are interested in growing and set up a small test plot to see if you enjoy growing it. More information is available in the following leaflets from the Extension: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/introsheets/herbs.pdf (culinary herbs) http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/specialty_crops/medherbs/1.htm (medicinal herbs).
Q: I have heard that using no-till practices is good for the soil. How do you grow vegetables in a no-till system?
Answer: No-till is an agricultural practice most often associated with agronomic or row crops such as soybeans, wheat and corn. It is a practice that can be used with vegetable crops under the right soil conditions. Our clay soil must be amended. Adding organic matter to the soil will help improve the structure, workability and water-holding capacity. A two-inch layer of compost added to the soil surface and then worked in to a depth of 4 to 6 inches works well. Raising your seed or planting beds in the garden is a good idea. Some growers construct permanent raised beds. Avoid walking on your seed/planting beds as compaction will destroy your hard work. Use of wheat straw mulch during the growing season helps to protect the soil from winds and pelting raindrops. There is the added benefit of turning the straw under as another source of organic matter at the end of the growing season. Once the soil structure has been improved, use hand tools to turn under and prepare your seed/planting beds. Tilling pulverizes soil particles, allowing water to evaporate more quickly. Tilling also disturbs soil microbes, the tiny livestock that is helping to promote nutrient uptake through healthy roots. Tilling exposes weeds from the dormant weed seedbed underneath the soil surface. Moving to no-till gardening is a transitional process and it may take some time and hard work. It may take as long as a season to move away from churning power equipment, but doing so will reduce your workload, save money on fuel and equipment, as well as reduce the noise pollution in the spring.
Mary Jac Brennan is the commercial horticulture agent for small farms and local food for the Forsyth Cooperative Extension. For information on home and gardening issues, contact the Forsyth Cooperative Extension office at extension@forsyth.cc or call (336) 703-2850.
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Thursday, April 3, 2014 10:30 pm.
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