By Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS Extension Bay County
As grocery prices rise it is tempting to start growing your own food to save money. However, if you are new to gardening in general or new to gardening in Florida that might be more costly than you’d expect. My recommendation to novice Florida gardeners is to start with easy plants, then challenge yourself as your experience grows. If you are looking for easy plants to use in the kitchen, look no further than herbs!
My top five easy herbs for northwest Florida are basil, fennel, mint, oregano, and rosemary. No matter what your space limitations, sunlight, or soil type you can probably grow at least one of these herbs. I recommend growing herbs in the landscape or in containers outside.
Basil
Basil is a frost tender annual that thrives in warm weather. Once night temperatures are consistently above 55°F and the last frost date has passed it’s safe to add basil to your garden. Basil is very easy to grow from seed, or you can purchase transplants at your local garden center. There are many different types of basil available with variations in mature size, leaf color, and of course flavor! Grow basil in full sun or part shade in well-drained soil.
Once basil blooms it slows production of tender new foliage that is ideal for harvesting. To extend the life of your plant keep an eye out for bloom spikes and pinch those off before flowering occurs. Forgot to pinch the flowers off and it bloomed anyhow? No worries, the flowers are very attractive to pollinators. If you allow basil to flower and set seed, you may have multiple crops in one summer or seeds may overwinter. One thing to keep in mind is that basil easily cross pollinates, so if you plant multiple types of basil expect your new seedlings to show genetic diversity.
Fennel
Fennel is a perennial herb, meaning it will live for several years. In our mild climate, they tend to remain evergreen which adds interest to the winter garden. Fennel grows to be 3-5 foot tall including the bloom spikes and tends to reseed in the garden, making more plants you can share! Fennel has very delicate looking foliage and the most common color is light green although there is also a bronze version. Fennel grows best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. It does well in well-drained soil and once established requires very little care. Fennel is a larval host plant to black swallowtail butterflies which eat the foliage, so be sure to plant enough for the caterpillars!
Mint
Mint is also a perennial herb and is semi-evergreen in North Florida. It has a running or trailing habit making it ideal as a ground cover or cascading down the side of a container. Mint likes full sun but will tolerate less sun than most other herbs and appreciates well-drained, yet slightly moist soil. Some common varieties you can find in garden centers include chocolate mint, peppermint, and spearmint.
Oregano
Oregano is another perennial herb. Oregano performs best in well-drained soil in full sun. Although it may tolerate a little bit of shade, too little sun will reduce the flavor. Common varieties available are Greek oregano and Italian oregano.
Rosemary
Rosemary will grow to be a large evergreen shrub and should be given plenty of room to mature. A small plant can easily expand to 3-4’ tall and wide in 2 years in ideal conditions. Rosemary prefers full sun but will tolerate a little bit of shade. It must have well drained soil to prevent root rot. Rosemary tolerates high pH and salt spray, making it an ideal plant for some tough conditions.
To learn more about herbs see https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/VH020.
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