the quest for EOs!

[funkelt]

Hi! I have zero experience with gardenIng or even house plants but I decided to go for broke so this year I'm planting myself an herb garden. Our back yard is a very steep and rocky hill and the soil is non-existent but challenge accepted!
I intend to grow lavender, calendula, chamomile, and lemon balm then eventually figure out distilling for essential oils. If you're familiar with these herbs or EOs let's chat it up!

 

[firelily99]

If you have zero experience I would recommend that you start small and with plants that are easy to grow. How many hours a day of sun does that space get. Where do you live? That's very important because of the zone that your plants will be growing in. Try posting a picture of the area that your are going to plant.

 

[Trellum]

I'd recommend you to start with mint, that herb is fairly easy to take care of and it grows rather fast. Plus you can use it to prepare twas and use it in cooking I'd recommend you to start with mind, and then if you feel daring move forward to basil. Do that until you get familiar with those herbs.

 

[Jewell]

Sounds like your area will be good for those Mediterranean herbs that like dry hot conditions. You will probably have to water like crazy to get plants established the first year if your area is as rocky as you say. Plants like thyme, lavender, and lemon balm are great starter plants. I love calendula, but don't forget nasturtiums. If you start with seeds you might have better luck than starting with nursery started plants. The more a seed (from generation to generation) has been developed in a particular area the stronger better the plants so save those seeds.

 

[funkelt]

What an active community!
I used a few flats to start my seeds and I've already got plenty of sprouts. Unfortunately, I didn't think things through when I added a row of Russian sunflowers and those sprouts became 3x bigger than everything else in just a couple days! The roots are poking out of the little pouches of dirt theyre in but you aren't supposed to transplant then until they have a few true leaves right?
My backyard is mostly a very steep clay hill with less than an inch of soil but in the pre-existing beds around the house we discovered mulchy, rocky, moist soil beneath the bushes we hated. Working with what we had my sister removed the bushes with a pick axe. I advise against that, btw! She ended up breaking a gas line and we had to evacuate. For the record, the gas company responds quickly to such things and there was a guy out fixing it in under an hour.
Im beginning to think we need some supervision around here lol

 

[funkelt]

My sprouts <3 and the 2 beds im going to work with.
The first bed is on the side of the house facing the hill so its mostly shady. That soil has rocks in it and the soil stays moist so Im thinking lemon balm and other mints here?
The second bed has full sun all day and the soil is mostly clay. It had flowers growing when we moved in but all except the roses and 2 small bushes died off. Im thinking Ill have to dig and incorporate lots of compost and fertilizer. We also intend to mulch here.

 

[Jewell]

Sounds like your soil is much better than I first guessed. You'll have things up and growing in no time. Congratulations on your endeavors.

 

[funkelt]

thanks!

 

[Becky]

Hello and welcome aboard!