My “black thumb” is well documented on this blog. Practically everything I have planted has died. Even if I steadfastly avoid ever touching a plant and hand it straight to someone else to plant and care for, it wilts when I look or talk to it. So suffice it to say that growing our own herbs at home is an apparent exercise in futility. But I still buy the darned little pots of green every once in a while. Here several pots of thyme (though they look mysteriously like oregano) and several pots of sawtooth coriander (PHP100 for 3) seem to be thriving 5 weeks after I bought them. Could it be?
And the rosemary, which almost always dies during the rainy season, has managed to remain robust looking several weeks after I bought it. This time around, I am leaving them in pots. I am taking them out of the natural rainfall, and I am watering them rarely, making sure they stay relatively dry in all this current humidity. But it’s a race to see just how long these will stay alive in the vicinity of Marketman, the herb killer. :)
P.S. My bay (leaf) plant from 2005, purchased at 8 inches tall, went on to grow to 12+feet tall, and the gardener managed to get two or three other plants from it, but the original plant died last month, a victim of the drought and apparently bad watering habits. Bummer. These thyme plants, from 2006, didn’t last two weeks, see dead here!! And they are thyme, so the one in the photos above must be oregano?! These sage plants? RIP. And these herbs, never had a chance, apparently.
11 Responses
The spell is broken! The herb farmers need not worry about you, MM.
I remember the “cactus trend” here in Quezon City, as my friend also collects herbs too, especially the featured sawtooth coriander which is effective for high blood pressure.
Yeah, it looks like oregano! Since the rainy season is starting I think the herbs will thrive better in pots
MarketMan, the sawtooth coriander might just be the herb for you. They’re very hardy and forgiving even for the most, uhm…nominal of gardeners.
I feel your pain MM. Herbs never last long with me. Good luck with your new pots! Have you ever tried artificial lighting? My place doesn’t a get lot of direct sunlight so my herbs always die. The longest they stayed alive was when i used a combination of natural and artificial light. It goes well with small potted plants, though I’ve seen huge rooms online with artificial lighting that have abundant herbs and vegetables.
They are looking really good! Perhaps you can show pictures of the ferns that you are growing so well.
Gej, don’t jinx the ferns, they are my greatest secret, and I don’t even water them, someone else has to. But come to think of it, my dayap trees must be my crowning glory with respect to horticultural achievements so far. But don’t let them hear that. :) Peterb, I wouldn’t even know what lights to point at them, are they special ones?
There are special lights like the LED grow lights which provide a full spectrum to plants. I used an old cabinet and installed 4 T5 fluorescent bulbs and pasted mylar on the walls to reflect the light. The T5 bulbs are pretty common and can be found in any hardware store. This setup which was on 12 hours a day, provided the plants the additional light needed.
Check out this video. Mine is similar to the one by the sink which uses T5s as well.
Indoor Kitchen Herb Container Garden
httpss://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kPk40617Kwc
Btw, I went back to the vendor who sold me the herbs and told her it wasn’t thyme and she just looked at me sheepishly and said it was, duh, oregano. So I bought some thyme today, 3 lush pots for PHP100 which is a terrific bargain even if I only clip thyme two times from each pot! :)
MM, Bravo on the Rosemary, I have had more than a few people complain about their dead Rosemary shortly after they get them. I always tell them that Rosemary loves the sun, does not need much water and needs cold nights to thrive. If they really love their Rosemary, they should put them under full sun during the day, and take them into their air-conditioned bedroom at night. And I don’t hear from them again…
Nacho, i remember that suggestion of yours. I did place the pot in the room at night and had the room smelling great, but my place really lacks sun unless i place them on the roof. The Rosemary lasted a while, but without enough sun it soon joined my other herbs. :(