Question
I live in South Florida and bought a few herbs on a whim a while ago.
(Rosemary, mint, basil, cilantro, thyme)
They are in an outdoor planter and seem to be doing alright.
The mint is seperate as it was taking over.
I am looking to expand my garden, and really want to go organic.
I am a total novice, so any and all advice is appreciated.
What should i grow inside? What can I make new plants from clippings of?
What new herbs should I add? (I will use in cooking whatever I can grow) What
is your advice on going organic?
Thanks so much!

Answer
Annie:
Now you are hooked!! I have been growing them organically for 26 years and will not change. You have a good selection and you did right by giving the mint it's own pot. Don't try growing anybody inside now. They must have the wind,sun & rain. Find organic fertilizer at health food stores. You can find fish fertilizer at home depot & lowe's. The seaweed & fish combination is best. Go to "gardens alive.com" for more organic products. The best book for cuttings is "tom debaggio's Roots, cuttings & seedlings. The name may not be in order but close to it. Go to amazon.com for it. He has herbs listed here also. Your planter should be at least 12" deep. The plants will need the space later in the summer. I am sending you my "how & when to prune your herbs".

How & When to Prune Your Herbs

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There seems to be very little info on when and how much to prune our herbs.                                

I have a little formula that I now use that may help you to have healthier and productive plants.                                                          To tell you the truth, I did not practice this myself until I started to experiment with pruning the rosemary, lavender, sage and thyme. What a difference I saw in this timely pruning!

As new growth begins in the spring and gets to 6 to 12 inches, cut 1/3 from the top down on each stem, SPARE NO ONE! This will be done every 3 weeks or less, depending on how much you use the plant.

Don't go over 3 weeks without cutting it, even if you don't need to use it!                                                                      

Make an herbal vinegar, freeze, give away or if scented, place in old nylon stocking, tie in a knot and put into your dryer, clothes drawers, closets, car ashtrays, car pillows, coat pockets, etc.

Basil is a must for constant pruning. It also keeps the plant from becoming too woody.

Don't let it flower for more flavorful leaves. You can slow the flowering down a little more (especially basil ) by cutting 3 pairs of leaves below the flower heads.

Leroy