Random questions!

Hi

Just have a couple of random questions i would like answers to, if anyone can help?

1 - I have bought some potting grit for the tops of my pots as a measure to try to deter slugs (copper tape is naff and my marigolds do NOT look their best ). Can i put the grit on top of the soil around my thyme? I don't know too much about gardening but it seems that the thyme spreads out its little tiny 'branches' and where they come into contact with the soil, they develop roots? Therefore, i'm worried about placing the grit on top of the soil around the thyme in case the grits prevents the thyme from increasing in size?

2. If a plant is pot bound but i don't want to put it in a larger pot (for whatever reason, lack of space for example), is there a way i can keep it in the same pot, eg by division etc? (I believe that not all plants can simply be divded?)

 

Oh, jut another quick one

-is it best to keep plants pruned and trimmed in order to keep them looking their best, rather than just letting them grow bigger and bigger? I have a number of herb pots, will the quality of the herbs be better if i keep them trimmed, therefore the roots have less actual plant to feed? Or am i asking a really stupid question??!!

 

Thyme won't mind the grit. You are right about it rooting where its branches come into contact with the soil, and I have no idea whether the grit would impede that process, but in my experience it doesn't spread very quickly that way anyway (although it probably would if you pressed it down so it is in contact with the soil).

In my plant propagation book it says that Thyme can be propagated by banking it up in grit or co@rse sand to get the branches to root, as long as the grit is kept moist.

 

Keep them trimmed, otherwise they become leggy and the old leaves are not as pretty as the younger ones.

 

Thyme will "root" fine on grit. I find that herbs get a bit woody after a couple of years in pots, so need to be replaced, either by cuttings, seeds or replacement plants.

As for dividing plants, is depends on the plant, but most herbaceous perennials benefit from division every few years.

 

BusyB If you are growing herbs such as rosemary sage and the woody ones you will be trimming them anyway. You need to to get the nice fresh growth for culinary use. I harvest the leaves in summmer and freeze them for winter use. Sage benefits from a prune in spring otherwise it becomes very leggy and woody. Again keep picking the leaves and freezing. They fry up beautifully crisp from frozen and taste wonderful. The softer herbs keep trimming to encourage growth and trim flowers off to stop the energy going into seed production. Oregano tastes much nicer dried. Cut the stems when they are on the point of flowering and hang them up. When dry just pull all the wee leaves of and store them in a jar.
Thyme needs trimming too to encourage soft new growth. If you freeze thyme sprigs they are very obliging and shed all the wee leaves in the bag so you just need to shake them out when needed.......no stripping.

Another wee tip while on the subject of freezing (sorry i am on a roll now:hehe is when you buy those big bags of spinach leaves bung the bag in the freezer. Just pull out what you need and sweat it briefly in some butter. Much better than the frozen spinach you buy. Tastes lovely with some caramelised onions through it and some chilli. I have a recipe too for caramelised onions if you want. I freeze them in muffin pans so one wee dollop = one cooked onion.
:flag: I'll shut up now

 

The herbs i'm growing are parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, basil (indoors), mint (several different types and dill.

When is the right time to prune the rosemary and thyme? Last year i did it in autumn but i now believe that is wrong? I know that i can't trim it down to the wood else it won't grow.

Granny, thanks for the offer of the recipes, it would be great if you could send them to me!!
If i put the bag of spinach in the freezer, don't all the leaves get frozen together, or do you just 'rip' them apart to use what you need? Can you put them straight into the saucepan to melt then cook or do they need to be defrosted properly first?

There are some areas of my thyme that have rooted into the soil, once they have rooted properly, can i cut the branch from the parent to produce a new plant?

Thanks everyone!!!

 

Combine your pruning with harvesting as and when you want some for the kitchen.

Take about the top two thirds of a sprig of Rosemary, ensuring you leave plenty of leaves on the branch you take. Try to take them from the middle, as Rosemary has a tendancy to get quite dense, and block out its own sunlight. Taking the branches from the centre of the plant allows for a more even share of sunlight for the remaining outer branches.

 

Spinach in the freezer - Just break off a lump and sort of crumble it into your warm(not hot) butter/oil. It will only take a very short time so leave it to the last minute.............literally

Onion Mush (dreadful name)

1 heaping teaspoon lard or butter

3-5 tablespoons olive oil

2 lbs onions, very thinly sliced

salt

1/2 cup Marsala (Use any fortified wine)

Put a very large, heavy-bottomed frying pan (I use a cast iron frying pan or Dutch Oven) over low heat, using a heat diffuser if you have one (I don't). You may need a couple of pans. Put in the lard or butter and oil and when it starts melting and warming up, but before any heat emanates or any sizzles an be heard, add the onions, press down with a wooden spooon, then sprinkle some salt over. Add to the Marsala in its measuring cup enough boiling water to bring the liquid up to the 3/4-cup mark, then pour over the onions. Cut out some foil and press it down over the onions, shiny side down, to form a tight, low lid. then put on the pan's real lid and cook, over very low heat, for a good 2 hours. Check after an hour; the misture shouldn't be hot enough for any burning or sticking. If using a heat diffuser and a sound heavy-bottomed pan, you may want to give it a third hour (I usually do). When the onion tastes completely cooked, very soft, take the lid and foil off and turn the heat up high to let all the liquid bubble and burn off. When it's reduced and evaporated, youshould have a soft, thick, caramel-colored mush. That's it.

Pop a good tablespoonful into muffin tins and freeze. then put all the little bundles in a bag. hey presto one caremelised onion when you need it.:yho: