Translated by Nick R
It’s no secret that plants have a variety of benefits. These go from medicinal, aesthetic, and decorative, to culinary. But besides that, some plants even help other plants.
In this blog, I’ll talk about some of the aromatic plants that are of great help to your garden or vegetable garden. You’ll know why you should have them, how to take care of them and how to grow them. Stay to the end because I’ll give you a very interesting fact, which I know you’ll love.
Table of Contents
Why have aromatic plants in the garden?
For a long time, aromatic plants have been used for treating some ailments, such as colds or digestive problems. Even more, they provide an exquisite smell and taste to food.
However, these aren’t the only benefits that these plants have. They are indispensable for your garden because:
- Their main attractive is the aroma, which is very enjoyable both inside and outside your house.
- They are elegant and colorful plants. They give your garden a varied and colorful touch.
- They have an ideal size in case you don’t have much room at home.
- In case you don’t have much time to spend on them, they are easy to grow and care for.
- These plants attract pollinating insects that help your crops, predators of other insects, and repel those troublesome pests that can be harmful. You can grow them around the garden and create a kind of barrier and use organic insecticides to prevent pests from spreading, if necessary.
General care for aromatic plants
Before we start talking about each plant individually, you should hear some recommendations to consider so that all your plants develop correctly.
- They must have good lighting, at least 6 hours of sunlight is enough.
- In case of using pot plants be sure that they are the right size and material. Do not forget that they must have good drainage so that the soil doesn’t become waterlogged.
- For plants grown in pots, an adequate substrate will make the difference. It has the necessary nutrients that help their growth and good development.
- Watering will depend on the characteristics of each plant, however, it should not be lacking or the plant may dry out and die.
- The ideal temperature for aromatic plants should not be less than 0 degrees. Temperate or warm climates are good for them.
- There is no need to use fertilizers with this type of plant, the proper substrate will suffice.
- Pruning is beneficial for these plants, and you can use what you cut for culinary or medicinal preparations or to grow more of them.
- Normally they don’t suffer from pests, but in case they are affected you can use homemade insecticides to combat and prevent their appearance. For it, you can mix 1 liter of water and a tablespoon of soap in a diffuser, and apply every 3 or 5 days until they disappear. In any case, we have an article with more homemade insecticides.
5 aromatic plants to grow indoors or outdoors
Now that you know the great benefits of these plants, I’ll tell you about some of them. Remember that you can plant them in pots inside or outside directly in the ground. It all depends on what you want them for.
Rosemary
This is a perfect perennial plant to grow in the edges or corners of the garden, but avoid changing it constantly.
It attracts pollinating insects such as bees that help increase the garden’s harvest.
It also prevents pests such as carrot flies from coming around to damage the crop.
Ideal substrate for rosemary
It can grow up to 2 meters and adapt to any type of soil, although it prefers arid soils. You can use a substrate with these characteristics.
The soil or substrate in which you sow the plant, whether in pots or directly in the ground, should have good ventilation and drainage to avoid waterlogging. You can prune it at the end of winter to prevent it from overgrowing or shape it as you wish.
It withstands drought and doesn’t require constant watering, except in summer or on very hot days. If you live in a rainy area, rosemary will not need watering.
Uses of rosemary
For culinary purposes, you can add branches and leaves to your meals. It’ll add a great taste, whether they are fresh or dry. Also, for medicinal uses infusions are enough to alleviate digestive affections and other ailments. In parts afflicted by muscular pains or cramps, among others, you can use it in baths of 15 to 20 minutes. Even just applying rosemary oil can be effective.
How to sow rosemary?
In spring, seeds will be enough for sowing rosemary, while in march cuttings are better. You’ll need a seedbed and a mixture of peat, worm castings and vermiculite (optional). The latter works to retain moisture and nutrients for the plant.
Once you have the mixture, add it to the seedlings, sow the rosemary seeds and pour a little more of the mixture to cover them. You better moisten the seedbed a little so that the rosemary can germinate; every time the surface dries out you’ll know that the plant requires watering.
You should place it in a warm and well-lit place. I recommend that you put the name of the seeds you sowed so that you don’t confuse them with others. Once they grow enough, you can transplant the rosemary to the fixed place. This process is done when the sun is low, that is to say, very early in the morning or at dusk.
In the case of cuttings, you can take branches at least 15 cm long and 2 years old and plant them back into the ground at medium height. They’ll take about 2 months to root and in autumn or spring, you can transplant the rosemary to the fixed place.
It’s a very resistant plant and, thanks to its aroma, it’s not very prone to pests. However, it could be affected by fungi in case of excess humidity.
Salvia or sage
There are several types of salvias, but in this blog, I’ll talk about the one called Salvia officinalis. It is a shrubby, perennial plant that can grow up to 50 cm to 70 cm tall and has very showy flowers.
As is common with aromatic plants, salvia also attracts pollinators that benefit the production of the garden. It helps repel pests such as whitefly, ants, carrot fly, cabbage butterfly, aphids, slugs and snails.
Ideal Substrate for sage
It can be adapted to almost any type of soil, which makes it not difficult to grow. However, it has a preference for light, dry, well-drained, non-acidic soils. Ideally, sage should be grown along the edges of the garden, as it acts as a windbreak and prevents weeds such as grass from invading the crop.
Keep in mind that it is a plant that develops a large number of roots, so soil depth is important. Avoid heavy, clayey soil because it can affect the plant’s development. Remember not to cover the trunk when planting so that the sage does not rot.
Uses of sage
It has antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, stimulating, healing, digestive and other medicinal properties. Likewise, it’s useful for culinary preparations such as duck, lamb, meat, cheese, fish, soups and many more.
To make use of this plant in any of the presentations (culinary or medicinal), you must wait 2 years, that will be the perfect time to harvest the salvia.
How to sow sage?
Due to its Mediterranean origin, it prefers warmer climates and mild winters. This is why it’s best to plant sage in mid to late spring. You can do this by seeds or cuttings in late summer. The procedure is the same as with rosemary and other aromatic plants.
Remember that in case of using seeds you should plant them in spring, as I mentioned, and transplant the salvia in the following spring to the chosen place. It’s not necessary to use fertilizers; the right substrate will be enough. Its flowering is in late spring, if you wish you can use fertilizer to improve the flowering process, but as I said, it’s not necessary.
It prefers direct sun to grow properly and quickly, although it can also develop in semi-shade. It may suffer from heavy frosts, so you must protect it from them.
In case you want to have more than 1 sage plant, you should plant them at least 60 cm apart.
The only factor that could affect this plant is excess humidity, as it makes it prone to suffer from fungus or rot. For this reason, watering can be frequent and abundant when the plant is small but should be moderate and light when it is already adult. Avoid waterlogging or excessively wet soil.
Basil
Unlike the previous plants, this is an annual plant. That means that you should grow it every year either in pots or directly in the ground.
It also helps to fight pests such as whitefly and aphids; and fungi such as mildew or powdery mildew. It grows around 60 cm to 1 m.
Ideal Substrate for basil
Basil likes moist and fertilized soils; however, it must have good drainage. It’s advisable to plant it near tomatoes and peppers as the soil is rich in organic matter. In addition, the aroma of this plant keeps away pests that can affect these crops.
Uses of basil
It’s very popular for culinary preparations such as pesto sauce, among other options. It also works as a medicinal plant to treat constipation, insomnia, anxiety, migraine, and stomach problems, etc. It can be consumed in infusions or tea.
How to sow basil?
It should be grown in mid-spring or when there is no risk of frost and low temperatures. It’s susceptible to low temperatures. Besides, you already know that reproduction is achieved through seeds or cuttings, like many other plants.
From seeds, the cultivation will take place at the end of winter and using seedlings, as I explained with rosemary. Spring will be the right time to transplant the basil to the place you want, remember that it lasts a year.
And if you want to have more, the perfect option is to propagate by cuttings. Cut some branches from the adult plant and place them in a jar with water for 7 days until they develop roots. Once the roots have emerged, you can plant the cutting on a substrate mixed with worm castings.
The substrate should cover all the cutting roots. At the end of the planting process, water the plant a little and that’s it. Now you can have more basil in your garden.
This plant loves sunny days, so you can place it in an area where it gets enough of it. Keep in mind that if the direct light is too strong, it’s necessary to move it so that it gets some shade.
Watering should be abundant, but not in excess to avoid waterlogging. Basil dehydrates quickly and therefore requires good humidity. If you do this process 3 times a week it will be enough, even on hot days.
Parsley
Parsley can withstand any type of climate too, but it has a preference for warm climates. Its cultivation is biannual until its death, in its first year it’ll yield a lot of leaves while in the second one it’ll produce leaves, flowers and seeds.
Ideal Substrate for parsley
The ideal soil for growing parsley should be loose, well-drained and rich in organic matter. You can use your preferred fertilizer to ensure that the soil is optimal for your plant.
Uses of parsley
This aromatic plant also has culinary and medicinal qualities to aid digestion and as an anti-inflammatory substance. Moreover, it can be used as a repellent for pests such as aphids and carrot flies.
How to sow parsley?
You can place it in a sunny area of your garden; however, it can be grown in semi-shade with at least 3 hours of direct sunlight per day. This allows you to keep it anywhere in your home, even if you don’t have a lot of space.
You can buy the plant and transplant it to your preferred location or you can make use of a seedbed to reproduce parsley. The conditions for the latter are the same as the previously mentioned plants. However, it takes about 3 weeks to germinate.
You should leave a distance of 20 cm between your parsley plants in case you want to have more than one.
Parsley is a very demanding plant regarding watering, so it should be more frequent. Remember not to water excessively to avoid waterlogging. If it’s spring, they can be a little more constant, so that the soil remains sufficiently moist.
It’s not recommended to plant parsley near plants such as celery, lettuce, peas and leeks, as they may not develop properly.
Coriander
It attracts pollinating insects that benefit the rest of the garden. It can reach 40 to 60 cm in height.
Ideal Substrate for coriander
It prefers loose soils rich in organic matter. You can use compost or manure mixed with worm castings (nitrogen-rich) and perlite. The latter will help with water drainage since cilantro doesn’t tolerate waterlogging.
Uses of coriander
Coriander also has culinary and medicinal qualities, to treat stomach upset, diarrhea, nausea, etc. Besides, it works as a repellent of pests such as spider mites.
How to sow coriander?
You can place it in light or semi-shaded areas; however, it doesn’t stand excessive heat or hard frosts. The ideal temperature for its development is between 12 and 30 °C.
To reproduce coriander you can use seedbeds and sow in early spring or late summer. The seeds should be soaked the night before. It’ll take about 15 days to germinate.
The procedure is the same as for other aromatic herbs. When they grow at least 10 to 12 cm, you can transplant them to the fixed place, or even, if you wish, you can sow the seeds directly in the area where you want to keep your plant.
The soil must be moist, so watering should be frequent, but in smaller quantities when the plant is young. Once it’s mature, you can water it once a week. Avoid puddling as it can cause fungus.
Although it’s not very prone to pests, it may be affected by some such as spider mites, whiteflies, grubs and aphids.
You can use homemade insecticides to eradicate and prevent their presence. You can use the cilantro plant when it is between 13 and 15 cm high.
Plus: Pesto sauce with basil recipe
Now you know some aromatic plants, their characteristics and some uses. As I told you at the beginning of the blog, I have an interesting piece of information to share with you. Commonly used as an appetizer, we have the pesto sauce recipe which provides dishes such as pasta, pizzas, and chicken with a phenomenal touch.
Ingredients
- 300 gr of basil
- 125 ml olive oil
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 40 gr of walnuts
- 10 ml balsamic vinegar
- 80 gr Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation of pesto sauce with basil
The basil you use must be very fresh, you are going to strip the leaves. In a blender add the olive oil, the 5 cloves of garlic and the basil. You can pour the leaves little by little so that they get finely chopped.
Then add the walnuts and parmesan cheese to the mixture and mash everything again. Add salt and pepper to taste along with the balsamic vinegar. And again, blend the whole mix until you have a uniform texture.
Finally, pour your pesto sauce into an airtight jar and store it in the fridge. You can use it whenever you want and in any dish. Your guests will love its unique taste.
I hope you liked this blog about aromatic plants and their characteristics. They really have great properties for you and your garden. Go ahead and keep planting aromatic plants either for culinary, medicinal or for the care of the crop. - You won't regret it!
