Medicinal plants

[maddie]

I am thinking of growing some medicinal plants. I have never tried them before. What kinds grow in containers and which are the most helpful?

 

[ChanellG]

There are so many medicinal plants, even plants people don't even think of as such like garlic. Pretty much all of the herbs can be grown in containers as well as aloe vera and a lot of food plants. Right now I have ginger in a container. As it spreads I plan to just thin it out.

 

[maddie]

Okay come to think of it I have ginger, aloes, turmeric, at this moment... I have a few other herbs like basil, thyme and rosemary...may be I will do a bit of looking up for some more plants in this category.

 

[ChanellG]

Maddie, is turmeric hard to grow? What part of the plant is used to make the powder that is used in Indian cooking?

I don't cook with Rosemary but l love the smell of the plant. I need to get one...

 

[taskeinc]

The Aloe Vera is at the top of the charts when it comes to medicinal plants. It has a ton of medicinal uses and can be used externally and internally. I have two at home and use them quite often. It's fantastic for bruises. I used recently, because my son had a bruise on his leg, right below the knee. I rubbed Aloe Vera gel on it, directly from the plant, and no kidding, the next day the swelling was gone and the bruise was healed. In ONE DAY.

 

[Jed]

The Aloe Vera is at the top of the charts when it comes to medicinal plants. It has a ton of medicinal uses and can be used externally and internally. I have two at home and use them quite often. It's fantastic for bruises. I used recently, because my son had a bruise on his leg, right below the knee. I rubbed Aloe Vera gel on it, directly from the plant, and no kidding, the next day the swelling was gone and the bruise was healed. In ONE DAY.

Aloe vera is my first choice also. Peppermint and chamomile are also handy to have around as teas. Peppermint for digestion and chamomile for when you feel anxious stressed or have insomnia.I'm sure both would grow well in containers but need a bit of sun.

 

[sunflower]

I have aloe vera growing on my window sill. I love it. I would love to grow ginger. Is it very difficult to grow? I tend to have a black thumb, but am getting a lot better as I read on these forums. I really want to grow garlic and basil too. Everything is on hold until we move, but then, look out. lol

 

[maddie]

Maddie, is turmeric hard to grow? What part of the plant is used to make the powder that is used in Indian cooking?

I don't cook with Rosemary but l love the smell of the plant. I need to get one...

Oops sorry channel, I have missed this thread completely. Turmeric is exactly like ginger. The tuberous roots are what we powder and use in the cooking.. a small piece of this is used to start a new plant. This plant also looks like ginger in every way..
@ sunflower use a small piece of the ginger you buy at the store to start your plant.. some well draining soil is all it requires... It is an easy plant to grow..
@ Jed, I have peppermint but chamomile is not native to this soil.. I need to check this out.

 

[sunflower]

Seems once I get settled in my new house (eventually), I'll need to hit the grocery store to get some garlic and ginger to start my garden with. And I know from experience that rosemary grows crazily easy in the Vegas area, so I'll grow some of that too. I'm really getting excited for the move now.

 

[iluvmario]

Aloe vera is a great option. You can get an aloe plant for 4 or 5 dollars on amazon plus shipping. I'm going to be buying one very soon. I can't wait.

 

[claudine]

I grow aloe vera too. In my opinion it's a magical plant. I can't say it healed my acne because it happened mostly thanks to my dermatologist - but still, aloe vera was a big help. I grow it in a regular flowerpot, I don't think it needs anything special.

 

[ChanellG]

Oops sorry channel, I have missed this thread completely. Turmeric is exactly like ginger. The tuberous roots are what we powder and use in the cooking.. a small piece of this is used to start a new plant. This plant also looks like ginger in every way..

No problem, Maddie. I think I saw an article online about growing turmeric not long after I made that post. I have to see how successful I am with the ginger and onion before I venture out with anything new. I think I may actually have to scale back a bit with my growing for a while.

 

[Pat]

The Aloe Vera is my go to plant, it is good for skin rashes, burns and so much more. I have never grown ginger but I will give it a try. I like ginger tea. I love cooking with rosemary so I will go to the store to pick up a few plants. I am running out of space that gets good sun to place the plants.

 

[Xiensky]

We have oregano at home. This can be used in cooking and they say it can also cure cough.

 

[Pat]

This link has 27 medicinal plants and their uses:

http://odyb.net/discoveries/27-medicinal-plants-worth-your-garden-space

With the internal uses and external uses of the plants listed, very helpful information.