Green Patch: Start Your Seeds Indoors This Winter
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December/January 2009
By Kris Wetherbee
If whiteflies do show up indoors—perhaps by hitching a ride on new plant additions or emerging from potting soil—your best offense is a good defense. That is, provide the best growing conditions for your herbs while creating an inhospitable environment for whiteflies. These pests thrive in dry, indoor air conditions, so give them the opposite: Boost air circulation by running a small fan, and mist plants weekly.
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Control mild whitefly infestations with yellow sticky traps or insecticidal soap. Both are widely available at garden centers and are safe to use on edible plants. Be sure to cover all surfaces of the plant with the spray. Repeat sprayings (according to label instructions) until pests are eliminated.
Q. I’m anxious to start my first herb garden, but it’s still a few months until spring. What can I do in winter to start planning?
A. Start with a wish list, then devise a planting strategy to make that happen. For example, do you want a cutting garden, dye garden, ornamental herb garden or do you crave fresh culinary herbs for the kitchen? Map out a space for an herb garden that is both easily accessible and aesthetically pleasing. A fragrant courtyard container garden, a culinary herb garden that can be viewed from your kitchen window, or even a window box garden for butterflies might work best for you.
When mapping out a planting strategy, remember to group like herbs together—some herbs like it sunny and dry while others thrive in a shady, moist environment. Consider a plant’s height, color, texture and shape. Use the tallest plant to form the backdrop in a bed or border, or as the central focal point in an island bed. Repeat a plant’s form or color to bring a sense of harmony to the space.
A frequent contributor to The Herb Companion, Kris Wetherbee grows herbs in the hills of western Oregon.
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