Growing an herb patch is one of the satisfying aspects of gardening because the plants are directly connected to the food we eat. The garden to table concept is also one endeavor that is easily achievable, even just making use of a condominium rooftop or even potted plants.
When I first started my own herb patch, I initially obtained the popular herbs like basil, mint, oregano, and more. I tried two kinds of basil – sweet basil and Thai basil. The Thai basil grew into a bush and was a hardy plant. It took longer for me to grow the sweet basil until I realized that it liked a lot of moisture.
There are also different kinds of oregano. The one with bigger leaves is usually used for cough, although there is a limit to its usage because it is very potent. The one with smaller leaves is used for cooking.
Mint grew like a weed crawling everywhere. Rosemary didn’t seem to grow that fast and we used a sprig to cook roasted chicken and potatoes.
Together with rosemary, lavender was a treasured favorite due mainly to its intoxicating scent. It was also hard to find and difficult to grow initially.
The first potted lavender plants that I ever nurtured died in a short period of time. And I was clueless about it. In later years, I also discovered that many gardeners in the Philippines have tried and failed to grow lavender dentata, the variety that is usually found in Philippine garden stores. So I practically gave up on the idea of growing my own lavender.
A few months ago, I tried getting cuttings from my newly bought lavender plant and then planted them in small pots. I placed them under my worktable where a little sun and wind could still reach them. I noticed that as soon as the leaves wilted, they would die because there were no roots yet. So all the cuttings died.
Then, I discovered this wonderful solution! Believe it or not, it came from a discarded S&R muffin pack.
First of all, it’s good to remember that mature lavender plants prefer a drier soil because their roots are very thin. They also like lots of sun but not extreme sun (like in the Philippines) so you may need to keep them in a calibrated environment and watch their growth.
For cuttings, professional gardeners recommend a certain pH level for the soil and the use of rooting hormone. In my case, I just bought garden soil and planted without the rooting hormone.
When growing lavender cuttings, just remember that they are delicate because they have no roots yet. Keep them away from sun and wind. So I placed them in a controlled environment that was the muffin pack.
I cut some holes for drainage, put a little soil, watered enough to keep it moist, and then added the cuttings. I closed the muffin pack and placed it in a dark corner outdoors. Then forgot about it for about three to four weeks before opening again. The moisture inside was enough to keep the seedling going. Occasionally, I would peek to see if there is still enough water. You just need to make sure that the soil does not completely dry out.
This was how the seedlings looked after I opened the muffin pack after around one month.
If the seedlings are still alive after a month, you need to slowly introduce them to the external environment. It is called hardening of the plant. It will take a longer time before these seedlings mature and they can still die.
Lavender is the companion plant of the rosemary herb. They both don't like a lot of moisture and have similar needs. It's a good idea to keep them together.
Growing lavender requires a lot of patience because the plant takes a long time to grow. It is often easier to simply purchase the mature potted plant. Growing the plant from cuttings will make one appreciate the hard work done by professional gardeners.
