Story Title: Herbs for winter meals
Episode 3: WA's Great Gardens
Date: 30th May 2010
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

Trevor shows you how to grow your own winter meal herbs for soups, roasts and other delicious treats in large pots or a dedicated garden area.

Trevor's Tips and Facts

• Pots are fantastic for herbs, they are functional and practical. Bowls can be bought indoors and harvested fresh whilst large tubs can be an overflowing never ending supply of fragrant delight.
• To grow the types of herbs you use in soups like thyme, sage, rosemary, parsley and tarragon you're best to start with starter pots. The great thing about these organically grown herbs is you can harvest some foliage off for your first meal whilst they are in the starter pots and then plant them out.
• Remember to plant your herbs into a nutrient rich soil. Try a premium coir mix for best results. It's a brilliant growing medium for plants, particularly ones in pots because it makes them incredibly light yet its ability to hold water longer than sandy potting mixes is one of its greatest attributes.
• The trick with planting herbs up in planters is to pack them in. Don't be scared to have more than two in large pots. Up to five plants in one pot will be fine. Don't worry if they hang over the side of the pot and, the more foliage the better because you get more to use.
• Harvesting regularly is actually very important. The more you prune the better your herbs will look and the more flavour rich herbs you get to use in the kitchen. A regular prune, even if you're not using them is very good for your herbs and your gardens general appearance.
• Herbs are voracious feeders; they need lots of food, ideally organic based food to sustain the highly productive growth habit. Use a liquid fertilizer such as Grow Potion weekly as a foliage feed when they are establishing. Grow Potion is a combination of fish, humates or liquid composts, sea weed and other essential plant nutrients. It's complex which means your herbs get every nutrient they need, which means you get the full level of nutrients in your diet too.

Featured plants supplied by Swan Valley Nursery

Swan Valley Nursery
143 Wilson Road
MIDDLE SWAN WA, 6056
08 92748608
www.swanvalleynursery.com.au