Tag: herbs

  • Natural Remedies for When You’re Worn Down

    Tired of being tired? Those words can be used to describe millions of people who cannot narrow down a particular cause, but just generally go through life feeling rundown and out of energy. 

    Getting through the day takes a lot of energy and by the time you get home from work, all you want to do is fall onto the couch and sleep – only to get back up and do it all over again the next day. 

    If this is you, know that feeling worn out every day is not normal. You do not have to live with a constant feeling of being tired.

    There are some natural remedies to try to help combat feelings of burnout so you can get back to living your life, not just grudging your way through it. 

    Here are a few of favorites: 

    Vitamin D

    Many health experts consider the benefits of vitamin D to be one of the most important health discoveries in the last century! How amazing is that?

    The first thing that comes to mind when you think about Vitamin D is SUNSHINE.

    Have your health care provider check your Vitamin D levels the next time you have your bloodwork done. 

    Up to 50% of the general population is deficient in this vitamin and it can cause tiredness and achiness when low. The recommended dosage is 1,000 to 4,000 international units per day, but your provider will give you a dosage based upon the deficiency that you are experiencing.

    Learn More about the Health Benefits of Vitamin D

    Rhodiola Rosea

    This herb is an adaptogen herb, which means it enhances the body’s ability to deal with stress. Stress can be a big contributor to constant tiredness and Rhodiola was found in studies to decrease mental fatigue and increase physical performance, as well as reduce depression symptoms. 

    Iron

    How long has it been since you’ve had your iron levels checked? Iron deficiencies can be a key factor in feeling run down and weak. 

    In some instances, iron deficiencies can be remedied by eating more iron-rich foods, such as meat and seafood. But often a supplement must be used to bring up iron levels to a healthy level. 

    Beetroot Powder

    This vegetable has a high amount of nitrate, which produces nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide increases blood and oxygen delivery due to blood vessel relaxation which allows your body to work more efficiently while exercising and moving around. 

    Vitamin B12

    Having low levels of vitamin B12 goes unnoticed until you are rundown and feel as if you have hit a wall. If you do not get enough B12 from your diet naturally, check in with a physician to get your vitamin B levels checked. If you do have a significant deficiency, a simple B12 injection or supplement can get you feeling back on track.

    With all the different natural remedies, there is no excuse for living with tiredness all the time. Take the time to listen to your body and get it the proper attention it needs from your physician or alternative health practitioner. 

    If you’d like an alternative to Western medicine, a holistic healthcare provider can help you find a more natural solution to your exhaustion. Some insurance plans may even cover certain holistic alternatives to medicine, so be sure to check in with your provider to see what the best payment option is for you.

    Author Biography

     

    Christian Worstell is a freelance writer who covers health and lifestyle topics for a range of blogs and media outlets. When he’s not behind the desk, he can usually be found on a golf course or spending time with his family.

  • Herbal Honey an Ancient Medicinal

    Herb Infused Honey. Honey is medicine. Raw, unpasteurized honey is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic. It helps build blood and actively promotes the healing of tissues. And according to Stephen Buhner,

    “Honey contains (among other things) a complex assortment of enzymes, organic acids, esters, antibiotic agents, trace minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, hormones, and antimicrobial compounds. One pound of the average honey contains 1333 calories (compared with white sugar at 1748 calories), 1.4 grams of protein, 23 milligrams of calcium, 73 milligrams of phosphorus, 4.1 milligrams of iron, 1 milligram of niacin, and 16 milligrams of vitamin C, and vitamin A, beta carotene, the complete complex of B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, potassium, iodine, sodium, copper, manganese, high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, and formic acid… and the list goes on. Honey contains more than 75 different compounds! Many of the remaining substances in honey are so complex (4-7 percent of the honey) that they have yet to be identified.” 

    All this and we haven’t even added the plant medicine.

    Also, herbal honeys are delicious and so incredibly pleasurable to make. Everything about the process is sensual and glorious, if a bit sticky (this is why we have tongues and window shades). There’s nothing quite so beautiful as honey lit up by sunshine. Combine that with the colours and scents of fresh herbs and you’ve got yourself a bonafide experience. Take your honey in tea, on toast, use it to make medicinal syrups or liqueurs or just eat it off the spoon.

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    Depending on the herb you choose, there are a couple of ways to make yourself an herbal honey—cold or warm infusion. More delicate plants like wild rose or elderflower do better with a cold infusion, while “tougher” herbs like rosemary or grindelia need heat to extract the flavour and medicine. Fresh herbs are much preferable to dried.

    A good rule of thumb is a 1 parts herb to 12 parts honey for a cold infusion and 1 part herb to 5 parts honey for a warm infusion. You want more honey in a cold infusion as you won’t be evaporating off the plant waters with heat. More honey means less chance of spoilage.

    Curious how to make a cold infusion of Wild Rose Honey or Warm Infusion of Grindelia Honey visit GatherVictoria.com

    Herbs best suited for cold infusions:

    Elderflower, Rose, Mint, Linden, Queen Anne’s Lace Blossoms

    Herbs best suited for warm infusions:

    Grindelia, Fir tips, Lavender, Yarrow, Thyme, Rosemary, Wild Bergamot, St. John’s Wort, Balsam root, Holy Basil, Sweet Basil, Calendula

    Herbal honeys make a wonderful gift and make a perfect host or hostesss gift.
    Remember to let the receiver know they need to place the sealed jar in a warm place out of direct sunlight and allow to infuse for 2-4 weeks. For a milder herbal honey, start tasting at 2 weeks.

    And a quick note: leave some blossoms for the bees! Forage responsibly, take only what you need and plant flowering herbs for our pollinating pals.

  • Adding Herbs Daily for the Culinary and Medicinal Benefits

    The importance of food in our holiday gatherings can not be over emphasized. In a day in age when more than 80% of adults are taking medications for health issues and 50% of our children are diagnosed with chronic diseases we need to modify our thinking about our food. Nature provided us with all the nourishing foods to eat in order to keep us healthy. Medicinal and Culinary Herbs are plants, and all plants have vitamins and minerals. They were meant to be consumed as food, not only to be used for their medicinal benefits.

    When most people think about food they romanticize it. We think about it in terms of  Grandma and Thanksgiving and First Dates, Family Gatherings going out for Pizza and Ice-cream! Picnics and campfire means s’mores and hot dogs; Christmas -cookies; Easter – chocolate eggs & candy; Halloween – more candy!  All that is fun and lovely, but it lets us forget that “we are what we eat” – and that is not a metaphor!  

    The Sad Health Damages of the Average American Diet 

    The average American consumes about 1 gallon of soda per week, which equates to more than 18 fluid ounces, or 1.5 sodas per day. These sodas are loaded with sugar, with a 12oz can containing 35-45 grams – an amount that exceeds the recommended daily intake of ~15 grams. What’s more, these sugars are typically in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, one of the cheapest, and most health-hazardous forms of sugar that can be used. 

    Even More Alarming Statistics on the Average Yearly Consumption of Food Like Products for the typical American includes:

    • 29 pounds of french fries
    • 23 pounds of pizza
    • 24 pounds of ice cream
    • 24 pounds of chemical artificial sweeteners

    But it’s crazy for us to think that if we keep do what we do and expect the outcome to be different somehow…

    There are so many ways you can weave the medicinal and culinary herbs, into your everyday cooking! 

    Such as drinking them in teas, adding them to your meals as spices, to your smoothies and sweet treats, bake with it! The point is this – nutrition comes from food and not lab made supplements, so for me and my family, we start there and we just keep on going that direction.
    Our body has countless safety mechanisms, so when we put it through the wear and tear and one or more systems fail, the others are there to pick it up and keep working. 

    Milla, mother of 3 children who have suffered with chronic disease and diagnosis such as Lyme and Autism explains how she incorporates herbs into everyday life. 

    I use fresh herbs, dried & frozen, fermented, medicinal and culinary anywhere I can! in smoothies, soups, stews, salads, baking, tea/decoctions… I even stuff dates with ground milk thistle seeds. It has become a second nature now, when I prepare food,  I think: “what herb will fly here?”

    Milla shares a plethora of Tasty, Easy and healthy, toxin-free recipes. Gluten-Dairy-MSG-Soy-Corn-Dye-Artificial anything- FREE. Organic only, unprocessed, mostly plant-based, low on fat-grain-seed-legume-nuts. Be sure to visit her website at https://www.siberiancedarland.com/

    SOURCES: 

    http://naturalsociety.com/average-american-diet-infographic/

    RECOMMENDED Reading:

    https://nourishedblessings.com/what-is-reid/

  • Learn 7 Simple Ways to Get More from Herbs

    If you are new to herbs and want a very basic and yet through confidence building understanding of herbal remedies, I highly recommend learningherbs.com. Founder John Gallagher is a teacher at heart, and shares plethora of free resources to help the young (and young at heart) learn the nature of remedies. For those who want to use herbal remedies, it can be confusing as to exactly how to incorporate them into our lives. It’s really not as simple as “take this herb for that ailment.” 

    Herbalism is an art and science that enhances not just your health, but way of life.

    John shares a podcast from several years ago that is still an excellent resource.  An engaging podcast of the 7 ways to easily incorporate herbs and remedies into our lives. Herbalist and author Susun Weed specializes in keeping it simple for folks. 

    LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

    Susun Weed

    Which herbs should you take every day? What sort of herbal preparations should you avoid? What foods are antioxidants and will help prevent chronic illnesses? Which herbal remedies are simple to make in ANY kitchen? Already make herbal remedies like tinctures and infusions? Susun will share BRAND new ways to get more out of these tried and true remedies. This class is for all experience levels.

    Susun Weed has been practicing and teaching herbalism for over 40 years, and has written several books. Susun founded the Wise Woman Center in Woodstock, NY. She speaks at conferences worldwide and often appears on television and radio shows.

    You can visit Susun at www.susunweed.com
    Learn More at https://learningherbs.com/podcasts/susun-weed/
    Copyright © 2018 LearningHerbs.

    DID YOU LISTEN? What was the most fascinating piece of knowledge you gained from this podcast? Share in the comments below.

  • A New Favorite Herb: Lemon Balm

    If you haven’t yet discovered lemon balm, let me introduce you to your new favorite herb. There are so many wonderful uses for lemon balm! Lemon balm is a powerful herb that can combat viruses in the body and powerfully reduce anxiety. Use lemon balm in the garden, for cleaning, and as a tasty addition to numerous recipes.

    Lemon Balm Benefits

    Heart palpitations, nervous tension, insomnia, and hyperactivity are all classic indications for lemon balm and these combined describe what some people experience when their thyroid becomes overactive, such as in Grave’s disease. In fact, lemon balm, bugleweed (Lycopus spp.) and motherwort (Leonorus cardiacus) is a classic western formula for a hyperactive thyroid. 

    Lemon balm is a member of the mint family and, like other mints, it has complicated energetics. Thermally it has been classified as both warming and cooling. This is explained partly by understanding different perspectives within the major living herbal traditions today. 

    Lemon balm has a sour taste. In Ayurveda sour is classified as hot and wet while in Traditional Chinese Medicine sour is thought to be cooling and moistening. In western herbalism sour is generally thought to be cooling. 

    Matthew Wood explains: 

    “Lemon balm has a sour taste, as its name indicates – it is one of the few sour mints. Like most sour plants, it is cooling and sedative. It combines this property with the typical nerve-calming powers of the mint family to make a strong, but safe and simple sedative. These powers are much more marked when the plant is tinctured fresh. A tincture of fresh melissa should be on the shelf in every household as a general sedative.”

    Lemon Balm been used as a mild emmenagogue to promote late menstruation as well as relieve menstrual cramping. 

    How to Identify The Lemon Balm Plant

    As mentioned, lemon balm is in the mint family and has many attributes or identifying features common to this family.
    It has square stems and leaves are in an opposite branching pattern.
    Lemon balm flowers are white and have the classic “lipped” look of the mint family. It typically flowers from June to September.
    This is a perennial plant that is easy to grow. Watch out! It will spread readily in your garden.
    If you crush a leaf in your fingers you’ll be introduced to the wonderful lemon scent of lemon balm. In the past it was considered a “strewing herb,” which is an herb hung in the rafters or strewed on the ground to emanate a pleasant scent.

  • Benefits and Uses of Detoxing Herb: Cilantro

    When you grow cilantro, you grow two herbs in one! The leaves impart a musky, citrus-like flavor to Chinese, Mexican and Thai cooking. The seeds, called coriander, taste of sage and lemon or orange peel, and season many traditional Indian dishes. Many people are realizing the detoxing properties found in the herb. 

    Health Benefits of Cilantro

    Cilantro can help cleanse the body of toxic metals, it’s an incredible source of antioxidants, it’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, and it has a long history of culinary and therapeutic use. Cilantro helps cleanse the body of toxic metals by supporting the body’s natural detoxification processes. Compounds in cilantro leaf bind to toxic metals and loosen them from affected tissue. This process allows metals to be released from the body naturally. You can access these benefits by consuming the raw leaves or ingesting concentrated extracts. Unfortunately, fresh cilantro goes bad very quickly. If you want to be sure to always have access to its detoxification power, you should grow your own.

    How to Grow Cilantro and Harvest Coriander Seeds    

    Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is really two herbs in one. The leaves, called cilantro or Chinese parsley, impart a musky, citrus-like (some even say “soapy”) flavor to Mexican, Chinese and Thai cooking. The tiny, round seeds, called coriander, taste of sage and lemon or orange peel, and season many traditional Indian dishes, especially curries.

    Coriander roots also have culinary use. In Southeast Asia, they are dug, chopped and added to salty pickled condiments by many kitchen gardeners.

    This is an annual which will need to be replanted each year or grown on a kitchen window sill This easy-to-grow herb is rich in vitamins A and C, and also contains iron and calcium. In the garden, coriander flowers attract beneficial insects. At the flowering and fruit-set stage, the plants give off a slightly acrid smell, which is probably why this herb’s botanical name is derived from the Greek word for “bedbug,” which emits a similar color. In mature seeds, this odor vanishes.

    Tips for Growing Cilantro

    Cilantro is easy to grow, and it’s convenient to have fresh cilantro ready to use. Cilantro grows quickly and does not always transfer well, so plan on growing your cilantro from seed. Cilantro leaves stop growing and become bitter after the plant flowers. That is why it’s best to plant your cilantro in spring and fall, avoiding the longer, hotter summer days in-between.

    Plant cilantro seeds in well-drained, well-fertilized soil. Choose a spot that gets full sun. Sow several seeds together one-quarter inch into the soil and six to eight inches apart. Water after planting and when the soil is dry to the touch.

    Expect to wait three to four weeks before harvesting the cilantro leaves. Leaves can be harvested anytime during the growing process, but you should wait until the plant is at least six inches in height. If you want to harvest the leaves continually, sow new seeds every two to three weeks. Unlike other herbs, cilantro leaves lose most of their flavor when dried, so it’s better to use them fresh. If you need to preserve them, freezing is the best option. The seeds of the cilantro plant—coriander—require a different approach. The seeds can be used for planting or can be dried and used in a culinary capacity. Wait to harvest the seeds until most have turned brown on the plant. Cut off the stalk a few inches below the seeds. Tie the stalks in bunches and hang them upside down in a brown paper bag. After about five days, the dried seeds should fall from the stalks into the bottom of the bag. You can store the seeds in an airtight, glass container for up to a year. To release the flavors, dry-roast or grind before use.

    How to Use Cilantro

    Some people find the unique smell and taste of fresh cilantro unpleasant, but those of this opinion are definitely in the minority, because the herb’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years. Cilantro enthusiasts eagerly eat the leaves raw, chopped into salsas or salads, and layered onto sandwiches.

    Cook:        

     Cooking With Cilantro            Black-Eyed Pea Salsa Recipe            Spicy Mango Salsa Recipe            Albóndigas (Spanish Meatballs) Recipe            Heirloom Tomato Salsa Recipe            Pollo Encilantrado (Shredded Chicken in Cilantro Sauce) Recipe            Sopa de Cilantro (Cilantro Soup) Recipe            Cilantro-Lime Butter Recipe

    Does your family enjoy the flavor of cilantro? Share your favorite recipe.  

  • Directory of Culinary and Medicinal Herbs

    Many herbs are also valuable in the medicine cabinet, whether you’re looking for natural relief for a cold or headache, or trying to ease more chronic ailments, such as allergies, back pain or high blood pressure. Identify herbs to meet your health needs or goals, learn the basic medicinal preparations — teas, infusions and tinctures — and find simple recipes for remedies that can relieve, refresh and heal. 

    Grow Your Herb Garden

    The incredible flavors of culinary herbs make them star players in a healthy diet, and the best way to make the most of herbs in the kitchen is to grow them yourself. Choose one of these four herb garden plans — an edging, a dooryard garden, a raised bed or a container garden — designed to fit into a 12-square-foot area and supply you with herb favorites such as basil, cilantro, dill, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme and more.

    Where do you get organic spray free seeds/plants for starters?
    Snake River Seed Company
    North End Organic Nursery
    Restoration Seed

    Edwards Greenhouse

    Are we missing your favorite Nursery or Greehouse? Comment below and we will add it! 

    Drying and Storing Herbs

    Of all the various types of foods and ways to preserve them, dehydrating herbs is the easiest place to jump in. Most herbs contain so little moisture that your job is done soon after you’ve bought or harvested them. Drying herbs is an economically savvy food preservation strategy, too, because dried herbs demand high prices at the grocery store. Here, we detail six methods for drying herbs at home.
    To freeze or to dry? That is the question. We turned to the experts to learn the best ways to preserve herbs.

    Herbal Healing Basics

    Does whipping up your own natural, effective medicines sound like your cup of tea? In this herbal medicine-making primer from renowned herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, you’ll learn the basic preparations for using herbs medicinally — teas, infusions and tinctures — and find simple recipes for homebrewed beverages that can relieve, refresh and heal. This is the perfect guide to get you started in making your own herbal remedies. Give it a go, and start sipping your way to better health.
    Your kitchen likely already has all the tools you need to concoct your own simple, all-natural herbal skin care remedies. In this herbal skin care primer from renowned herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, you’ll learn about the best natural skin care ingredients and their unique uses and benefits, and find easy, refreshing recipes for Rose Water, Bay Rum Aftershave and Astringent, and Sea Salt Glow.
     

    An A-to-Z Guide to Culinary and Medicinal Herbs

    Aloe

    Anise

    Basil

    Bergamot

    Black Cohosh

    Borage

    Calendula

    Chamomile

    Chervil

    Chives

    Cilantro

    Comfrey

    Dandelion

    Dill

    Echinacea

    Elderberry

    Eucalyptus

    Fennel

    Fenugreek

    Feverfew

    Garlic

    Ginger

    Ginseng

    Hibiscus

    Horehound

    Horseradish

    Juniper

    Lavender

    Licorice

    MarjoramMint

    Oregano

    Parsley

    Rosemary

    Sage

    Slippery Elm

    Sorrel

    St. John’s Wort

    Tarragon

    Thyme

    Valerian

    Verbena

    Willow

    Wintergreen

    Yarrow

  • Use Fennel For That Less-Stuffed-Post-Feast-Feeling

    Did you know that fennel is a multi-tasker? It’s an herb, a vegetable and a spice. It’s been long regarded as a digestive aid, with the Greeks, Chinese, Indians and Egyptians all heralding its benefits in soothing gastrointestinal issues. 
    Maybe you love the “licorice” flavor, or perhaps you have an aversion, but either way, it’s wise to know about this wonderful plant’s ability to help digest and soothe minor to even serious intestinal issues.
    Chewing the seeds is a common practice in India. You might just test it out and chew a few seeds after your Thanksgiving meal, or any meal for that matter. 
    Fennel’s essential oils make it a powerful antioxidant and digestive aid. Fennel seeds can help soothe stomach cramps, reduce gas and bloating, stimulate the flow of bile, relax the colon and even help heal colitis, Chron’s and IBS. Babies with colic can even be soothed with diluted fennel tea. 
    Fennel is also a mild diuretic, assisting with flushing excess water and toxins out of the body. That’s especially helpful after all the salt and carbs of a typical Thanksgiving feast. 
    Easy ways to use fennel:
    • Chew a dozen or so seeds after a meal
    • Crush the seeds and use in herb mixtures, dressings and rubs
    • Eat raw fennel in salads, as a snack, or roast fennel with EVOO and other vegetables for a delicious side
    • Purchase or make fennel tea as a post-meal digestive aid

    So, enjoy your feasting and grab some fennel to help it all digest just a little easier! 

  • Benefits and uses of Yarrow

    Yarrow is an herb that I always keep on hand, especially with kids. It is part of my Sweet Dreams Sleep Tincture and I often add it to teas or preparations for the kids.Native American herbal medicine makes extensive use of yarrow. Among the Micmac people of Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, the stalk was chewed or stewed to induce sweating to “break” fevers and colds. They also pounded the stalks into a pulp to be applied to bruises, sprains, and swelling. Yarrow is also a natural insect repellant. This beneficial plant grows fairly easily in the Treasure Valley. 

    Dramatic Benefits of Yarrow:
    from LearningHerbs.com

    My first introduction to yarrow was quite dramatic. While out camping, a friend sliced open her hand quite deeply and it started to profusely flow with blood. After sitting her down and raising her hand above her heart, yarrow was picked fresh and place on the wound. Within seconds it stopped bleeding. Later at the emergency room the doctor was at first annoyed with the “dirty” plant material that was placed in the wound, but then amazed as he realized how deep the cut was, and how very little blood there was. 

    Yarrow is another magical herb that can not only stop bleeding almost instantly, but can also increase circulation when taken internally or used externally to promote blood flow in bruises or varicose veins. Yarrow’s healing abilities have been known for an immeasurable amount of time and have even been made famous in our myths of Achilles.

    Read More at https://learningherbs.com/remedies-recipes/natural-insect-repellent/

    Wellness Mama talks about the benefits of yarrow with her young children.

    Yarrow is one of my go-to herbs for children. It is helpful in relieving fevers, shortening the duration of cold and flu, helping improve relaxation during illness, and relieving cramps associated with hormones or illness. Applied topically, it is helpful with skin itching, rash or other issues.

    An external tincture or poultice will often help with hemorrhoids, rashes and broken skin. Some people will notice relief from allergy symptoms by drinking a tea of yarrow and mint.

    From Practical Herbalism:

    “Yarrow flower used in chronic diseases of the urinary apparatus, is especially recommended by Prof. J. M. Scudder. It exerts a tonic influence upon the venous system, as well as upon mucous membranes. It has been efficacious in sore throat, hemoptysis, hematuria and other forms of hemorrhage where the bleeding is mall in amount; incontinence of urine, diabetes, hemorrhoids with bloody and mucoid discharges, and dysentery. Also in amenorrhea, flatulency and spasmodic diseases, and in the form of injection in leucorrhea with relaxed vaginal walls. It will be found to be one of our best agents for the relief of menorrhagia.”

    Priest & Priest tell us that it is a mild, slow, and stimulating diaphoretic that is best used for the first stage of acute fevers, and for atonic and relaxed tissues where there is free discharge or passive hemorrhage of bright red blood. They recommend cold preparations to stimulate the appetite and tone the digestive organs, and give the following specific indications: Acute stage of colds; influenza and respiratory catarrhs; chronic diarrhea and dysentery; epistaxis; intestinal hemorrhage, bleeding hemorrhoids, uterine hemorrhage; profuse or protracted menstruation; and leucorrhea.”

    From Mountain Rose Herbs:

    “The British Herbal Compendium notes that preparations of yarrow lower fevers, induce sweating, stop cramps, encourage menstruation, relieve inflammation, and stimulate the release of stomach acid to digest proteins and fats. The herb is taken internally to treat colds, fevers, and indigestion, and used in skin treatments of slow-healing wounds. The Complete German Commission E Monographs recommends sitz baths with yarrow added to the bath water to relieve pelvic cramps in women.”

    How We Use Yarrow:

    • In homemade Buckwheat Relaxation pillows to help promote restful sleep
    • In sweet dreams sleep tincture for times when falling asleep is difficult
    • In teas (with mint and chamomile) during illness
    • As a tea, tincture or poultice on skin for rashes and itching
    • As a tincture to help ease menstrual cramps and hormone issues (not for use during pregnancy)
    • Yarrow tea often helps with congestion symptoms from allergies and illness
    • Adding yarrow to skin lotions, oils or salves can help with eczema or dry skin
    • I add a strong yarrow tea to my child’s bath for a high fever that I want to bring down naturally
    • Since it is helpful in stopping bleeding and avoiding infection, poultices of yarrow and plantain can be helpful on wounds

    Have you ever used yarrow? How do you use it? Share your tips below!

  • Herbs Gardens and Grow Lights

    Herbs, we all use them in our daily lives, one way or the other, whether for their pleasant flavor, for their healing power, or in lovely recipes. Herbal benefits are many; be it for spiritual reasons or to spice up your taste buds, or as a home remedy for ailments like cold, or a sore throat; herbs can be handy for each one’s need! Growing them in the shorter growing season in Idaho can pose a challenge that some gardeners have remedied with grow lights.

    mediterranian basil aloe-vera plant
    Mediterranean sweet basil Aloe vera plant

    Growing Basil in a Grow Light and the in the Garden

    Basil can be a great herb to include in your cooking. My wife makes Thai Chicken with Basil that is very delicious. One issue with basil is that it can be fairly expensive, especially in a basil-intensive meal. The Thai Chicken meal that my wife makes takes $2-$3 worth of basil each time she makes it. However, basil seeds are really cheap and growing basil can be pretty easy.

    I’ve had great success growing basil under a grow light and then transferring it to the garden. Basil is sensitive to frost, so if you want to get an early start you’ll need to use a grow light. You can plant the seeds directly in your garden soil if you prefer, but not until after the last frost. I plant basil under the grow light in early February, at the same time I plant onions. I plant 6-8 seeds in a ~3″ deep baking tin, so the seeds have 3″ – 5″ between them. You can probably get away with planting them even closer. Plant them in good potting soil if possible as they will be in there for a while. Keep the soil fairly moist and they should germinate in about a week. I continue to water every 2-3 days. If you start getting moss-type growth on the soil, then water less.

    It takes about two months for the basil to be ready for it’s first harvesting. If you only need a few leaves you can harvest prior to two months. About 45 days after planting, the basil plants start to grow very rapidly and can double in size in two or three weeks. The picture above shows my basil after about 55 days.

    You can harvest basil without killing the plant. Just cut the main stem about an inch below the lowest set of good leaves. The basil will keep growing and you’ll get several good leaves that you can cook with.

    Basil before cutting:Basil in grow light - Before Cutting

     

    Basil after cutting:Basil in grow light - After Cutting 

    Harvested Basil:

    Harvested Basil

    Once all danger of frost has passed (about mid-May where I live), you can transfer the basil to your garden. Let the tin you planted in dry out a little bit (not completely). Then just dig a little indentation in your garden that will fit the tin. Try to take the whole chunk of dirt and basil plants out of the tin in one group and stick it in your little hole. Now just water it with the rest of your garden, and pretty soon you’ll have more basil than your family can possible use. Basically those 6-8 little plants will grow into a basil bush. When the basil tries to make seeds, just clip off the buds so that the plant keeps growing. As long as you do this, your basil should last until the fall frost. Basil can be used to make tomato sauce, so if you’ve grown some tomatoes you might use your basil when you’re canning.

    You can even dry basil leaves if you’d like. By the end of the summer, our family is usually sick of basil so we just let the plants die and then start the process again the following year.

    Thai chicken with Basil:

    Thai Chicken with Basil

    This article originally appeared at: http://www.idahogardening.com/2013/growing-basil-in-a-grow-light-and-the-in-the-garden/#comment-13176.