Grow Beds vs Native Dirt

[IdahoHerbalist]

Does anyone have any information on how growing medicinal herbs in grow beds versus native dirt? We need to get serious about finding out about this. There was an article Patrick and I read last year…….. wonder where I put it?????

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

It was about lobelia. I’ll see if I can find it.

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[IdahoHerbalist]

FOUND IT!

[bryant redhawk]

The important thing about growing mediums, native soil, potting mixes, or any blend you come up with on your land, is that they support: 1. the roots and the above ground vegetation,

2. they hold enough water to provide the plant(s) without allowing the roots to be water logged, 3. contain the necessary nutrients or can hold enough fertilizer to provide them.

I much prefer to use compost over fertilizers that are manufactured with raw chemicals (commercial fertilizers). In a compost you can tailor the contents so the available minerals, P.K.N. levels, bacteria and mycelium are all present for optimum plant health.

When I find a medicinal growing in the wild and I plant to collect it for replanting in my medicinal herb bed, I first take a soil sample near the plant. This way I can test the soil for all the nutrients present which gives me a base line of micro and macro nutrients the plant prefers. If the plant doesn’t look healthy, it may be that some necessary nutrients are missing or are too low in concentration or it may be that the bacteria and mycelium needed for plant uptake of the nutrients are not present at all or not in a high enough concentration.

All of the above problems can be addressed by proper amendment of the growing medium.

For wild growing plants it is usually best for the plants health for it to remain in the soil it was found growing in. An easy way to insure this is to take enough of the soil as you lift the plant.

If you can’t do that for what ever reason, then you are better off to collect seed and sprout them in the soil (growing medium) that you have, this way you do not shock the plant you desire to grow.

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