FERTILIZING HERBS

Fertilizers, whether chemical or organic, are given to plants to promote healthy growth. They can be applied either through the soil or sprayed in a fine mist on the plant’s leaves (called foliar feeding).

Organic vs Chemical
Organic fertilizers are made completely with matter from animals or plants and are processed by plants the “natural” way. This is similar to how we humans can consume food made from raw ingredients -- either from plants or animals -- which we buy from the market. We clean them, prepare and go through a lot of home-cooking steps before we eat them. It's easier to buy processed food but we all know it's much healthier to get our nutrients from fresher sources.

Plants also take longer to consume organic fertilizers, but the nutrients and minerals they provide deliver better results in terms of flavor and aroma of edible plants, as well the plants’ pest and disease resistance.

Chemical fertilizers are artificial products which aim to provide the same nutrients and minerals that organic fertilizers give. This would be similar to humans taking their meals through pills or intravenous feeding. Everything has been pre-processed which allows the plants to absorb the nutrients much more quickly, but which also leaves your plants more vulnerable to burning and over-fertilization. Using chemical fertilizers sparingly is all right provided they are only supplementary to organic fertilizers; the same way that humans only take vitamins and minerals in pill or tablet form as supplements to the freshly prepared food they consume at the dining table.

The Thyme Square  Regimen
Thyme Square recommends using purely organic fertilizers on herbs because our experience has shown us that plants grown on natural plant food are sturdier and produce more flavorful and aromatic leaves. There is also evidence that organically grown crops are nutritionally superior. Studies have shown that the average organic crop has approximately 10-20 percent higher nutrient levels than a comparable conventional crop. For toxic substances, it also appears that, on average, the organic crop has at least 10-20 percent less toxins.

Thyme Square recommends a weekly foliar feeding of either seaweed or fish emulsion, applied early in the morning. Every two months, a topdressing of compost, vermicast or bat guano is also advised.

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GROWING HERBS IN POTS

Even if you don’t have space for a 'real' garden, you're sure to have room for a few pots of herbs. They don’t need much growing space. And best of all, there are many varieties that like to be in warm growing conditions. Grown it pots, they’ll be portable so they can be turned to face the sun, and they can be brought inside when a tropical storm threatens. And, of course, they are also very fragrant and attractive.
   
The Tricky Tropical Clime
In the Philippine climate, especially in the lowlands, growing herbs may be challenging to the beginner. But that is exactly why we have this website! To take away all the guesswork so you can easily understand the unique requirements of each herb for the Philippines. Soon, you’ll be filling your pots with your very own herb collection and be the envy of all your guests!
   
The good news is, growing herbs in containers helps you to readily meet the moods and musts of herbs for growing herbs in the Philippine climate; which is why herbs grown in containers often do much better than those grown in the ground, out in the garden.
   
The Best Pots
The best materials for growing herbs are those that are porous. These allow the roots more access to air, and also allow soil to dry out more quickly (which helps prevent the No. 1 cause of potted-plant demise: over-watering).
   
Clay pots are generally preferred for herbs, especially during the rainy season when quick drainage is key. But the very same trait becomes a problem during summer! A clay pot can get very hot and dry out very quickly, especially when set down on an equally hot surface such as concrete or stone. To help solve this problem, raise the pot several inches above the surface, or double pot, by inserting one container inside another and filling in between with moss or newspaper. Using light-colored pots is also preferred, to keep the roots cool.

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GROWING HERBS INDOORS

A lot of homes these days don't come with the sprawling lawns and gardens of our less-congested past. Which is why gardening indoors is getting to be quite a necessity.

But even for those who are blessed with wide open spaces, when the rainy season strikes, many of them fear they’ll have to kiss their herbs goodbye. Most herbs don’t appreciate all that water and easily succumb to root rot. Certain herbs such as basil and lemongrass can handle our rainy season well enough. But Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme will most likely not make it through even just a few days of rain. If you can’t provide some shelter for your herbs outdoors, you can start a mini indoor herb garden and continue to enjoy the fresh harvest throughout the monsoon season.

Moving Them In
Carefully inspect the plants you intend to grown indoors, making sure they have no pests on the stems or under the leaves. Since you’ve been growing these herbs outdoors, you’ll need to accustom them to the indoor environment to avoid giving them a “culture shock”. If your plants have been used to the gentle wind, rain, cooler nights and direct sunlight of the outdoors, moving in will require that you help your herbs go through an adjustment period. Remember: plants are living things and can definitely experience trauma.

Begin by slowly lowering their exposure to direct sunlight for about a week. After they’ve had time to adjust to the lower light levels that await them in a life indoors, bring the plants inside for a few hours. Repeat this routine of bringing them in and out for about another week. Then finally, you can bring your potted herbs in for good. It may seem like too much trouble just for some potted plants, but you will greatly increase their chances of survival if you take them through the transition slowly.

Location
    Since most herbs are sun-lovers, choose the sunniest location indoors, one that gets closest to five hours of sun a day. Opt for herbs that manage to do well in partial sun. Examples are basil, rosemary, parsley, thyme, mint, lemon balm, arugula, and Vietnamese coriander. Windows facing south would be best. Don't settle for a north facing window where your herbs will be left starved for sunlight.

Lighting and Other Needs
If your herbs will be grown on the inner side of a windowpane, don’t put the pots too close to the glass where they could burn.  If your place is truly sun-deprived, you can consider investing in grow lights or a couple of fluorescent lamps -- one warm, one white -- hung just six inches to a foot above your plants. Do your best to give your herbs as much as 16 hours of light a day, preferably part of it from direct sunlight coming through a window. Also, try to locate your pots where there's good air circulation so they don't become vulnerable to disease. At the very least, let the breeze from a nearby electric fan sweep through them once in a while.

As for watering, make sure to water only when the potting mix surface is dry. Skip watering if the surface is still moist to the touch. When you water, water until it drains out of the pot holes and make sure to toss out any excess water that collects in the pot saucers to keep the roots from standing in water and rotting.

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GARDEN-GROWN HERBS

Top 4 requirements for herbs grown in the ground:  Lots of light (most herbs thrive under direct sunlight) The right amount of water Organic Fertilizers Good air circulation Many herb varieties offered locally -- such as rosemary, sage, thyme -- won't do well planted directly in the ground. That's because they're not indigenous to the Philippines and are not able to withstand the highs and lows of our tropical climate. They can also get very sensitive to less than ideal soil conditions, which is why we recommend you keep these more 'sensitive' herbs in pots all their lives so you can move them around as the seasons change. Consider them your 'sheltered and pampered babies'. The more common herbs like basil, lemongrass, pandan, lagundi and many others actually do much better in the ground. [Pictured on this page is a bed of Thai Basil grown in the ground for frequent harvesting]. For these herbs, be sure to find out what light conditions each one prefers -- full, semi or partial sun -- and plant them accordingly. Many herbs also succumb easily to root rot, so make sure your plots drain well, especially during the rainy season. Sloped or raised beds do quite well.       Keeping Pests and Diseases Away To minimize pest problems, keep some space between your plants so air can circulate freely. Water your herbs generously -- but not to the point that the soil gets soggy. The best time to water is before 10 a.m. Allow the soil surface to dry slightly between waterings. Spray your herbs once a week with liquid seaweed, fish emulsion or other organic foliar feeds. Add some compost, vermicast or guano to the base of your plants every month or two. Harvest at your pleasure! The more you cut the stems to harvest for your kitchen, the happier your herbs will grow new leaves for you! [back to top]