Why just grow herbs when you can also grow spices? Of the cooking duo, it seems that only herbs are frequently homegrown when really, it is easy to grow spices too. Have the best of both these culinary delights by growing garden spices ready for your secret recipes.
Best Garden Spices You Can Have Homegrown
Imagine your meals without your favorite spices, I sure can't. Aside from adding flavor to our meals, spices have been proven to give health benefits too. Although there seems to be a thin line between herbs and spices and often considered as being one and the same, herbs and spices are different. For one, most spices are grown in warm and temperate climate in the world. That is where the worries of growing them are coming from. So we have listed the garden spices you can easily grow at home. Check them out below!
1. Onions
It is easier to grow onions through sets rather than seeds or cuttings. You can plant them close to each other and transplant them as they mature to give more room to grow. The end of March or the beginning of April would be an ideal time to plant Onions.
2. Garlic
Although it is also called the stinking rose for its strong odor, this bulbous plant will certainly add spice and flavor to any meal you cook. Plant garlic in the fall and come next summer, you will surely harvest heaps of this well-used kitchen spice.
3. Turmeric
Closely related to ginger, only egg yellow in color, this commonly used spice in Indian cuisines can be grown through the roots or rhizome. As this is a tropical plant, growing them indoors or in greenhouses is advised if you live in a colder region. They grow well, potted too which is good news for those who have greenhouses.
4. Ginger
If you are trying to make Asian dishes, this is one spice you must have in your garden. Just like turmeric, the ginger cannot tolerate the frost too, so you better have them indoors during winter. You can take out some of it for brewing tea or for cooking and leave the rest of the plant to grow.
5. Chili Pepper
If you have kids, make sure they do not come across this one really hot spice as it will make them cry hard. Chilis are closely related to tomatoes so a tomato fertilizer will do them a lot of good. You can have this spice dried for future use.
6. Spring Or Green Onions
Of the same family as the onions but are easier to grow, whether directly on the ground or potted. They have little or no bulbs at all and are grown for their stalks. Have a steady supply of fresh spring onions for added flavor and spice to your everyday meals.
7. Black Pepper
Your salt is not complete without the black pepper. The most popular of all the garden spices in the world, any dish will improve its taste with a dash of black pepper. Since this is a tropical plant, it will not tolerate frost as well. This climbing plant has to be grown in hot, humid, tropical climates.
8. Jalapeno Pepper
The most popular among its relatives, the jalapeno is one pepper plant that's got a kick. Grown pretty much the same way as its family, it requires full sun but loves water in right amounts. Have some in your garden and for your salsa.
9. Lemongrass
Your Asian cuisine would not be complete without this grass spice. This plant has a bulb-like base like that of the spring onion's which grow and spreads the same way. The bulb or base is what's usually used for cooking. This is one grass your garden must have–and it's known to have mosquito-repellent properties.
10. Saffron
You may think just because this flowering bulb holds the most expensive spice in the world , that growing this must be hard. You only have to plant this in a well-draining soil, in an area that is warm and sunny. Plant them deep and do not prune those grass-like leaves as it encourages flower growth. Be a proud grower of this one a-list spice.
Watch This Video From Burpee Gardens For Growing Pepper Ideas:
Don't just grow herbs. Add spices to your garden too!
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