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Herbs in the tropics
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Posted by Harbir Malaysia (My Page) on Wed, Apr 23, 03 at 23:13
| Hello there, i am new to the forum ( and the site) and am amazed at the wealth of info and advice available. It's fantastic.
I live in Malaysia, where as most of you would know it is very hot and humid. Purchasing herbs like rosemary, tarragon etc. is extremely expensive, so i have been trying to grow them with little luck.
Could anyone from the more tropical regions of Oz give me some advice on how to best grow these delicious fragrant herbs in similar conditions.
Thank you.
H. Gill
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Herbs in the tropics
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| I'm in the subtropics, which isn't quite the same thing as the tropics, I know. But we get high humidity, high rainfall and high temps too, and the best advice I can offer is to put your herbs into a raised garden to provide excellent drainage, and keep them in the sun. I have no problem with things like lavender, rosemary and other Mediterranean herbs. Tarragon, however, I'd keep in partial shade, because it's a cooler-climate herb. It doesn't do well for me, either. |
RE: Herbs in the tropics
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| Cheers daisy, I think I am going to get everything into pots, it sounds like it will be easier to control conditions this way. What soil mix do you use for your Mediterranean herbs? Especially since i intend to pot them. |
RE: Herbs in the tropics
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| Any good-quality, free-draining potting mix will do - that's all I use. You might be able to get one especially for herbs. Don't get one with added moisture-holders or fertiliser, and pay a little extra for a well-composted one, with no logs and large chunks of bark in it. Get good-sized pots, too, and instead of putting them straight on the ground, stand them on little 'feet' designed especially for pots, to improve the drainage. |
RE: Herbs in the tropics
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Hi Daisy
I think I may have been over composting - hence the poor results.. I picked up a couple of large, old, porcelain kitchen sinks at a junkyard, and I was hoping to grow various herbs in them. The problem is, they only have the one outlet, where the drain-out used to be. Will this be sufficient for good drainage? Do you think if I put a layer of small rocks in at the bottom it will help? Thanks. |
RE: Herbs in the tropics
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| The drainage is likely to be uneven unless you put a couple more holes across the bottom. Lots of smaller holes are better than one large one (especially if it's to one side), and of course you could lose a lot of soil through a large hole unless you cover it with something like weed mat or window screening. Drill or chip out a few more holes, and the rocks would probably be a good idea, as long as you leave a good depth for root formation and spread. Plants in containers which are subjected to frequent heavy watering (like daily tropical rainstorms) will need a bit more fertilising than most, but don't overdo it, because most herbs prefer quite poor soils. A handful of compost from time to time should be enough. |
RE: Herbs in the tropics
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| Thanks Daisy, you're a star! Appreciate your advice on the lemongrass in pots as well. Looks like it's going to be a busy May day weekend in the garden!! I do have another query. If i buy fresh rosemary sprigs from the grocery store, can i get them to root and grow by simply using root hormone and leaving them in water??
Cheers. H |
RE: Herbs in the tropics
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| You could be lucky, but putting them in water is not a good idea. No horticulturist worth his title would recommend propagating in water. Better to put cuttings straight into the dirt. Clean up the cut end, cut it on a diagonal for best results, strip off the lower leaves, dip the cut end into hormone powder or pure honey, poke a finger in the dirt, insert the cutting, then gently firm it in. Water, and wait. With rosemary, wait, and wait and wait. It can be very slow to start. |
RE: Herbs in the tropics
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Hey Harbir, you seem to be going to a lot of trouble, when for no trouble at all you could be growing chilli,turmeric, ginger,galangal,coriander, lemongrass, bawang merah, etc etc. There's so much fantastic eating in Malaysia i wouldn't bother with bland western herbs.
Tony |
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