I wanted to be ~one with nature~ so I decided to grow plants. I'm not sure why I personally thought this was the best decision considering I live and breathe off of coffee and gluten-free waffles, along with the fact that I can barely remember to drink enough water myself (much less remembering to water multiple plants). Unfortunately for me, it's too late to back out now because I've already potted them, so voilà, here we are.
For some reason, I thought it was a good idea to sprout this thing called a "green thumb."
In the middle of summer.
…When there’s a very likely chance it will not rain.
If you want a scenario that sums up my entire existence, I got an enamel pin for the new purse I bought while I was in Florida and it says "Plant Mama." I have owned these plants for a total of like, four weeks. MAX. And I thought I deserved to be called Plant Mama. I immediately regret telling you this information.
But before you criticize my decision to let a plant suffer in this excruciating Georgia heat, I will preface the fact that I’m growing herbs and succulents—some of the plants that need the most amount of sunshine. That doesn't mean I won't kill them though, and that will very much hurt my pride.
Dillweed, basil and spearmint, along with three succulents I picked up from the local nursery, are my new plant babies for the summer. I’m not sure why I decided to start taking care of something when I can hardly take care of myself, but I have an inkling that it’s because my dog recently passed away, and because of the swirling uncertainty and fear in the world right now. I just haven’t quite known what to do with myself, and what better what to busy my mind than to start the hobby of gardening?
I have to give some credit to my mom though, because she inspired me to begin the journey of growing my green thumb. I inherited the herbs as my own when I was supposed to be buying them for her. She decided she wanted ME to grow them for HER, and as flattering at that is, I can count on one hand how many plants I’ve grown in my lifetime—and I’m 21 years-old so that’s a tiny bit embarrassing.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am in no way a plant expert no matter what my mom seems to think—quite frankly, I have not the faintest idea of what I am doing. Like I said before, I’m quite inexperienced. I’ve never grown any type of vegetable or herb besides in my eighth grade agriculture class where I grew bell peppers for an assignment—which eventually died.
But that wasn’t my fault, I swear.
I’m learning as I go, and that’s why I am dragging you along with me. I figured if I publicly announced that I was growing herbs, it would be a form of accountability—and it would also be very embarrassing to tell you that I killed my plants. I don’t know what I’m getting into with exposing my horrific planting abilities on the Internet, but here I am.
My greatest fear is remembering to water them… I’m a caffeine addict (kinda joking), so my first thought in the morning is, “I need coffee, or else I’m going to die.” My first thought now has to be, “Oh, God. My plants need water or else THEY’RE going to die.” Disgusting.
I am a dramatic human being—I realize this—but I’ve already forgotten to water them and these plants have been in my possession for an embarrassingly short period of time. My concern is therefore valid.
While educating myself on the three herbs I have adopted as my own, I thought I would share a few tips that I found to help my fellow peeps who want to strengthen their green thumb, too:
Keep in mind that my plants are potted separately and being grown outdoors, so this research reflects my specific needs; although, indoor plant guidelines are quite similar.
Dill weed requires full sun to grow, so I potted my plant and put it on my back porch where the sun directly shines. You can literally water your dill weed whenever the soil is dry, and for me (and probably most of you), that is every day. Just keep an eye on the sun to water ratio, because with mine, the sun was drying out the dill too quickly, so I moved it into the shade long enough for the water to absorb. After about 10-14 days, your dill should be ready to harvest (an indicator will be the number of leaves, and you will be looking for four to five). Then, you can just pinch off the leaves with your fingers, or cut them with scissors.
The same sun and watering regimen that dill weed uses, goes for basil and spearmint, too. My basil and spearmint plants joined my dill weed in the sun, and when I watered one, I watered the others. But, with both basil and spearmint, the more you harvest, the more they grow. I waited until it had been about two weeks, and checked my progress with how developed they were.
I harvested my basil plant when it was about 6-8 inches tall, and pruned them up to the second set of leaves.
*The best method for storing basil is freezing. Freezing will prevent the plant from losing a good portion of its flavor. To quick-freeze basil, package whole or chopped leaves in airtight, resealable plastic bags, then just place in the freezer.
The way I harvested the basil is essentially the same way I harvested the spearmint, but the difference with spearmint is that you should always use garden shears (and not your fingers) to prune. When you just grab a handful of leaves, you stunt the growth of the plant.
*Unlike growing herbs that are used for garnishing, this one cannot be stored or dried up easily. You should also wash each one thoroughly prior to using them in your meals.
It's safe to say I'm nervous about keeping up with these herbs, but they have been thriving (so far—let’s keep our fingers crossed) based on the steps I’ve taken.
The only plants I’m not severely worried that I will kill are my succulents, because they require little to no maintenance. I placed them on my window sill the day I bought them and have watered them one time since. I will continue to water them once every one to two weeks according to what the wonderful invention of Google told me. If they die, it’s Google’s fault, not mine. However, I will have to surrender this new would-be hobby if that is the fate of my succulents because I feel like you literally have to try to kill them. But hey, there’s a first time for everything, amiright?
I’ll keep you peeps updated once my plants actually start to produce some herbs that I can use in recipes—and then I can show you guys the recipes I make with the herbs! Exciting stuff.
With love,
Abby