Growing Herbs in Florida
Not your everyday common culinary herb, tarragon is a must have in the garden and a great herb for cooks in the know! The herb is used in finer cooking. Tarragon pairs well with fish, egg and chicken dishes. Its anise or some say licorice tasting leaves are strong, use a small amount and adjust for taste preference.
Mexican Tarragon is drought tolerant and grows well all season in South Florida. It thrives in containers, and does well on windowsill gardens that receive plenty of sunlight.
Pick up a few of these herbs, we bet they will surely win you over. Before you know it , you will be finding new ways to use this fragrant herb into your everyday cooking.
Here are some photos and info on herbs you can grow and enjoy all summer long! Consider planting in a well drained soil and in a little filtered light and not full sun. You should do well with these!
Always be sure to keep the plants moist and not wet. Fertilize weekly with liquid fertilizer at half strength. Be sure to pinch your herbs to keep bushy and avoid leggy growth and flowers. Flavor and overall quality is best when you do this.
The following herbs do very well indoors when placed on a south or west window to maximize the amount of sunlight. You can also add a fluorescent light if needed.
Great Indoor Herbs you can grow!
Mint, rosemary, chamomile, lavender,
basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, cilantro, dill, sweet
marjoram, chives, savory and sage.
Perennials:
Chives, curry leaf, ginger, lemon grass, lemon verbena, mint, oregano, sorrel, thyme, and mexican tarragon.
Always be sure to keep the plants moist and not wet. Fertilize weekly with liquid fertilizer at half strength. Be sure to pinch your herbs to keep bushy and avoid leggy growth and flowers. Flavor and overall quality is best when you do this.
The following herbs do very well indoors when placed on a south or west window to maximize the amount of sunlight. You can also add a fluorescent light if needed.
Great Indoor Herbs you can grow!
Mint, rosemary, chamomile, lavender,
basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, cilantro, dill, sweet
marjoram, chives, savory and sage.
Perennials:
Chives, curry leaf, ginger, lemon grass, lemon verbena, mint, oregano, sorrel, thyme, and mexican tarragon.
Stevia
Stevia is an herb native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply Stevia. The herb is widely grown for use as a natural sweetener and sugar substitute. Stevias taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations. Stevia extract contais up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar. In the last few years. Stevia has gained attention in the U.S.A. with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives.
Culantro
Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) is a culinary leafy green herb commonly used throughout the West Indies, Latin America and, many Asian countries. The herb is mainly used as a seasoning in the preparation of a range of foods including vegetable and meat dishes, sauces, chutneys, and preserves.
This herb has many names, depending on the country where it is used. Examples are ngo gai, recao and culantro (Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic), Culantro de Pata (Honduras), alcanate (El Salvador), coentro do Pará ( Brazil), fitweed (Guyana), herbe à fer (Martinique and Guadeloupe), coulante (Haiti), and shado beni and bhandhania (Trinidad and Tobago). Best grown in a little shade and be sure to pick of the flowering heads so to encourage leaf growth and for best flavor.
Others that can take the heat!
Aloe Vera
Ginger
Lemon Grass
Lemon Verbena
Mexican Tarragon
Mint
Rosemary
Sage
Spicy Globe Basil
Sweet Basil
This herb has many names, depending on the country where it is used. Examples are ngo gai, recao and culantro (Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic), Culantro de Pata (Honduras), alcanate (El Salvador), coentro do Pará ( Brazil), fitweed (Guyana), herbe à fer (Martinique and Guadeloupe), coulante (Haiti), and shado beni and bhandhania (Trinidad and Tobago). Best grown in a little shade and be sure to pick of the flowering heads so to encourage leaf growth and for best flavor.
Others that can take the heat!
Aloe Vera
Ginger
Lemon Grass
Lemon Verbena
Mexican Tarragon
Mint
Rosemary
Sage
Spicy Globe Basil
Sweet Basil
Mexican Tarragon
