Monthly Archives: February 2016

Gardening, Herbs

Death of a Rosemary

My Rosemary always dies when I bring it indoors so I thought I’d pass this information along. The easiest way to grow rosemary indoors is to grow the plant in containers. If your rosemary is in containers, start acclimating the plant to the diminished light it will receive when brought indoors. Rosemary requires full sun and even the brightest window is not the same as a sunny garden. If there is time, start acclimating your rosemary by moving it to a shadier part of the garden for part of the day. The longer you are able to do this, the better suited the plant will be to the indoor environment.
Light: Place rosemary in the brightest window you have. If the plant starts to struggle due to lack of light, add a florescent light to the mix.
Humidity: Powdery mildew is a challenge for rosemary whether it is grown outside or indoors. To reduce the likelihood of mildew, use a fan to create a breeze for a few hours a day. The less humidity the plant is exposed to the better.
Water: Rosemary does not like wet feet; AKA wet roots. Once the top inch of soil is dry, water the plant. During the winter, the plant will naturally start to slow its growing process and will require less water.
Cuttings: If you don’t have potted rosemary, or maybe you don’t have rosemary in your garden, worry not. Simply take a cutting, with permission of course, from a friend’s plant.
The best time to take cuttings is in the spring when the plant is vigorously growing. However, fall cuttings will work, too. Take a cutting with clean pruners from the youngest, healthiest looking branch, at least 4 inches long measuring from the tip towards the plant. Remove the bottom leaves with pruners—do not rip or pull leaves off the plant.
1. Dip the end in rooting hormone powder and place it in bright light in a jar of water. Only the part of the stem that has been cleared of leaves should be in the water.
2. Refresh the water every few days.
3. Once roots emerge, plant in fresh potting soil amended with sand, vermiculite or perlite for optimal air and water circulation. Rosemary does best in loose, well-draining soil. You can plant it directly to its permanent container or use smaller containers until the plant has established a solid root base.
4. Consider using a permanent, decorative container at least six inches deep with adequate drainage that you can use year-round, indoors and in the edible or ornamental garden as a focal point.

– Alaina Meister

Herbs, News

Peppers /Capsicum/Cayenne or Capsaicin : Herb of the Year 2016

The International Herb Association [http://www.iherb.org/117-2/] has selected Peppers/Capsicum as the herb of the year for 2016. It is an interesting choice as peppers, chili peppers or whatever you choose to call them have been around for thousands of years and are celebrated in many cultures. There is evidence that Native Americans have used peppers both as food and medicine for at least 9000 years. Traditional healers in India, China, Japan and Korea have also been known to use peppers for both culinary and health benefits. Those folks who don’t like spicy foods may baulk at the idea of eating hot peppers but peppers come in hundreds of varieties ranging from mild red paprikas and sweet pimentos to fiery hot varieties. The essential ingredient is cayenne, an oily compound well known for its many health benefits. Capsaicin is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the Genus Capsicum. [spelling is different, not a typo] It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. This short article presents a brief overview. There is plenty left unsaid for those of you who like to write to contribute articles on cultivation, recipes etc. during the coming year.

The hotter a chili pepper is the more capsaicin it contains. Capsaicin has been said to do wonders for the consumer, everything from opening up clogged airways to helping manage diabetes. It is a metabolism booster and will speed up your calorie burning mechanism for a few hours after eating. Capsaicin is said to be anti-inflammatory so it is a good remedy against heart disease. Peppers contain plenty of vitamins A and C along with flavonoids and carotenoids, plant pigments that act as antioxidants.

Cayenne pepper is available in the spice section of the supermarket. It is also known as ground red pepper, not to be confused with black pepper [Piper Nigrum]. Fresh cayenne peppers can irritate or burn skin. Wear rubber gloves when hand-ling fresh hot peppers. Wash hands well after handling and don’t touch eyes or nose. The same goes for the spice. Use a utensil to measure for recipes and not your fingers. Be careful when applying topical capsaicin creams to reduce pain. Be sure to follow directions on the tube.

So MVHS members, lets spice up 2016 with peppers and see how we can use them in our diets, cooking and to better our health. A wonderful chili pepper calendar for 2016 is available at the International Herb Society web site.
How can it be 2016 already? The years do seem to fly by.

Deanna Harwell-Baksh