Growing basil and other fun projects

[Eva]

Let me preface this first... I had a garden once when I lived in Florida... flowers only. I loved the feeling of planting seeds (or the actual flowers too) and seeing them grow into something lovely and fragrant. That experience was so delightful, and I felt so close to the earth (or something hokey like that!)... that I've told myself that when I have a house I buy to live in long term, one of the two things I must have access to are a spot where I can garden. :)

That is my one and only experience really growing anything... unless you count my 1-2-month stint of really sprouting.

Time to roll up my sleeves and get back into it. I don't want to buy all of my stuff when I can grow it and have it extra tasty and fresh. I'm sprouting some buckwheat and alfalfa right now... That is a piece of cake!

But now for my silly questions on the other projects (you can see I'm a beginner!)...

1. The Basil. I have a basil plant, and it's 25 degrees here right now. Clearly, I can't plant it outside! ( Right???) If I grow it inside, will it last? I can figure out the water it, a bit of window light bit, the basics... but if I do those things, will it work??

2. How to GET it. Can I just use a pair of scissors to cut what I'm going to use for a recipe??

3. Other herbs If I got adventurous and grew some other herbs, would they be about like growing the basil or do I need to study up and compare?

4. Wheat grass... I grew wheat grass before, but I didn't find that it made much juice (I have the healthy juicer which should be great for wheat grass) for the amount of work I put into it. I'm thinking about getting a big shelf to rotate the trays and grow a bunch. It is worth buying "The Wheat Grass Book" to get this figured out? I don't want to ask too too too many questions! ;)

[spicyfull]

If you can grow Wheat Grass, you can grow Herbs. I grow mine outside and if the Frost gets to it....oh well. I usually think I have made it and it will make it to Spring......then we have a Frost and I think,,,I should have covered it up.

Buy Seeds.....They are cheaper and you can experiment all you want. I find using a Paper Towel, with Seeds sprinkled on it and keeping it moist, with a spray bottle, they will sprout and you can plant the Paper Towel and ALL..

You can just PINCH what you need off your Herbs. You can bring them indoors, if you do not have enough Natural Light.......You can use a Flouresent Light on them. You can buy an Instrument to check the moisture level or use your Finger to check for Moistness.

Growing Wheat Grass in Abundance, changing rack like they do in a Bakery woild be RAWsome. I managed to obtain some bread trays which I grow mine on. These Trays are app. 30" by 30". Thanks that is what I need a RACK to go along with my Trays...I guess I'll have to start searching for one of those Big Bread Racks..

The Wheat Grass Book is WORTH buying..just for the Pleasure of reading it, ANY of Ann's Books are worth it. Some are out of print now, so if you can find Any, I would buy them.

Aren't you from Florida? I guess your weather runs like ours, North and South. The weather is Colder and Wetter in the North than the South. I live in Southern California.

Hope I have said something that you can Gleam from this post. My sleeves always stay Rolled up as long as it is above 55 degrees. I LOVE DIGGING IN DIRT. I LOVE figuring out how I can make it GROW.

I Grow it all, Sprouts, Trees, etc. but I don't grow a Garden. I plant Vegetables in pots and different areas but not a straight line Garden. I feel as if weeds come between the rows....I don't like the look.

Have a RAW Day..........

[spicyfull]

I see New England.......I got COLD when I saw it. YES bring your plants inside until Spring. Use the Light, it will give them Heat and replace the sun.

Just use your EYES to check on changes. The plant will TELL you what it needs. Usually it is WATER or TOO MUCH WATER. They also need FOOD. You see they are our Cousins. That is ALL we need is a little Water, Food and TLC...

[Eva]

That is so helpful SpicyFull!!! Thanks! And, yes, it is quite cold here right now. So beautiful and peaceful... but cold and hardly the place to plant a garden!

I know exactly what I need for a rack. I already have one of them. It's like a metal shelf that is for tools or something boring, it's about 5 feet tall and has 5 shelves on it. I'm using it for laundry right now, but it only cost about $15-20, so I'm thinking I'll get another one just for wheat grass.

It really is time to roll my sleeves up and do this thing right!

I just bought The Wheat Grass Book, and I have a few other books on my wish list now that are by Ann Wigmore. :)