Hi I’ve been researching blackberries and raspberries for a short time now and live in Florida now 10b was 10a😂 not that it matters. I was wondering What variety of blackberry and raspberries do you have? Did you buy the plant or started with seed? Love your channel I learn so much about Florida gardening only lived here for over a yr. And gardened since July. 🥰😁
@TheCrazeenana I’ve not found a raspberry with low enough chill hours so I don’t have those but I do have blackberries and blueberries. I don’t remember the variety that I have for my blackberries but I know in your area the only option you have is Southern and Rosborough varieties. You could also do mulberries which taste very similar to blackberries, and they don’t have a required chill hour. As for blueberries I have a southern highbush. I’m not sure if you get enough chill hours for that variety or not so you will want to Google chill hours for your zip code.
In winter of 2021 my moringa froze, so I chopped it down to a 3 foot high stump. In spring little branches started appearing! It grew to be about 12 feet tall (crazy fast) with some decent branches when Hurricane Ian toppled it over. So I sawed it into pieces to move it out of the way. Two months later there were little moringa buds growing out of the logs! It wasn't even rooted! It's an amazing tree. 😍
Wow! This is quite the opus, and I am going to watch it a few more times so I don't miss anything. Ginger and lemongrass tops can also be used for tea. You will get the scent and antiseptic and anti-inflammatory health benefits, and then compost or dry the left over solids and use it as mulch to keep some pests from your garden. My favorite use of ginger, lemongrass, and garlic is to use them finely chopped or even ground into paste as a base for Thai curry. Then add as much basil (Thai, if available, or regular) to your taste, at the last second before serving. Thanks for this wonderful download of so much good info!
Sour Sop! Also not an herb or spice but we drink it as tea. A Philippino friend introduced us to this wonderful tea and we now have 3 trees. Ours have never produced fruit but I harvest the leaves and dry them out and pour boiled water over them every morning. I’ve been told it grows and fruits further South. My friend, very faith filled, told us to use 7 leaves per cup 🤷♀️ It smells heavenly. Whenever I harvest I hesitate to wash my hands bc it smells like apple pie!
I use to have a lot of problems with pest in the tomatoes. I discover that if I plant them In December by April I am picking a lot of tomatoes. I do plant my brassicas ,herbs in November and in February I plant green beans, and all the roots including my squash. I am in Central Florida zone 9B. I plant a lot of flowers, I have had a great abundance. That a great video, as always. I owe you the Gandules haven’t forget, just extremely busy.
Citronella, also called lemon scented geranium. Also, the mosquito repellant comes from the oils. If you take the leaves and rub the oils from them onto your skin it works well. Also helps about 90% for no seeums. I have tested this myself. I live vero beach 10a. I bought 1 plant a took cuttings now I have 10 of them. Very easy to grow.
Rosemary! If you have a lot, try boiling a handful of pieces in 2 cups of water for 5 mins, then chilling it and using it as a hair rinse. It's great for the scalp and smells amazing!
Thank you for such an excellent and informative video. Echinacea root is the more effective part. You leave the plant growing for two years to harvest it. Then the root is cleaned and dried for future use. Leaves are good too but not as potent. I have had limited success with it in my hot climate. The newer ornamental varieties of Echinacea angustifolia seem to tolerate heat much better. Elder flowers are medicinal too. They are diaphoretic (perspiration inducing). They are dried and steeped in tea to help sweat a fever. You can add peppermint leaves to the concoction. Peppermint also helps in colds and flu it opens nasal and lung passages. Elderberries are used in cough syrups. You can steep all of them together perhaps with dried echinacea root for a very effective cold and flu tea. Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) is used for cooking and it is added at the beginning not at the end. Its flavor is too strong. It is an essential ingredient in Puerto Rican and Caribbean cooking, as well as cilantro. Culantro is also used in Asian cooking. Ginger is excellent for clearing mucus in the lungs and helps with colds and flu. It is used grated with honey, and lemon juice, or if you tolerate you can add a crushed garlic clove to it. It is a very effective home remedy for colds and flu. Ingredients in almost every household cupboards. Mexican oregano is a type of lantana. Its genus is Lippia graveolens. There is a small leaved species called Lippia micromeria. This last one is the one used in commercial oregano mixes since it is very similar to oregano but stronger in flavor and lasts longer dried than European types which belong to the mint family. Both plants have the same chemical components but in different proportions. Lippia micromeria is used in tropical countries in place of oregano because it is easier to grow and its flavor almost indistinguishable from the true oregano. Feverfew is good for migraines. You use the leaves. St John’s wort while excellent for medicinal purposes in some individuals with fair skin may cause hyperpigmentation upon exposure to sunlight. Always check with your physician first if you are taking prescribed medication or have preexisting medical conditions as herbs may interact with them. Thyme is sometimes difficult in hot humid climates. I haven’t had much success either. The seeds germinate well but the plants die off soon afterwards. The best variety I found is the French or Summer thyme which is more heat tolerant. Thymus zygis another species of thyme from Spain, apparently tolerates heat and humidity better and also can be used like thyme. I bought seeds and some developed into plants that lasted a couple of years. It is easy to grow from seed if you control humidity also they need light to germinate. They are not very common can be obtained through herbal seed specialists or through a US company called “Caribbean Seeds”. (Free ad 😂). They also have many herb and vegetable seeds for sale. It is located in PA I believe. Thyme seems to thrive best if pruned regularly to encourage new growth. If stems get too woody it tends to die back in hot and humid climates. Also leave a lot of space between plants to allow for air circulation. I think it would be much better to grow it in a pot. There is also a “Jamaican” type of true thyme that grows supposedly very well in hot climates. I have never tried that one. Pot thyme plants in a very gritty soil mixture that drains fast since it is very susceptible to dying off because of wetness. The same applies for lavender. The phenomenal lavender variety will grow much better in Florida. It is a type of hybrid English lavender, of relatively recent introduction and selected in the United States. It is very heat and humidity resistant and better adapted to southern climates but hates wet feet. Also thyme and lavender may appreciate some afternoon shade in the Florida summer, as well as some protection from the frequent torrential rains. The addition of up to a third of fine gravel or extra perlite, coarse river sand and activated charcoal to the soil mixture will improve drainage. As a general rule thyme, oregano, rosemary and sage species originating in the south of Spain, Sicily or Greece (Crete) thrive much better in hot and humid climates than varieties or species from more northerly Mediterranean locations which are cooler. Have a wonderful day and happy gardening!
Popping a small handful of firebush berries always gelped my husband avoid a serious headache when taken as soon as he felt one starting to come on. Im in Ocala and I appreciate your channel. Thank you for taking the time. :)
Lots of valuable information in this video!💯 I would like to create some fragrant candles--citronella, pineapple, mint, etc. Thus video gave me some good ideas. Thanks!
Meanwhile I watched at leat 20 of your videos (some of it a few times) ... thanks so much for all the information!!! I'm always taking loads of notes 😅🥰 We're gonna move from Bavaria to Florida in the middle of july (my daughter has enrolled at college there). So I have to learn the language and to grow food (in a HOA) in a Zone 10a 🌴 which is both quite a change 😅. I just recognized a similarity - we also have elderberries here. In Germany they grow like weed on field and forest edges. We like to put the little star-shaped elderberry flowers in strawberry or raspberry jams (looks gorgious), or to use the whole flower in lemonades with lemon slices and ice, for teas (colds, stomac problems, ...), for home made sparkling wine and as fried flowers (covered in a liquid pancake dough) ... I thought that might be interesting for you ... (any weird text passages are solely due to my poor language skills 🙈😄)
That’s so exciting for you and your daughter! Congratulations. Elderberries grow like weeds here too. They are all over. I know it may seem overwhelming with all the changes but you are going to do great. 😊
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a Thank you 🤗 yes, it's pretty overwhelming and a bit scary. But the US is a great country and Florida is for sure one of the best states (if not the best) to live in. Ok, there's at least one plant I already know how to grow 😁👍🏻
I grow culantro and it blooms all the time. Let the blooms go and they lay down and re seed. So eventually you will have a bed of them. They are a bit prickly though.
Well done :) Wanted to share some of my favs you might be interested in as well. Oh and St.Johns wort is invasive because of OVER self sowing HA Keep that guy in a container for sure. MY favorites are toothache plant self sows but does not take over.Skullcap, Horehound (my favorite candy as well) in mint family keep it in a pot :) Feverfew great companion plant in garden bugs do not like it. I have lemon grass and lemon balm and lemon thyme my VERY fav. lemon plant is lemon verbena out lemons all the lemons :) Fav mint is chocolate mint because I love chocolate HA other fav. mint is pennyroyal makes the BEST flea bath for the furkids been using it for 40 yrs no fleas :) and Valerian .My fav "spice" you did not mention is summer savory I use as I would thyme is great in bean dishes. If you have trouble starting thyme summer savory is easy to start. I LOVE the thymes I have winter,summer,german, and french ,lemon, and creeping I love thyme. I discovered Artistic Gardens in the late 70s they have sample seed packs they were .25 back then ,that is what started me on my herb journey :) I don't know how to do the link but google them LOTS of herb seeds :)
You grow many of the same herbs I grow! Many of the same issues and experiences as well 🤣 Really great video. I am in central Florida. I have been able to grow thyme but it is small and woody in a clay pot. Thinking about moving it to my raised bed and see if it becomes more tender and less woody. Try making mashed potatoes with snipped society garlic 👌so yummy! Love citronella and it can sprout roots all along its stems. So you can have it forever if you want. My fave way to use it is to cut a few and place in a glass as an accent of fresh greenery and when I want its yummy scent in my home. Just give the leaves a little pinch and enjoy. 💚
Thank you for such an in-depth video. Herbs were the first thing I have ever grown in my Florida garden. You can try making some ginger beer using your ginger. I use seltzer water, lemon, ginger and honey. It's so good. I wonder if there is a Florida native mulberry plant that is safe to eat raw, because my son has mulberry bushes all over his yard and they eat the berries raw. They have been eating them raw for years now and no one has gotten sick. Thyme likes to be in the shade with indirect sunlight, it does not like to be watered a lot, it does better on the dryer side. If the leaves are turning yellow you're over watering, if the leaves are drying up to much sun. Thyme and sage are great in soups too! Turmeric is used for arthritis pain.
Did you mean elderberries? Could be the natives are okay raw. I’m not totally sure. I’ll definitely try that with my thyme. I probably do overwater them. Thanks for the great tips!
Wow!! Such great information!! You’ve inspired me to try some more herbs and mustard! Sadly, I couldn’t get camomile to grow after so many attempts. Even called around to purchase a plant with no luck. Thank you, Petrina for this awesome video…and for weathering our oppressive heat!! I have learned so much from you! 🌱💚🌱💚
Such great info! Perfect video! My two cents to share...I find that borage has a thick but shallow root and my plants get so big it topples so beds have been better than containers as other plants keep it upright. I cannot grow thyme either - same boat - If I get it to grow this year now that I'm in florida I will share (moved from CA). Turmeric and Ginger have different properties when fresh vs. dried so be sure you are using it correctly for what you need. For example the immune boosting in the ginger is lost when dried but is still great for culinary. We eat milk thistle seeds any time we need to take a tylenol or ibuprofen due to its hepaprotective properties (liver protection).
37:09 - I see a band of lawn between your tree line and your fence. If you were to cultivate that area, you'd have the most amazing keyhole setup - I don't want to say raised beds... It will save you a little bit of mowing work, and it will give you a little bit more of growing space.
I use my green stalk for my herbs too. I just discovered that a bird started a nest in one of my "pockets"... you are full of knowledge about medicinal plants. I hope that you will do more instructional videos while you're creating some of these . Have you ever watched Rain Country on TH-cam? ❤❤
Great video! You are one of my Florida go-to's!!! I get a $980 shot once a month for my migraines. Please let us know if the rosemary tincture works! ❤
Great video lots of wonderful information. I too grow a lot of herbs and lemon balm, Oh my goodness yes it just spreads everywhere so I grow it in 2 great big totes and that's where they stay. I also have had issues growing thyme I don't know why either, I am zone 9a and live in Fort McCoy, Florida. After your video I now plan on expanding my herbs and spice garden. We are just developing our half acre lot ,so I know that there is a new project for my husband in the future. A new giant raised bed just for herbage 😊 Thanks so much ,love learning from you ,you've really helped me start to flourish as a Florida gardener.
I make a comfrey salve that is great for bruises and soreness. Make sure you get comfrey that doesn't seed if you don't want it everywhere forever. I got mine from Billy at Permapastures Farm.
If you live in Orlando there's a guy who sells herb plants 2-3$ for nice plants At the Winter Park farmers market So sometimes I think we might all have an herb that is a struggle with getting seeds to grow For example stevia I have a hard time growing from seed But he has stevia and it grew wonderful I grow dill and it's a main herb used to make ranch dressing ( you can make a version with olive oil and lemon and dill that's better for you) of course ranch is usually a way to get kids to eat herbs!
Also - you can propagate elderberry very easily if you see it growing the side of the road in disturbed areas Take about 5- inch inch piece from the softer green and it will root easily in a pot of moist soil
I have heard that my grandma use to use turmeric in her chicken and dumplings if she thought the broth did not look rich enough. That probably over 70 years ago.
I just put the ginger and turmeric roots in dirt and they grew fine without having to root them in water. Honestly never even thought about doing that 😂. Great information, thank you for sharing ❤. Oregano and rosemary teas are very good for you too.
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a I didn’t know you could grow elderberry in Florida. I’ve researched it and it didn’t look promising. 😆 I love elderberry syrup, so good.
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a @janicemoyer854 I heard recently that both Turmeric and Ginger need a certain soil temp to be triggered to grow. I'd planted both in a shadier area last year, watched them grow and thrive, forgot to harvest, watched them die and thought that was it! About a month ago? They both started to sprout. The Turmeric is just a single stalk, but it's about 2' high, and the ginger? Well... it's trying to take over the planet! Be patient and it should work! Good gardening to both of you!
@HomegrownFloridaZ9a Also... Lemongrass... I've grown this one for YEARS! 1. Make sure you give it space. That single stalk you can buy at the grocery store? It'll grow into a 2'-3' bush. (After that, it won't spread in width, but it WILL get to be about 3' tall. 2. The leaves are serrated, so wear gloves and sleeves when harvesting. Otherwise, they'll leave scratches all over your arms and hands. 3. Strip the leaves and make them into a kinda bundle. Throw those into the freezer to use in your soups. 4. You don't really need the roots attached to grow a bunch. I started with a stalk I got at the farmers market, stuck it in a pot and it grew like crazy. Now, I just pluck a stalk and stick it in the ground. It LOVES Florida's sandy soil and wants the FULL sun of our summer days! 5. You basically need to dig it up and harvest it every year. It kinda grows up the old stalk and forms roots that grow inside the leaf structure. If you don't "free" it, it'll die. There are several videos on YT about it that can explain all this better than I can without pictures, but, trust me! I currently have a lemongrass plant that is about 2' wide by 3' tall that I got from a SINGLE stalk I plucked off an old one I already had. Her little sister is only about 6" smaller and from a slightly smaller stalk.
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a You are sooo very welcome! I got one more for ya... Thyme. I agree! It's HARD for some reason. (I'm on the East coast, near Port St. Lucie) and I could NOT get it to grow for me. First, I discovered that it is very susceptible to Root Knot Nematodes - which, yes, I do have here. Blah. Don't get me started on those little buggers! But, then I realized that it doesn't want the amount of light that "they" claim it does. I put two pots (that I bought, pre-started) in my Eastern Garden. I get sun from about 8am til 2pm, and they're finally doing better. Not thriving yet, but, I still have thyme growing nearly 4 months later! So..? less afternoon sun, more water than you think it needs... and maybe?
My lemon grass plant grew to at least 7 feet tall with the flower stalks. It got really wide as well. I planted it about 4 years ago (tiny little thing from home depot). It runs on neglect. I do chop it way down about every six months (probably down to about 2 feet tall). Actually, this past spring, I dug that entire sucker up, divided it into three, and moved it to a blank wall on the side of my house. It is once again thriving on neglect. It is a beautiful tall grass with an amazing scent. As the other commenter wrote; must wear gloves when pruning.
Hello enjoying your herb and fruit information I really like to know about your peach tree .like what do you treat it with.i have a very old peach tree I need some tips.
I spray it with Spinosad once when it starts forming fruit and once again about a week or two before harvest. I feed it Jobs fruit fertilizer about 2 times a year and fish fertilizer every month when it has fruit on it. I prune it in winter and summer. Other than that, I basically ignore it.
I am so sorry I am having a little hard on understanding some of your herb names .I like to know about that tree plant that you going to cut the top off.your information is so needed i am very Thankful.
On tumeric I wonder if you can dry it and make a powder. I take it as a supplement for my arthritis and they add pepper to the supplement so the body can utilize it.
I live in south Florida and I absolutely cannot grow thyme. Even if it grows it definitely dies when it gets cold and never comes back. When I lived in Pennsylvania I kept thyme in a pot and it came back year after year. I am also not sure what I am doing wrong
Take 3-4 heads of garlic, slice the tops off. Place all of the above in a tin foil package, wrapped tightly in tin foil and place in a 400F oven for about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow to cool. Get ya a mason jar - one that's about a pint or so - and squeeze the garlic into the jar. Make sure you don't get any of the paper into the jar! (It doesn't taste so good!) Don't add ANYTHING to the garlic. Just the roasted garlic in the jar! It keeps (for me) on the door of my fridge for about ~2 weeks. I use it in EVERYTHING. Makes THE best garlic bread, Pasta sauce, Fish, compound butter... honestly? You name it. So much sweeter than using raw garlic in any form. It's AWESOME!
WHERE IN THE WORLD DID YOU FIND ALL YOUR SEEDS AND THAT PEACH TREE? WE ARE IN THE SAME ZONE I have never seen a peach tree that would put out fruit here! HELP PLEASE.
It’s a tropical beauty peach tree. There is a lady on FB that sells them in NPR. If you are near there, shoot me a email and I can send you her details. My seeds I get from a lot of different places but MIGardener has a lot of really cool ones that I like. Petrinahomegrownflorida@gmail.com
I disagree about not being able to eat elderberries right off the bush. I grew up doing exactly that. Unless there's a difference between the wild elderberry that grows in Ohio and what grows here. Either way, I spent my entire childhood eating handfuls right off the bush every summer.
I think many people would tell you what you do wrong with your thyme, as soon as you tell them how exactly are you trying to grow it from seed :) (Also, if all else fails, buy a potted plant) :)
have you had a blood test? I used to have severe migraines. I got a blood test and found out I was anemic. when I keep up with my iron pills, I don't get migraines as much.
Yeah. Everything came back normal. I even got an MRI but everything is coming back normal. My best guess is it has something to do with allergies. Whenever my allergies act up, a migraine usually follows.
@@sandysmith3761 they really do. Thanks for the idea. Next time I see the doctor, I’ll talk to him about deficiencies to see if there is extra tests he can do.
I finally have thyme growing/living. The only thing I did different this time is plant herbs in last year's potato bed. The soil is more acidic than the rest of the garden. I'm not sure if that's a reason for success? Could be better results using a different seed company? This year, I'll take any success I can get!
I’ve never had much success with lavender but this year I’m making really great progress. I started Munstead lavender from seed but I cold stratified them in a wet paper towel in the fridge for 4 weeks before planting. Only 2 seeds germinated but that’s more than before. I used promix for soil and kept it pretty dry and in the shade and it seems to be super happy that way. It’s making me uncomfortable with how little I water it but it seems happy about it.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
03:16 Basil
06:02 Bee Balm
07:21 Blackberry and Raspberry Leaves
08:57 Borage
10:35 Calendula
12:16 Catnip
13:34 Cilantro Culantro
14:57 Chamomile
17:36 Citronella
19:02 Comfrey
20:14 Cumin
21:16 Dill
22:46 Echinacea
24:39 Elderberry
26:37 FireBush
27:43 Garlic
29:28 Ginger
30:43 Goldenrod
31:52 Lavender
33:13 Lemon Balm
34:17 Lemongrass
35:46 Marshmallow
36:47 Milk Thistle
38:26 Mint
40:16 Moringa
41:57 Mustard
43:18 Oregano
44:35 Parsley
45:58 Peach Leaves
46:52 Peppers
48:24 Pineapple Sage
50:05 Rosemary
52:03 St John's Wort
52:45 Sage
53:42 Society Garlic
55:29 Sorrel
56:34 Thyme
57:30 Turmeric
59:42 Vitex
Hi I’ve been researching blackberries and raspberries for a short time now and live in Florida now 10b was 10a😂 not that it matters. I was wondering What variety of blackberry and raspberries do you have? Did you buy the plant or started with seed? Love your channel I learn so much about Florida gardening only lived here for over a yr. And gardened since July. 🥰😁
@TheCrazeenana I’ve not found a raspberry with low enough chill hours so I don’t have those but I do have blackberries and blueberries. I don’t remember the variety that I have for my blackberries but I know in your area the only option you have is Southern and Rosborough varieties. You could also do mulberries which taste very similar to blackberries, and they don’t have a required chill hour. As for blueberries I have a southern highbush. I’m not sure if you get enough chill hours for that variety or not so you will want to Google chill hours for your zip code.
Ok thanks for the info 😁❤
Thanks!
In winter of 2021 my moringa froze, so I chopped it down to a 3 foot high stump. In spring little branches started appearing! It grew to be about 12 feet tall (crazy fast) with some decent branches when Hurricane Ian toppled it over. So I sawed it into pieces to move it out of the way. Two months later there were little moringa buds growing out of the logs! It wasn't even rooted! It's an amazing tree. 😍
It really is!
Wow! This is quite the opus, and I am going to watch it a few more times so I don't miss anything.
Ginger and lemongrass tops can also be used for tea. You will get the scent and antiseptic and anti-inflammatory health benefits, and then compost or dry the left over solids and use it as mulch to keep some pests from your garden. My favorite use of ginger, lemongrass, and garlic is to use them finely chopped or even ground into paste as a base for Thai curry. Then add as much basil (Thai, if available, or regular) to your taste, at the last second before serving.
Thanks for this wonderful download of so much good info!
Thank you! I’m new to growing lemongrass and ginger so this is great info!
Sour Sop! Also not an herb or spice but we drink it as tea. A Philippino friend introduced us to this wonderful tea and we now have 3 trees. Ours have never produced fruit but I harvest the leaves and dry them out and pour boiled water over them every morning. I’ve been told it grows and fruits further South. My friend, very faith filled, told us to use 7 leaves per cup 🤷♀️ It smells heavenly. Whenever I harvest I hesitate to wash my hands bc it smells like apple pie!
Apple pie! Oh my gosh. Looks like I have a new plant to get 👩🌾
I use to have a lot of problems with pest in the tomatoes. I discover that if I plant them In December by April I am picking a lot of tomatoes. I do plant my brassicas ,herbs in November and in February I plant green beans, and all the roots including my squash. I am in Central Florida zone 9B. I plant a lot of flowers, I have had a great abundance. That a great video, as always. I owe you the Gandules haven’t forget, just extremely busy.
You have Florida timing down! Great job
Citronella, also called lemon scented geranium. Also, the mosquito repellant comes from the oils. If you take the leaves and rub the oils from them onto your skin it works well. Also helps about 90% for no seeums. I have tested this myself. I live vero beach 10a. I bought 1 plant a took cuttings now I have 10 of them. Very easy to grow.
The noseeums are tough around my house. I’ll give that a shot.
Rosemary! If you have a lot, try boiling a handful of pieces in 2 cups of water for 5 mins, then chilling it and using it as a hair rinse. It's great for the scalp and smells amazing!
Thanks for the tip!
Thank you for such an excellent and informative video. Echinacea root is the more effective part. You leave the plant growing for two years to harvest it. Then the root is cleaned and dried for future use. Leaves are good too but not as potent. I have had limited success with it in my hot climate. The newer ornamental varieties of Echinacea angustifolia seem to tolerate heat much better. Elder flowers are medicinal too. They are diaphoretic (perspiration inducing). They are dried and steeped in tea to help sweat a fever. You can add peppermint leaves to the concoction. Peppermint also helps in colds and flu it opens nasal and lung passages. Elderberries are used in cough syrups. You can steep all of them together perhaps with dried echinacea root for a very effective cold and flu tea. Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) is used for cooking and it is added at the beginning not at the end. Its flavor is too strong. It is an essential ingredient in Puerto Rican and Caribbean cooking, as well as cilantro. Culantro is also used in Asian cooking. Ginger is excellent for clearing mucus in the lungs and helps with colds and flu. It is used grated with honey, and lemon juice, or if you tolerate you can add a crushed garlic clove to it. It is a very effective home remedy for colds and flu. Ingredients in almost every household cupboards. Mexican oregano is a type of lantana. Its genus is Lippia graveolens. There is a small leaved species called Lippia micromeria. This last one is the one used in commercial oregano mixes since it is very similar to oregano but stronger in flavor and lasts longer dried than European types which belong to the mint family. Both plants have the same chemical components but in different proportions. Lippia micromeria is used in tropical countries in place of oregano because it is easier to grow and its flavor almost indistinguishable from the true oregano. Feverfew is good for migraines. You use the leaves. St John’s wort while excellent for medicinal purposes in some individuals with fair skin may cause hyperpigmentation upon exposure to sunlight. Always check with your physician first if you are taking prescribed medication or have preexisting medical conditions as herbs may interact with them. Thyme is sometimes difficult in hot humid climates. I haven’t had much success either. The seeds germinate well but the plants die off soon afterwards. The best variety I found is the French or Summer thyme which is more heat tolerant. Thymus zygis another species of thyme from Spain, apparently tolerates heat and humidity better and also can be used like thyme. I bought seeds and some developed into plants that lasted a couple of years. It is easy to grow from seed if you control humidity also they need light to germinate. They are not very common can be obtained through herbal seed specialists or through a US company called “Caribbean Seeds”. (Free ad 😂). They also have many herb and vegetable seeds for sale. It is located in PA I believe. Thyme seems to thrive best if pruned regularly to encourage new growth. If stems get too woody it tends to die back in hot and humid climates. Also leave a lot of space between plants to allow for air circulation. I think it would be much better to grow it in a pot. There is also a “Jamaican” type of true thyme that grows supposedly very well in hot climates. I have never tried that one. Pot thyme plants in a very gritty soil mixture that drains fast since it is very susceptible to dying off because of wetness. The same applies for lavender. The phenomenal lavender variety will grow much better in Florida. It is a type of hybrid English lavender, of relatively recent introduction and selected in the United States. It is very heat and humidity resistant and better adapted to southern climates but hates wet feet. Also thyme and lavender may appreciate some afternoon shade in the Florida summer, as well as some protection from the frequent torrential rains. The addition of up to a third of fine gravel or extra perlite, coarse river sand and activated charcoal to the soil mixture will improve drainage. As a general rule thyme, oregano, rosemary and sage species originating in the south of Spain, Sicily or Greece (Crete) thrive much better in hot and humid climates than varieties or species from more northerly Mediterranean locations which are cooler. Have a wonderful day and happy gardening!
I was talking notes! Thanks for all the helpful information
Popping a small handful of firebush berries always gelped my husband avoid a serious headache when taken as soon as he felt one starting to come on. Im in Ocala and I appreciate your channel. Thank you for taking the time. :)
That’s really good to know! Thank you
Lots of valuable information in this video!💯 I would like to create some fragrant candles--citronella, pineapple, mint, etc. Thus video gave me some good ideas. Thanks!
Yay! So glad it was helpful!
Meanwhile I watched at leat 20 of your videos (some of it a few times) ... thanks so much for all the information!!! I'm always taking loads of notes 😅🥰
We're gonna move from Bavaria to Florida in the middle of july (my daughter has enrolled at college there). So I have to learn the language and to grow food (in a HOA) in a Zone 10a 🌴 which is both quite a change 😅.
I just recognized a similarity - we also have elderberries here. In Germany they grow like weed on field and forest edges. We like to put the little star-shaped elderberry flowers in strawberry or raspberry jams (looks gorgious), or to use the whole flower in lemonades with lemon slices and ice, for teas (colds, stomac problems, ...), for home made sparkling wine and as fried flowers (covered in a liquid pancake dough) ... I thought that might be interesting for you ...
(any weird text passages are solely due to my poor language skills 🙈😄)
That’s so exciting for you and your daughter! Congratulations. Elderberries grow like weeds here too. They are all over. I know it may seem overwhelming with all the changes but you are going to do great. 😊
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a Thank you 🤗 yes, it's pretty overwhelming and a bit scary. But the US is a great country and Florida is for sure one of the best states (if not the best) to live in.
Ok, there's at least one plant I already know how to grow 😁👍🏻
I grow culantro and it blooms all the time. Let the blooms go and they lay down and re seed. So eventually you will have a bed of them. They are a bit prickly though.
Thanks for that info!
Well done :) Wanted to share some of my favs you might be interested in as well. Oh and St.Johns wort is invasive because of OVER self sowing HA Keep that guy in a container for sure. MY favorites are toothache plant self sows but does not take over.Skullcap, Horehound (my favorite candy as well) in mint family keep it in a pot :) Feverfew great companion plant in garden bugs do not like it. I have lemon grass and lemon balm and lemon thyme my VERY fav. lemon plant is lemon verbena out lemons all the lemons :) Fav mint is chocolate mint because I love chocolate HA other fav. mint is pennyroyal makes the BEST flea bath for the furkids been using it for 40 yrs no fleas :) and Valerian .My fav "spice" you did not mention is summer savory I use as I would thyme is great in bean dishes. If you have trouble starting thyme summer savory is easy to start. I LOVE the thymes I have winter,summer,german, and french ,lemon, and creeping I love thyme. I discovered Artistic Gardens in the late 70s they have sample seed packs they were .25 back then ,that is what started me on my herb journey :) I don't know how to do the link but google them LOTS of herb seeds :)
I’ve always been curious what summer savory tastes like. Sounds like it’s similar to thyme?
Thank you so much! I love herbs. ❤
Yay! So glad you enjoyed 💚
You grow many of the same herbs I grow! Many of the same issues and experiences as well 🤣 Really great video. I am in central Florida.
I have been able to grow thyme but it is small and woody in a clay pot. Thinking about moving it to my raised bed and see if it becomes more tender and less woody.
Try making mashed potatoes with snipped society garlic 👌so yummy!
Love citronella and it can sprout roots all along its stems. So you can have it forever if you want. My fave way to use it is to cut a few and place in a glass as an accent of fresh greenery and when I want its yummy scent in my home. Just give the leaves a little pinch and enjoy. 💚
Society garlic mashed potatoes sounds amazing 🤤
Thank you for such an in-depth video. Herbs were the first thing I have ever grown in my Florida garden. You can try making some ginger beer using your ginger. I use seltzer water, lemon, ginger and honey. It's so good. I wonder if there is a Florida native mulberry plant that is safe to eat raw, because my son has mulberry bushes all over his yard and they eat the berries raw. They have been eating them raw for years now and no one has gotten sick. Thyme likes to be in the shade with indirect sunlight, it does not like to be watered a lot, it does better on the dryer side. If the leaves are turning yellow you're over watering, if the leaves are drying up to much sun. Thyme and sage are great in soups too! Turmeric is used for arthritis pain.
Did you mean elderberries? Could be the natives are okay raw. I’m not totally sure. I’ll definitely try that with my thyme. I probably do overwater them. Thanks for the great tips!
I love this video!! Im so excited to fill my vertical planter. You inspired me to finally jump into the gardening ive been spying on for years.
Yay 🎉 You can do it!
Add lemongrass to the sleepy tea it works😄
Ooh good idea!
Wow!! Such great information!! You’ve inspired me to try some more herbs and mustard!
Sadly, I couldn’t get camomile to grow after so many attempts. Even called around to purchase a plant with no luck. Thank you, Petrina for this awesome video…and for weathering our oppressive heat!! I have learned so much from you! 🌱💚🌱💚
My pleasure. Chamomile is tough to get started. I had my best luck during early spring or late fall.
Such great info! Perfect video! My two cents to share...I find that borage has a thick but shallow root and my plants get so big it topples so beds have been better than containers as other plants keep it upright. I cannot grow thyme either - same boat - If I get it to grow this year now that I'm in florida I will share (moved from CA). Turmeric and Ginger have different properties when fresh vs. dried so be sure you are using it correctly for what you need. For example the immune boosting in the ginger is lost when dried but is still great for culinary. We eat milk thistle seeds any time we need to take a tylenol or ibuprofen due to its hepaprotective properties (liver protection).
Great info. Thank you!
37:09 - I see a band of lawn between your tree line and your fence. If you were to cultivate that area, you'd have the most amazing keyhole setup - I don't want to say raised beds... It will save you a little bit of mowing work, and it will give you a little bit more of growing space.
Great idea 💚
That was so interesting, thank you Petrina ! Really motivated to try growing more herbs and using them medicinally ! Keep up the great videos. 😊
Thank you! Will do!
Oregano is the best bug repellent I have found, particularly roaches of all types.
Good idea!
Great video-thanks!
So glad you liked it!
Love this video!!
Glad you liked it!!
An additional suggestion is longevity spinach. I use this in tea, but you can put in smoothies and salads. Loves zone 9a and our florida heat.
Great idea!!
I use my green stalk for my herbs too. I just discovered that a bird started a nest in one of my "pockets"... you are full of knowledge about medicinal plants. I hope that you will do more instructional videos while you're creating some of these . Have you ever watched Rain Country on TH-cam? ❤❤
I haven’t but I will check them out. Is there a specific instructional video you are looking for?
So helpful to know what to grow in Florida :)
Great instructional video. A lot of stuff that I didn't know. Thanks for braving the heat,
Glad you enjoyed it!
Speaking of cilantro - if you don't like the herb, let it go to flower and seed, and you may like the coriander (the seeds).
Elderberry leaves are also good medicinal. Pain, poultices etc.
Thanks! I didn’t realize
Great video! You are one of my Florida go-to's!!! I get a $980 shot once a month for my migraines. Please let us know if the rosemary tincture works! ❤
Thanks so much for watching.
I grow comfrey in a number of large pots around my yard. I live in the treasure coast of Florida (10a). I find it does the best in dappled light.
Thanks for the tip!
Great stuff, thank you x
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video lots of wonderful information. I too grow a lot of herbs and lemon balm, Oh my goodness yes it just spreads everywhere so I grow it in 2 great big totes and that's where they stay.
I also have had issues growing thyme I don't know why either, I am zone 9a and live in Fort McCoy, Florida.
After your video I now plan on expanding my herbs and spice garden. We are just developing our half acre
lot ,so I know that there is a new project for my husband in the future. A new giant raised bed just for herbage 😊
Thanks so much ,love learning from you ,you've really helped me start to flourish as a Florida gardener.
That’s awesome! I love the idea for a whole raised bed of herbs 🌿
12 cherries is equivalent to one ibuprofen. Watermelon also has lycopene.
I make a comfrey salve that is great for bruises and soreness. Make sure you get comfrey that doesn't seed if you don't want it everywhere forever. I got mine from Billy at Permapastures Farm.
I’ll check that out. Thank you for the tip!
If you live in Orlando there's a guy who sells herb plants 2-3$ for nice plants
At the Winter Park farmers market
So sometimes I think we might all have an herb that is a struggle with getting seeds to grow
For example stevia I have a hard time growing from seed
But he has stevia and it grew wonderful
I grow dill and it's a main herb used to make ranch dressing ( you can make a version with olive oil and lemon and dill that's better for you) of course ranch is usually a way to get kids to eat herbs!
Also - you can propagate elderberry very easily if you see it growing the side of the road in disturbed areas
Take about 5- inch inch piece from the softer green and it will root easily in a pot of moist soil
I’ll give that ranch a try. Sounds yummy. Thanks for all the tips.
Thanks for all these ideas.
You are so welcome!
I have heard that my grandma use to use turmeric in her chicken and dumplings if she thought the broth did not look rich enough. That probably over 70 years ago.
I’ve done that too! Doesn’t affect the flavor but adds such a beautiful color
I just put the ginger and turmeric roots in dirt and they grew fine without having to root them in water. Honestly never even thought about doing that 😂.
Great information, thank you for sharing ❤.
Oregano and rosemary teas are very good for you too.
I’m new to them but I just planted them. Hopefully they grow
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a I didn’t know you could grow elderberry in Florida. I’ve researched it and it didn’t look promising. 😆 I love elderberry syrup, so good.
@@janicemoyer854 mine is doing well. I have little berries on it now but I definitely need a second one for better pollination
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a @janicemoyer854 I heard recently that both Turmeric and Ginger need a certain soil temp to be triggered to grow. I'd planted both in a shadier area last year, watched them grow and thrive, forgot to harvest, watched them die and thought that was it!
About a month ago? They both started to sprout. The Turmeric is just a single stalk, but it's about 2' high, and the ginger? Well... it's trying to take over the planet!
Be patient and it should work! Good gardening to both of you!
I hope mine does that well too. Fingers crossed 🤞
Holy basil, tulsi Rama grows well look it up
👍
I can’t grow thyme for very long too. I have tried everything also. But as soon as the hot summer comes along bye bye.
I’m not alone 🤗
@HomegrownFloridaZ9a
Also... Lemongrass... I've grown this one for YEARS!
1. Make sure you give it space. That single stalk you can buy at the grocery store? It'll grow into a 2'-3' bush. (After that, it won't spread in width, but it WILL get to be about 3' tall.
2. The leaves are serrated, so wear gloves and sleeves when harvesting. Otherwise, they'll leave scratches all over your arms and hands.
3. Strip the leaves and make them into a kinda bundle. Throw those into the freezer to use in your soups.
4. You don't really need the roots attached to grow a bunch. I started with a stalk I got at the farmers market, stuck it in a pot and it grew like crazy. Now, I just pluck a stalk and stick it in the ground. It LOVES Florida's sandy soil and wants the FULL sun of our summer days!
5. You basically need to dig it up and harvest it every year. It kinda grows up the old stalk and forms roots that grow inside the leaf structure. If you don't "free" it, it'll die.
There are several videos on YT about it that can explain all this better than I can without pictures, but, trust me! I currently have a lemongrass plant that is about 2' wide by 3' tall that I got from a SINGLE stalk I plucked off an old one I already had. Her little sister is only about 6" smaller and from a slightly smaller stalk.
Great tips! Thank you so much 😊
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a You are sooo very welcome! I got one more for ya...
Thyme. I agree! It's HARD for some reason. (I'm on the East coast, near Port St. Lucie) and I could NOT get it to grow for me. First, I discovered that it is very susceptible to Root Knot Nematodes - which, yes, I do have here. Blah. Don't get me started on those little buggers! But, then I realized that it doesn't want the amount of light that "they" claim it does. I put two pots (that I bought, pre-started) in my Eastern Garden. I get sun from about 8am til 2pm, and they're finally doing better. Not thriving yet, but, I still have thyme growing nearly 4 months later! So..? less afternoon sun, more water than you think it needs... and maybe?
My lemon grass plant grew to at least 7 feet tall with the flower stalks. It got really wide as well. I planted it about 4 years ago (tiny little thing from home depot). It runs on neglect. I do chop it way down about every six months (probably down to about 2 feet tall). Actually, this past spring, I dug that entire sucker up, divided it into three, and moved it to a blank wall on the side of my house. It is once again thriving on neglect. It is a beautiful tall grass with an amazing scent. As the other commenter wrote; must wear gloves when pruning.
I’ll give that a shot. I usually try it in my Greenstalk but I’m going to try it in my patio in its own pot to see if it likes that better.
I love plants that thrive on neglect!
Perhaps your sorrel shouldn't be in full sun in summer? Maybe consider a tiny umbrella? :)
Hello enjoying your herb and fruit information I really like to know about your peach tree .like what do you treat it with.i have a very old peach tree I need some tips.
I spray it with Spinosad once when it starts forming fruit and once again about a week or two before harvest. I feed it Jobs fruit fertilizer about 2 times a year and fish fertilizer every month when it has fruit on it. I prune it in winter and summer. Other than that, I basically ignore it.
I am so sorry I am having a little hard on understanding some of your herb names .I like to know about that tree plant that you going to cut the top off.your information is so needed i am very Thankful.
No worries. It’s called a Moringa. I have a list in the video description with the spelling and time stamp. 👩🌾
👍👍👍👍
Elder flowers are also edible/medicinal. The rest of the bush is a low dose botanical.
I had put my borage the ground after I come out of my tower
I think I might do the same thing with my aerogarden.
On tumeric I wonder if you can dry it and make a powder. I take it as a supplement for my arthritis and they add pepper to the supplement so the body can utilize it.
Yeah. I bet you can. I’ll have to check that out.
I live in south Florida and I absolutely cannot grow thyme. Even if it grows it definitely dies when it gets cold and never comes back. When I lived in Pennsylvania I kept thyme in a pot and it came back year after year. I am also not sure what I am doing wrong
It’s nice to know im not alone in this struggle, lol. Thyme is tough.
Take 3-4 heads of garlic, slice the tops off. Place all of the above in a tin foil package, wrapped tightly in tin foil and place in a 400F oven for about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow to cool. Get ya a mason jar - one that's about a pint or so - and squeeze the garlic into the jar. Make sure you don't get any of the paper into the jar! (It doesn't taste so good!) Don't add ANYTHING to the garlic. Just the roasted garlic in the jar!
It keeps (for me) on the door of my fridge for about ~2 weeks. I use it in EVERYTHING. Makes THE best garlic bread, Pasta sauce, Fish, compound butter... honestly? You name it. So much sweeter than using raw garlic in any form. It's AWESOME!
Oh my gosh. That sounds soooo good
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a It IS!! YUM!!
WHERE IN THE WORLD DID YOU FIND ALL YOUR SEEDS AND THAT PEACH TREE? WE ARE IN THE SAME ZONE I have never seen a peach tree that would put out fruit here! HELP PLEASE.
It’s a tropical beauty peach tree. There is a lady on FB that sells them in NPR. If you are near there, shoot me a email and I can send you her details. My seeds I get from a lot of different places but MIGardener has a lot of really cool ones that I like. Petrinahomegrownflorida@gmail.com
I disagree about not being able to eat elderberries right off the bush. I grew up doing exactly that. Unless there's a difference between the wild elderberry that grows in Ohio and what grows here. Either way, I spent my entire childhood eating handfuls right off the bush every summer.
I think many people would tell you what you do wrong with your thyme, as soon as you tell them how exactly are you trying to grow it from seed :) (Also, if all else fails, buy a potted plant) :)
have you had a blood test? I used to have severe migraines. I got a blood test and found out I was anemic. when I keep up with my iron pills, I don't get migraines as much.
Yeah. Everything came back normal. I even got an MRI but everything is coming back normal. My best guess is it has something to do with allergies. Whenever my allergies act up, a migraine usually follows.
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a sorry. I know how painful they are.
@@sandysmith3761 they really do. Thanks for the idea. Next time I see the doctor, I’ll talk to him about deficiencies to see if there is extra tests he can do.
You cut the elderberry and put the cutting in the ground it will grow and make you a new tree it's very easy to start
Would that help with pollination? I wasn’t sure if it needed a totally different variety or if the same variety would work
"Thyme/Time is the bane of my existence...I can't get thyme/time to grow"!😂
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but I can not keep it alive
Plant in well-draining soil in late fall or early spring.
Were you growing a creeping variety by mistake?
@@liamthompson9090 I’m not sure. I’ll have to check that.
I finally have thyme growing/living. The only thing I did different this time is plant herbs in last year's potato bed. The soil is more acidic than the rest of the garden. I'm not sure if that's a reason for success? Could be better results using a different seed company?
This year, I'll take any success I can get!
Do you recommend a particular Lavender for our area? Also any tips on growing it? I have heard that Phenomenal Lavender has done pretty well. Thanks
I’ve never had much success with lavender but this year I’m making really great progress. I started Munstead lavender from seed but I cold stratified them in a wet paper towel in the fridge for 4 weeks before planting. Only 2 seeds germinated but that’s more than before. I used promix for soil and kept it pretty dry and in the shade and it seems to be super happy that way. It’s making me uncomfortable with how little I water it but it seems happy about it.
@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a Please let us know how it does. I had a hard time in GA and NC with it. Provence did better up there. Thanks for the reply
I’ll definitely keep you updated