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Ask the Herbalist_questions on Plants and Growing
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QUESTION: i need a low growing acid loving herb that i can grow near my dwarf blueberry bushes. do you have any
suggestions?
ANSWER: I get so jealous when anyone talks about planting! Here in upstate New York, we still have 3 weeks
before it's safe and I'm itching to get my hands back in the dirt. Acid soil is considered to have a PH of around
3.5. Lots of herbs like acid soil, so your choice is pretty broad. Low growing, I'd probably go with Sweet Annie,
a ground or creeping chamomile, flax, old English lavender, any of the basils, creeping thyme or tansy.
MOSQUITO HERB
QUESTION: Last year I purchased an herb bush that was lemon something or something lemon that kept mosquitoes
at bay. Do you know what the name of it may have been?
ANSWER: I'm guessing it's lemon Balm. The leaves are also great for reducing skin irritation caused by inset bites
simply by rubbing them directly over the bite. I have a special formulation I created for my husband and I to take to our
property in Northern Michigan. It's called Bugger Off! and it even works on the North woods black flies! Totally DEET
Free with a natural lemon and citronella scent. If you're interested, e-mail me with the word ORDER in the subject line
for more info.
GROWING GINGER:
QUESTION: We managed to get a nice piece of ginger from Safeway to grow and I'm curious just how tall it will grow
and how long to let grow before harvest and how large a planter how much light etc
ANSWER: I don't know that I'd trust anything I bought at the local grocery store. You have no way of knowing
if it has been sprayed or treated. The ginger plant is a perennial usually grown as an annual only in tropical
regions (zone 10) with pronounced wet and dry seasons. It is propagated by dividing the roots, after which
plant shoots appear 10 days later. The best soil is old forest loam, well tilled to produce good shaped rhizomes
and it should be well drained. Ginger rapidly depletes the soil so it must be well fertilized , usually with
manure. The most suitable climate for ginger has about 60 in of rainfall, a mean temperature of 70F and a hot
dry season. It is harvested about 7-10 months after planting. For preserved ginger the rhizomes are dug up
earlier, when they are less fibrous. Common ginger is probably native to South East Asia and has long been
cultivated in northwest India and Pakistan. It was introduced to Jamaica by the Spanish and is now also grown
in Central and South America, China, Japan, Africa and Australia. Can be grown as an indoor plant if it has
plenty of warmth and light. Unless you live in the tropics, your success will probably be minimal if at all. You
might be successful by trying to grow it inside in front of a nice sunny window. However, I'd look for a supplier
to get your starts.
QUESTION: I am planning on starting a herb garden and understand that certain herbs should not be planted
together. Could you please give me some guidance on this subject.
ANSWER: I'm not sure which herbs you plan to grow, so you're question is a little hard to answer. As far as
being incompatible, I think the only reason that would be is because of the different needs of different herbs in
the way of sun and water requirements. I have my herbs all grown together in patches like a country garden
and have never had any problems. I do know you will need to be careful with the mints, as they are prolific and
will take over the garden if you aren't careful. I dig a very deep hole and plant my mints in terra cotta pots in
the ground so they don't spread any further than I want them to!
QUESTION: I am looking for information on how to combat a problem I have in my groin region, I am very frustrated
by the way my GP has handled this situation and with the length of time I have to wait to be seen at hospital I am very
http://www.herbnet.com/ask%20the%20herbalist/asktheherbalist_questions%20on%20plants.htm (1 of 2) [5/17/2004 9:07:58 AM]