March in the Herb Garden

New Moon in Pisces- March 1, 2014 -1:pm EST.

This moon cycle is a time of renewal. A time for planting, starting seeds, working in soil amendments. Time to dream of warmer days and the first flowers of spring. Stay connected to our Mother the Earth by planting, buying or growing something green and beautiful. Even if you live in an apartment, you can grow sprouts, chives, garlic cloves in a flower pot on a window sill. Garden centers are beginning to display potting soil, seeds, planters, and small herb plants. Treat yourself to some fresh herbs this month. Be creative, add fresh herbs to sauces, soups, casseroles and oil and vinegar for salads.

Divide clumps of chives, if the ground is not frozen. Use the divisions to start another bed of chives in the garden, or pot them up and give them to your gardening friends. Chives are hardy and always the first herb to appear after a cold winter.

Prune away dead stems growing out of rosettes of lemon balm. Cut away the stems and brown foliage. Water the emerging green leaves. I give my lemon balm a light feeding of fish emulsion. One teaspoon per gallon of water. Pour it around the base of the plants. This will give the newly forming leaves some much needed nutrients.

Refresh outdoor herbs growing in containers. Top dress them with potting soil. A weak compost solution or a few cups of fish emulsion per plant will give the herbs an early spring boost of nutrients. If the herb plants have yellow leaves and look droopy, they may need oxygen at the root base. Add 2 tablespoons of household hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of plain water. Pour this over the soil. This will increase oxygen uptake to the roots and green up the plants. Once a month should do just fine.

Prune or cut back winter damaged stems of thyme, marjoram and oregano. Water them after pruning, and they’ll always respond to a little light feeding of an organic based plant food.

Time to re-pot herb cuttings done in late autumn. Re-pot the cuttings in slightly larger containers. Don’t place them outdoors until night time temperatures are above freezing.

Start seeds of parsley indoors this month. Seeds can take up to 3 to 5 weeks to germinate, so be patient.

Direct sow seeds of dill and chervil in prepared garden areas. Rake the soil out smoothly and scatter the seeds on top. Do not cover the soil. Water weekly, and the seedlings will emerge in about a month.

Plant garlic cloves and onion sets this month. Till or spade the soil and work in compost or other soil amendments. Onions and garlic are “heavy feeders.” This means the developing root system likes available food so the bulbs will form under ground.

If space is limited in a sunny, kitchen window, considering growing 4 or 5 herbs in one container. Parsley, chives, basil, dill and cilantro can be grown in a round or square planter. Make sure the planter is 6 inches deep. Fill it with seed starting mix or a good quality potting soil, moisten the soil and sprinkle the seeds on top. Place the container in a warm, sunny area and in about 7 days the seeds will sprout.

If our readers have any questions or comments, Azul and I have email addresses or you can leave a comment at this article.

Blessings to all who come here.

~ Meadow Walker