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Adrianne Francis
This is my first post so forgive me if someone already started a similar thread…
who is already growing some of their own medicinals and what are you growing?
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Glenda
I grow as many medicinal herbs as possible on my patio. Plantain, dandelion, purslane, calendula, marigolds, sage, rosemary, lemon balm, loquat, mulberry, and I’m probably forgetting a few.
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Celia
I have just started in the school but have a lifelong interest in herbs and their many uses. I grow lots of herbs for cooking with and starting to use them as medicine. It is an exciting journey and my family are surprised when I produce a herbal remedy that works for them. I had always treated Lemon Balm as a nuisance – now I know differently. This is my first post on the student forum, I hope to be a real part of the community and learn loads.
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David Menkel
Celia,
I can relate to the lifelong interest in herbs. I am amazed how herbs can be used for both culinary and medicinal applications although I will concede the point that culinary is medicinal as well.
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Dr. Patrick Jones
I grow some. :0)
Have a look at the video in the Herbal Gardening section called Herbal Gardening: What Works At Doc’s Place. It’ll give you some ideas and strategies. There are some other gardening lessons in that section too.
Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.
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Carrie Young
Hello All I’m new here , what’s the best way to to cultivate or acquire herbs for your garden I am about to retire move and buy land and grow for our personal use (and friends family etc. .OF COURSE !)Nowadays its seems its needed for self defense if for no other good reason? So grateful for this class and everyone’s expertise and opinions . TIA
Be Blessed, Carrie
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I like to buy plant starts and seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Southern Seed Exchange, Etsy and from Strictly Medicinal Seeds. Usually plants if growing perennials because they can take so long to get going from seed. Although seeds are more budget friendly.
My mother in law joined a local garden club and I think may exchange seeds and plants with other members. You could see if there is such an organization in your area.
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Dawn
Hi Adrianne & Carrie, We are trying to do the same thing. Husband is retiring from active duty after 30 yrs and we’ve been looking for property for over a year. The pickier you are the harder it is to find of course 😉 I have purchased seeds/plants from all those mentioned by Adrianne and agree that they’re best I found for selection and quality control. Those I get going from seed or seedlings and put in pots seem less happy than those I put right in the ground (in general), with the odd exception of Comfrey Bock 14 piece I purchased. In our current yard, we get a lot of Rust virus or other and can’t keep things healthy (one of my reasons for trying potted plants) so I recommend looking up a good resource for handling common pests and diseases just for future reference should you start seeing signs of trouble at some point. My current location in the very humid VA coastal area is mostly clay or depleted silty stuff which we try to revive with compost, peat, etc in some bedded areas but I grew best was lemon balm, holy basil – tulsi, ashwagandha, and yarrow. Tulsi is overflowing the pots as is the ashwaghanda. (We had hoped to move so they were potted to take with us.) The yarrow struggled until cooler temps arrived but now it is flowering. The comfrey didn’t make it in the silty bad soil area; hoped it could help revitalize that area. Ironically, the extra little piece in my order was tucked in a pot and it did fine; but potted gives you very little root to harvest. I have Nettle from seeds and it did ok in a large pot but going to have to go big if you want any sizeable harvest. With its nutrients and medicinal value, it deserves room for our family (allergies, dogs and all). Sadly, my Calendula didn’t make it once transplanted and purslane has not taken much beyond germination in my 2 efforts with seeds. I don’t think anything likes our hot summers so I guess we can all expect some trial and errors depending on our season and location. Another mention about location, I have tried to find Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) plants or seeds but they are not available (locally or online). If you can get that, I think it would be a great advantage for you. It’s reputation as a noxious plant as taken over it seems and they are cultivating away from it. I haven’t found reference to any other cultivar for medicinal purposes. I started Cat’s Claw in our dry/clay bed and it is doing great. Also, my Blackberry bush is multi purpose having used it for the berries to eat and leaves for diarrhea and sore throat. It worked on 2 people with 2 different illnesses (batting 100%). I hope some of that is useful information. Best of Luck! :0)
I just wanted to say hello and say “aye” to second your thoughts.
Blessings and Happy Fall to you all, Dawn
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These two are both good:
Strictlymedicinalseeds.com
Companionplants.com
Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.
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I grow some from seed, in my climate (UK) they often go on to self seed in subsequent years. I also take cutting from things like sage, rosemary and lavender to increase my plant numbers. Some, like echinacea, propagate from root division or just grow in bigger patches until you want to divide them.
Have fun.
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kschloesser
I’ve bought a lot of my plants from nurseries, and some seeds from Doc. I really like growing the herbs as it helps me feel more comfortable and familiar with them. I love it when I can totally recognize and identify them. I have grown comfrey, lemon balm, wormwood, echinacea, calendula, chamomile, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, catnip and lots of assorted mints, yarrow, plantain, ginger, elderberry, holy basil, nettle and more. Most of them are pretty hardy, fortunately! I’ve had more successes than failures.
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Natalie Stamenov
I currently have comfrey, lemon balm, echinacea (not the purpurea though), calendula, rosemary, thyme, multiple varieties of sage, catmint, peppermint, spearmint, yarrow, ginger, holy basil, Mexican Mint Marigold (aka Texas Tarragon), Lemongrass, Bee Balm, Blackberry, Gojiberries, Oregano, Milkweed and Fennel. just started 3 varieties of elderberry this past spring and they really struggled with our ridiculously hot Texas summer and drought but they survived and now look much happier. Hopefully in the spring they will take off and I can harvest berries next fall. I also have beauty berries which I don’t know that they have a medicinal benefit but can be used to make a natural mosquito repellent. They love to attack my daughter and we are still trying to find something that keeps them away when she is outside in the summer. ?
Health is a lifetime study ~Natalie
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Pamela Foster
I am pretty new to the school and loving every class! I started my herb garden years ago and am now learning how to use them. I am so excited. I ordered comfrey and it started to die on me right away. I transplanted to a nice pot and prayed over it! The next day I saw new shoots growing! God is good. I purchased the seed pack from Strictly Medicinal and am anxiously waiting spring to get those started. I already have turmeric, ginger, oregano, lemon grass, lemon balm, catnip, skull cap, bergamot, peppermint, calendula, dwarf banana trees and a pack of seeds ready for spring! Oh and seed starts of giant plantain in greenhouse.
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Sarah Lam
If the amount of sunlight a plant gets is 6 – 8 hours, because of growing on the north side of a mountain, will the same plant grown where it can get sunlight for 12 hours or more, have as much medicinal/nutritional value? Would it be worth it for me to try to grow nopal cactus, for example, or better to buy it grown in a sunnier place?
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Sharon
Hi Sarah Lam. I’m just curious why you’d want to grow prickly pear. We have it EVERYWHERE, and since I don’t want to pick spines out to eat the pads, I totally have a “less than favorable” view of them since I can’t walk anywhere without having to NOT step on them. Is there a medicinal use for them? Roots are out for us, our ground is VERY rocky and almost impossible to dig in!
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Hi Sarah,
I can understand too much of a good thing is still too much. However, it’s not always legal to harvest a medicinal plant on someone else’s land. And not everyone lives in an area it grows wild.
The pulp from prickly pear pads is great for pulling out venom and infection. Marjory Wildcraft has a story using it for a snake bite and Doug Simons uses it as a poultice for abscesses. The small new pads make a wonderful vegetable if you have the patience to remove the thorns. Nopales in a salad or with scrambled eggs is delicious.
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Hi Glenda Pulcifer, Yes, I have seen Marjorie Wildcraft’s and Doug Simons’ information. I didn’t know it was good for food also, thanks. Nopales do not grow wild here, and my property is rather wet with a high water table and several springs.
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Hi Sharon, Glenda Pulcifer’s reply tells why I am interested in growing it. It does not grow wild here – I’d have to make a raised bed for it – probably put in a lot of sand mixed with the soil? I doubt it would ever go wild here – I certainly would not want to make the problem you describe. I think it was Marjorie Wildcraft who showed rubbing the pads with a smooth stone to get the stickers off. Thanks for your info.
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Sarah, I saw Glenda’s comment just now. However, I feel that doc has many other herbs that are less painful to mess with for pulling out venom and infection and/or for snake bites. Call me a “wimpy gardener” if you want, but I am not crazy about messing with those nasty prolific sharp spines!
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Hi Sharon,
Sorry, I addressed the first reply to the wrong person:) Yes, there are a lot of herbs that do the same thing. I think purslane was mentioned in one of the lessons. Much more delicious and less painful to harvest.
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Hi Sharon, that’s good to know; I haven’t gotten very far in this course yet.
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Sandra Powell
Check out the thread “Cactus?” May be some ideas for cactus. Also maybe consider raised beds if you want to grow some herbs. Also may herbs actually like rocky, crappy soil.
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Hey Sandra – the soil is but only one problem with anything other than what fits in our micro sized fenced in garden. We are on a migratory path for deer, elk, and pronghorn. The pronghorns mind their manners and don’t even get close to the garden, the elk are almost as well mannered and keep their distance. The deer on the other hand are a royal pain in the backside – constantly tearing things up, pulling up things, and even getting into the fenced garden once. The rabbits are as bad as the deer. Mint is about the only plant that the two pests don’t like. I do have raised beds in the teeny fenced in area, but if it doesn’t fit there (about 150 square feet overall), then it’s out in the rocky ground with constant browsing on it. Nothing survives except the rabbit brush, yucca, and prickly pear and a few random things like tumbleweeds (which I believe to be “tumble mustard”), and a few aster plants! Beautiful place to live, but hard to grow!
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Annett
High Sarah,
The prickly pear cactus fruit is absolutely delicious! Just knock it off, roll it around on the ground with a stick to get the pricklies off. Then rub or scrub gently with a brush and eat it. I lived in the desert for a few years when I was younger. These were the best treat!!
Also, it’s my understanding that the pads are osmotics for burns, with some antibacterial properties. And that it helps with diabetes to lower blood sugar. I’ve also eaten the pads which don’t seem to have a strong flavor so they could be combined with other flavors for enjoyment:)
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Ooooh Annett – methinks you are much more patient than I am. I cannot even imagine having to “de-prickle” those pretty flowers. Now if I could use them somehow without taking the thorns off, then strain them really good, maybe that could work! I think they would have to be amazing tasting to make it worth all that prickly work!
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The prickly pear fruits really are tasty. I ate a lot of them in Peru when I lived there. They call them tuna. I assumed that was because most Peruvians live really high up in the Andes and had never seen a real tuna…thus the confusion.
Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.
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Haha Doc.
I also ate them in Peru but they were always served green. Such a different taste from the ripe red delicious fruit I ate in Arizona.
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sue chasteen
A local gardener was selling medicinal herbs so I am growing calendula, nettle, mugwort, plantain, yarrow and patchouli. Nettle is doing fantastic, but the others seem to be having issues. I have purchased an app that will diagnose problems so I’m hoping to get everyone back on track. Good luck with your endeavors!
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Hi Sue, I don’t know if you’ll see this question; but, I also have Patchouli (sent to me in an online order). I don’t know what to do with it … I know it makes a great smelling Essential Oil. What do you do with yours?
thanks 😉
dawn
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Trina Romeo
My first official post. I am in West Central Florida and wonder if there is anyone out this way. Was wondering if anyone nearby has been successful growing hops?
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Hi, Trina. I’m in Orange Park (Jacksonville area). I have trouble growing anything, but my yarrow is doing well right now. I have not tried hops, but it’s on my list of plants that I’m hoping to get going.
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Morning! I am nearby (Lake Butler) but I haven’t started hops yet. My daughter works in landscaping and gets me all kinds of amazing plants. I will put that one on her radar.
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Rebecca Saunders
Hi, new here, this is my first post. I grow most of my own herbs, calendula, nettle, cayenne, comfrey, lavender, and several more. We are also able to wild harvest many herbs such as plantain, yarrow, raspberry, elderberry, blackberry and hops. Started growing skullcap this year and did great but cannot get lobelia to germinate. Will try again early spring and hope for good germination.
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Sonia Johnson
I have been growing several herbs for years, but have had no success in starting plantain (broad leaf) or mullein. I have been trying to direct sow them from seed, but nothing ever comes up. I took the seeds directly form the plants, and could really use some suggestions on how to get them to grow. Any ideas? Thanks for any help.
SSJ
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Hi Sonia,
I also have had a difficult time getting mullein to grow from seed. I just started looking for it in the dessert and mountains near where I live and have found some great patches to harvest enough for a year of medicine. I am also interested in how to grow mullein in my yard if anyone here has experience, please share:)
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I recently purchased 4 medicinal plants from a local grower. The planned community we live in painted our house and the spray got on my plants! Some just have a light smattering of paint, but one is fairly well covered with paint. Do I need to ditch the entire plant or can I cut it back to a nub and see if it will come back?
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I wouldn’t cut it to the nub. I’d let it grow some new growth and get established and then cut off all the painted stuff. Once it recovered from that, I’d prune it back a little again. After that, the new growth ought to be fine for your own use for medicine.
Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.
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Thank you so much! I’m relieved that I don’t have to toss them out!
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I have grown a few culinary herbs, and just a few weeks ago planted some in a wheelbarrow. It was a better use of space, worked out better than a pot (more bang for the buck $10 on Offer Up). My first Medicinal plants are Calendula, Yarrow, and Chamomile which I planted recently; not from seed. I have a bunch of seeds on hand and plan on starting them soon. I was gifted a small book base (Offer up again) that I will convert into a two-shelf green house, lights and heating pads were from Amazon. I have more seeds than I have space for, so it will be interesting what I end up with.
I really want to grow St. John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) but have not had any success thus far (no germination). Do those seeds need to be put in the fridge before planting? Any pro tips that anyone might have?
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I had St. John’s Wort on my old place but I think I bought plants. It certainly spread by seed though and made happy bushes. I probably got the plants at companionplants.com
Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.
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I bought St John’s wort and developed that bed for a year and harvested flowers for tincturing and teas in the second growing season. Then, I read that the buds should express red oil when squeezed so I tested a few buds fresh from the plant … no oil 🙁 I looked closely at the fresh flowers on the plant and couldn’t see any “pores” either. After a year of pulling the invasive runners and caring for the plants, we had to dig it all up to start from scratch and now we are looking by Latin name instead of common name so we don’t make the same mistake again. Just thought I would share our mistake in hopes of saving some from the same. Happy Gardening!
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I’m so sorry that happened. Been there, done that. Does the fraudulent plant have any medicinal benefits? It would be a shame to waste all that work.
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David, I just read today that SJW has a 3 month germination time! So that might be your issue. Also, from what I understand, and bear in mind that I’m a rookie, but the first year it’s a “creeper”, then the second year it starts the upright growth. I am also assuming that the first year will yield no flowers (I could be wrong on that, haven’t found the facts yet on that part). Hope this helps a bit.
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Leah Price
Hi, I currently have planted Wild Geranium (G. maculatum), Comfrey (bocking 14 cultivar), Echinacea (E. purpurea), Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus) seeds, and Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens) seeds. Oh and just started some Roselle hibiscus in my house a couple weeks ago. Just getting started myself last fall. I purchased my seeds from Strictly Medicinal Seeds and had a good experience with them. It feels a tad overwhelming at times to think about caring for a large variety of seeds but I think it’ll turn out pretty good just doing what nature does and give them some extra water and love. I hope so anyway.
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Christine Natvig
I have so much wild geranium in my yard. I’m very grateful. Once I started down this road to herbal medicine I couldn’t believe how much of what we call weeds is in fact edible and medicinal. It’s a shame people don’t understand or care to understand what they destroy.
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DRAndrews
After signing up for the class years ago, I am FINALLY getting started. We are excited to begin cultivating our own medicinal plants.
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CarolAnn
Hi everyone!
I am in the midlands of South Carolina and have quite sandy soil. The summers are usually hot and our winters are usually mild but this past December, the 3 full days of subzero temperatures (quite unusual), gave some plants a hard time. I think I lost my 2 year old lemon balm.It may still peak it’s head up. Fingers crossed!
I started most of my herbs from seed and found that a good 3 years is needed to get a nice perennial plant established. So I have opted to buy some more now at the nursery to speed things up a bit, if I can find them! The kitchen herbs are easier : oregano, thyme, peppermint, sage, rosemary, spearmint plus lemon balm, yarrow (only had 3 plants grow and survive out of a dozen seeds, and now there are easily two dozen year 3).
Started elderberry from some cuttings a friend gave me. They took a year just to get started and gave fruit the second. I had a nice talk with them asking them to please produce flowers for fruit and they complied! Year 3 is this spring and they are now young’uns are showing up all over the place ! They are sprouting in the vegetable garden, in the stone pathway, in the grass… I think the birds have helped ^^
I also sowed seeds for St John’s Wort, comfrey and Arnica 3 years ago. Self Heal, Skullcap, plantain last year. I discovered to my surprise that St John’s Wort waited over a year before sprouting and this spring (year 2 then) is only about 6″ high. Arnica (only 2 are still alive out of 20 seedlings started and they are still super tiny this Spring). Comfrey and Plantain never showed at all. Self Heal has finally decided to make it’s presence known over a year later and skullcap… still wondering if it will show up late to the party!
So extreme patience is the key… but hard to wait when the budget isn’t there or the nurseries don’t have it and yet you need it… my list of seeds to plant is quite long but we too have been waiting for some land. Our HOA (evil incarnate at times) is so restrictive… think they measure the height of the grass on a Fri after several days of rain and then happily send out warnings the following Monday!!!! URGH…
Happy planting !!
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Shirley Burns
Hi CarolAnn,
I’m sure your lemon balm will perk up. I’ve got multiple patches of it growing here in zone 6. We’ve had some pretty frigid winters here and she’s always faithfully back in the spring. 🙂 If you lived closer, I’d be happy to share!
I’ve been growing medicinal plants for 10 or more years now and have been learning more (thank you Doc!) and adding to them every year. I’ll have to have a chat with my elderberry plants. I have 3 varieties that I planted 3 years ago and they have yet to flower. Maybe a little sweet talk is what they have been waiting for!
Happy gardening & be well!
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Hi Shirley ! Wow 10 years of experience! That’s wonderful. I will talk to my lemon balm and ask her to please grow! ^^
Yeah I talk to my plants… They seem to understand me a lot better than I understand them. It certainly won’t hurt to talk to your elderberry plants. (Other than that others may think you are crazy !!) My husband felt like transplanting my tiny 3 little Yarrow plants underneath the elder. Apparently they are companion plants. You could try that too…
When the flowers appeared I harvested just a bunch or two. I then protected all the berry umbrellas on the bottom with a cheesecloth type bag and left the ones up high for the birds. At least I got a nice harvest.
Zone 6 are you still in the south?
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Angela Krusi
I would love to grow my own elderberry. I usually purchase berries and harvest the flowers in a nearby canyon. I haven’t heard of growing yarrow as a companion to elderberry but that sounds like an interesting idea. I have had a lot of success with comfrey It has become my favorite herb to grow. This winter has been long and hard in northern Utah, we just received a new foot of snow in the last two days. I am anxiously awaiting spring and hoping my plants survive!
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GCubed
Where do you grow your comfrey. I’ve gotten some Russian comfrey crowns (sterile seed) but I’m super nervous about putting then in a garden, because what if they get hit with a tiller and spread? I’ve been considering planting them next to a fence post where they might be less likely to be disturbed. Just can’t make up my mind. Any advice?
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Do you have a pot big enough to plant your comfrey? Then you could move it if the place you choose doesn’t work, and it won’t take over.
My sister fenced a small circle on her farm for the comfrey and other chicken- and rabbit-friendly herbs. She put it next to the pens, grabbed the leaves, and threw them to the animals. It never escaped (that I know of.)
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I’ve thought about growing it in a container, but figured the strength of the plant is in it’s deep-reaching roots that pull up the nutrients. Guess I figure I might not get the full benefit of the plant if it’s in a container.
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Shannon M. Layton
I’ve got peppermint, basil, lemonbalm, garlic chives, and parsley going berserk in the windowsills! I can’t wait to get them outside – anyone know when the last frost will be? 😉
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Barbara Kerbs
Good afternoon. This is my first post. I have been collecting medicinal seeds and plants for my yard for a little over the last year. Looking forward to expanding my garden
Barb Kerbs
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Greg Boggs
I just recently enrolled in the school, but I learned that the calendula and yarrow I’ve been growing in my garden (and the plantain I’ve been trying to get rid of in my yard) because they look nice have great healing properties!
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