Preserving herbs from your garden is a great way to make the most of their abundance and store them for the winter months when many herbs will not be growing. Herbs are a great way to add flavour to any dish and once you make your own dried mixed herbs you will never want to buy them ever again!
Click below to watch
In this video I share how I pick, dry and preserve my herbs for both a dried mixed herb blend and also to make tea blends.
Why Grow Herbs?
Herbs are the easiest thing to start growing because they are hardy and less susceptible to pests. They also do not require a lot of room to grow. So you can grow herbs in pots or containers if you do not have room for a garden. It is absolutely achievable and you never know where the journey will take you.
Grow Abundant Herbs
Nature provides so much abundance when we learn to see and utilise it. Sometimes cutting your plants can spark new growth and they will continue to flourish in new directions. Young new growth is much nicer to eat than the older woody growth too. Preserving your harvests also allows you to slow down and reconnect with where your food comes from. It just feels so right to go out to the garden and pick food that you know exactly what has gone into creating it. No chemicals, pesticides, or nasty sprays.
Basil is a warm climate herb and will start to die off as the temperatures decrease. So harvesting and storing basil will mean I will be able to have it available during winter. Basil also responds so well to being cut. Especially towards the end of the season as it starts going to flower. By cutting the tops off, it will grow out thicker and will also help prolong the life of the plant.
Take Cuttings for Gifts
My rosemary is growing a little wild and has even collapsed in the middle under the weight. So I am going to take some cutting to replant and also harvest a big bunch to dry and preserve. Taking cuttings to regrow will give me new plants to gift and trade. It is always good to have some on the go for last minute gifting.
When to Harvest Herbs?
The best time of day to harvest your herbs is first thing in the morning. This is when the plants are hydrated and full of life. As the day goes on they will lose moisture and not be as fresh and vibrant. Early in the morning, the bees are not yet active. As the sun comes up and the dew drys, the bees will be about in a hive of activity. So if you do pick later in the day just be slow and cautious not stress them out and avoid getting stung.
Take time to Slow Down
Spending time in the garden harvesting and caring for your plants allows so much time to observe and learn from your garden.
To slow down and reconnect. Giving your mind time to think. Some of my most creative ideas come when I can quiet the rest of the world. Harvesting also gives such a sense of pride. That you have grown all this delicious food is so special.
How to Preserve and Dry Herbs?
To preserve these herbs I first rinse them off in the sink. Next, I separate the stems and lay the leaves out on my dehydrator trays. I put a layer of brown baking paper to stop them from falling through the tray grid. I keep and reuse the brown baking paper for future dehydrating. I then pop them in the dehydrator on the lowest temperature setting. Between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. You can also do this in the oven but just be aware it may take 5-8 hours to dry depending on the thickness of the herbs. So it is important you are home when using the oven. To air-dry your herbs, hang them upside down but make sure you have a dry and warm climate. If you live in an area with humidity I would avoid air-drying. You want the herbs to dry as fast as possible.
Dry the herbs until they feel crispy as you do not want any moisture still left in the leaves. If there is still moisture they may spoil or grow mould in the storage process.
Once they are completely dry you can pop them straight into clean, dry jars or storage containers. If you want to save room you can crush them up using a mortar and pestle. Mix some of your herbs together to make a mixed her blend ready for all your winter soups and meals.
Share and Inspire Others
These dried herbs also make great gifts. Taking gifts from your garden to friends and family is something that should become a regular ritual. They will so feel special and you will also feel joy and pride in sharing your homegrown produce. Sharing from the garden can also spark others to try to grow their own food too. You have no idea how many people can be inspired to make changes from your single action of sharing. It should be the way of the future. Because what we are doing in the world right now is not sustainable.
I hope you feel inspired to grow your own herbs at home and make your own dried mixed herbs. They are so easy to make and so vibrant and full of flavour. Nothing like the dull grey herbs you find at the supermarket.
If you have any questions leave me a comment below.
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge for you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content!
This curried sweet potato soup is my FAVOURITE! Preparing batches of soup is a great way to have extra meals on hand in the freezer. Preparing meals ahead of time means you will have options for a quick and easy lunch or dinner and won’t be as tempted to buy takeout. Saving you money and a more eco-friendly option.
This sweet potato soup is topped with vegetable peel chips which taste amazing! So crunchy and quick to make. You can make these with any meals you are making where you want to peel the vegetables first. For this soup, you don’t need to peel the vegetables first but I like to just so I can create these crunchy chips to serve on top! A great way to get kids more excited for soups.
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour35 minutes
This hearty, winter warming soup is packed full of flavour and topped with crunchy vegetable skin chips. A great way to get the most out of your Sweet Potatoes.
Ingredients
3 Medium Sweet Potato
2 Carrots
1 Fresh Red Chilli
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Medium Onion
1 Can Organic Coconut milk or Cream (400ml)
1 tsp Coconut oil
1 TBS Curry Powder
1 TBS Tumeric Powder
1 tsp Mixed Dried Herbs
2 tsp Tamari Sauce
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius on fan bake.
Wash and peel the vegetables placing the skins in a bowl, coat with the coconut oil, and set aside. Roughly chop the Sweet Potato into 5cm Chunks. Cut the carrots lengthwise down the middle and in half across the width.
Place the chopped vegetables in a roasting dish and coat them in vegetable oil. Sprinkle on the Curry Powder, Tumeric, and mixed herbs and mix to coat.
Cook in the oven for 45-50minutes until slightly golden and easy to pierce with a fork.
While that is cooking dice up your onion and add to the frypan with 1 TBSP oil and saute until cooked. Add in the garlic and chilli and cook for a further few minutes until the garlic is slightly brown. Remove from the heat and add to a large pot.
Once the vegetables are cooked add them to the large pot along with the onion mix. Add 1/2 cup hot water to the roasting pan and use a spoon to get all the flavor off the bottom and side. Add this to the pot too.
Pour in the can of coconut milk or cream. Then add half of the can with water and stir to get the residual coconut milk from the sides. Add this to the pot too.
Add the tamari, salt, and apple cider vinegar to the pot and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes mashing the vegetables in every now and then. Once the vegetables have all been integrated and mashed. Turn the heat off and allow it to cool slightly.
Place your vegetable skins on a baking tray and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook at 190 degrees celsius for about 5 minutes turning once halfway through. Keep an eye on them as they are so thin they will overcook easily. Remove when they are golden and slightly crispy. They will also crisp up as they cool.
Blend your soup. I like to use a stick mixer in the same pot but you could do two batches in a blender ( just be careful not to blend very hot soup or it may explode out the top!).
Add your soup to a bowl and top with the crunchy skins. I have also added basil flowers and baby sweet potato leaves to serve.
Notes
You can swap out some of the sweet Potato or Carrot for Pumpkin or Potato. To make a Thai Style soup just add a crushed lemongrass stalk in to the pot while it simmers, then remove before you blend it.
Growing your own homegrown fruit and vegetables does not automatically equal natural, healthy food. We are sold so many things for our home gardens that are actually toxic or full of nasty chemicals.
What we put into our soils will be drawn up through the plants and into the food they produce. Some plants will accumulate and retain more chemical and trace elements than others. Root vegetables and leafy greens are more at risk than those that form from flowers such as fruit, broccoli, eggplant, melons etc. Root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes have constant and direct contact with any contaminants in the soil or water. Fruit bearing plants will often be able to process and reduce any contaminants before it reaches the reproductive flowers and fruit.
Choosing to grow in toxic free soil and not using chemicals or pesticides on your plants will mean your food will be less at risk for harmful contamination. Growing food naturally and sustainably is a big learning journey and below are some ways to avoid harmful contaminants in your food. Actionable steps to grow food naturally and avoid any nasties at the shops.
1. Choose Organic Soil
The soil you grow your food in is absolute key! Not all soils are made the same. Spend a little time doing some research to determine if the soil you are purchasing is organic and free from any nasties. Ask questions, read labels and it may cost a little extra but it will be worth it! Do the same with composts and animal manure. Animal manure is great for your gardens but it is important to know what you are buying! Animals that are eating food with chemicals and sprays or are on medications may transfer contaminates through to their manure. Once you have your base soil sorted, composting and building soil at home is a great way to top up your garden beds with your own organic soil.
2. Select your Seeds and Seedlings Wisely
Seeds can be coated in chemicals! This was something I did not realise when I started this journey. “Roundup Ready seed” was not a term I had heard before but now I can’t un-hear it. Many seeds created by large manufacturers are coated in pesticides so you can spray for weeds and bugs without killing the seed. If you have ever bought seeds that are bright pink or other unnatural looking colours with speckles, this is most likely why. It’s hard to find information on what chemicals or pesticides these coatings contain and I would just avoid them all together. These seeds are also often grown in contaminated soils with chemical fertilisers and pesticides to mass produce large, productive plants to save seeds from.
The best seeds to purchase are heirloom varieties from local distributors. Choosing seeds that have been grown organically in your local area will have a higher success rate. These plants will be adapted to your local climate rather than those imported and grown in a completely different climate. You can find local seed suppliers at your nearest nurseries and plant stores. Take a look online as well to find local organic seed companies. It all starts with a single seed.
Seedlings will be exactly the same. Choose local, organic seedlings and ask questions. Seedlings for mass production will often be grown from pesticide coated or genetically modified seeds, fed with synthetic fertilizers to boost their growth and provide the public with a product that will have a “high success rate”. But of course that does not equate to natural healthy food. A little bit of research and you will find lots of healthy seedlings to purchase. Farmers markets can also be a great place to find locally grown seedlings and you will be able to find out directly from the grower what has gone into their production.
3. Use Natural Pest Management
When you first start growing food you will get slugs and snails eating your new precious veggies and will want to instantly fix the situation. Traditionally, gardeners are taught and marketed to pour on huge amounts of snail bait to combat the hungry predators. This is poison, not only will it kill the slugs and snails but is also deadly to cats and dogs. Now, if it can kill dogs, having it covering the soil and getting watered in and absorbed into the soil that your vegetable will feed on, especially those root vegetables, cannot be good for us.
Growing food naturally and sustainably can often mean we need to relearn old ways and not be afraid to fail. Ditch the need to constantly control the situation and start working with nature to find a balance. A balanced ecosystem where everything works together will not only be healthier for you but also less work in the long run.
There are lots of ways we can use what we have to add healthy vitamins and nutrients into our soil. These will help replenish what the plants have extracted from the soil and give your new plants a boost they need to thrive. Natural fertiliser ideas such as:
Weed Tea– are your weeds thriving? They will be full of vitamin and minerals that can be fermented into a fertiliser for your gardens.
Composting – Composting is a great way to return plant matter and nutrients back into the soil.
Worm Farms and Worm Tea – worms are powerhouses in the garden! Harness their energy by starting a worm farm and turn your recycling and scraps into nutrient rich fertilisers.
Banana Skins or Banana Tea Fertiliser – Chop and sprinkle banana skins in your soil or add to water to make a potassium rich natural fertiliser. This is great for fruiting trees as it promotes fruit production.
Coffee Grounds – Coffee grounds are high in potassium and nitrogen which are both great for the garden. By themselves, they can be quite acidic, so its best to add them into your compost or mix through soil and spread it out.
Mulching – mulching not only helps retain moisture in your soils but also add nutrients as it breaks down. Each time you add fresh mulch on top you are adding new layers of soil. So it is again important to choose natural and organic mulch.
Chop and drop – this is a technique I use often with my gardens. It can look a little messy but adds nutrients back into the soil. When you trim your trees roughly chop up the branches and place them on the surface of your gardens as mulch. This works best with fruit trees or low maintenance gardens. Fruit trees will benefit from the fungal activity of the branches as they break down.
5. Grow away from Roadsides and Contaminates
Cars and high traffic areas will give off a lot of atmospheric pollution. It is best to avoid growing in these places. There are a few ways you can reduce the risk of your gardens being contaminated such as:
Plant trees or hedges to create a barrier and diffuse some of the dust and fumes.
Choose to grow fruit trees rather than leafy greens to avoid directly consuming the contaminates.
Be sure to wash the fruit well before use.
6. Buy Local and Organic
If you are supplementing your food supply with bought produce, choose to purchase local and organically grown for a reduced risk of contamination. Knowing where your food has come from and being able to talk to the grower will give you peace of mind in what you are consuming. There is so much unknown in what goes into fruit and vegetables at the supermarket. Many vegetables will be grown in contaminated soils, constantly sprayed with harmful pesticides and chemical fertilisers. These accumulate and transfer into the food we eat. Many of these contaminants will be used from the beginning seed and then many times during the growth, harvest and transportation of the produce. All to increase production and shelf life.
It is hard to know what exactly you are eating when you purchase commercially grown produce. The best way to reduce harmful toxins is to buy your fruit and veggies from local organic growers and eat fresh!
7. Wash your Fruit and Vegetables
Washing your fruit and vegetables can help remove some of the toxins but not all of them. To wash your fruit and veggies – place them in the kitchen sink with 3 parts water and 1 part white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Give them a good rub to remove any wax or sprays, then dry them and put them away.
8. Don’t get Caught out with “Natural” “Organic” Marketing
Most companies have invested thousands into their marketing and advertising to attract more customers. Using natural green and brown colours, patterns and textures, plants and insect imagery as wells as “sustainable” language. These strategies can trick us into thinking these products are good for us and the environment. Certified organic products are best and will have the accreditations on the labels. Next time you are shopping for gardening or food products take a second to read and evaluate what you are buying. Don’t get tricked with natural and sustainable looking imagery and advertising.
Growing naturally without harmful pesticides and fertilisers is not only better for you but will also make a huge difference to the health and wellbeing of local pollinators and insects. Pollinators are small and very at risk from contaminated gardens. Pollinators help our gardens thrive and produce more food so it is important that we care for them too.
Overall, the best way to eliminate toxic contaminants from our home and gardens is to slow down, read, ask questions and make informed decisions. Growing naturally and sustainably is something that will take work and many failures. Not having instant chemical fixes to problems but to learn to embrace failures and learn from any mistakes.
Sometimes failure is the best way to learn and move forward.
Happy gardening!
Holly
If you have any questions please leave me a comment below.
This Sweet Potato and White Chocolate Slice is so so delicious. The sweet potato makes it fudgy and the white chocolate gives it a caramel flavour with crisp and chewy edges. Sweet Potato is such a versatile plant and can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes. This Sweet Potato and White Chocolate Slice is so delicious and doesn’t require any eggs or butter so can easily be made vegan. Being able to use your homegrown veggies for a wide variety of recipes will mean you need to buy fewer ingredients. I used purple sweet potato for this, which is super fun, but you can use which every variety you have growing.
Sweet Potato and White Chocolate Slice
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour30 minutes
Ingredients
1 Large Sweet Potato
1/4 cup Brown Rice Syrup (or maple syrup or agave syrup)
1/4 cup Coconut oil
1/3 Brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
1/2 cup Almond meal (or plain flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup white chocolate buttons
Instructions
Peel and cut sweet potato into small cubes (2-3cm cube)
Steam until cooked and can be pierced with a fork.
Cover and allow the sweet potato to come to room temperature (separate any liquid and keep it in a bowl to the side).
Preheat the oven to 180degrees Celcius
In a mixing bowl mash the sweet potato add 1TSP of the cooking liquid or water.
Add in the brown rice syrup, brown sugar and coconut oil. Mix to combine.
Add almond meal, sifted flour, baking powder and gently mix to combine.
Gently mix through most of the chocolate buttons leaving a few to add to the tray before baking.
Add your mix to a greased baking tray (20cmx20 or 30cm) and then add the remaining chocolate on top.
I was lucky enough to have recently been home to New Zealand to visit my parents and this new DIY greenhouse addition was so impressive! Mum built this DIY Greenhouse and She Shed from scratch using Recycled Timber Windows!!! Learning how to use tools along the way she made her dreams a reality!! I’m so proud of my mum and I can’t wait to show you this greenhouse tour! The perfect space for potting up seeds and cuttings or having a baileys in the evening.
Watch the Full Tour
Click the Image below.
Creating Sanctuary
Mum wanted to create a space to display her family heirlooms and treasured items. A quiet place for reflection when the world around gets too busy. It is rustic and cosy with a warm inviting feel. The plants in the Ladies Lounge spill down from teacups and climb the ladder to help integrate between the outside and the greenhouse, making the whole place feel as if it was always there. The greenhouse also offers a more controlled environment to grow all year round. Being able to open and close the windows can keep the heat in or let air flow through.
From the Ground up
First up another vegetable patch was started in a new location to allow a seamless transition and continuous supply of homegrown veggies. Then the foundations were started and went up around the old veggie patch. The windows were still being sourced and collected along the way then secured in to place. Shiplapped timber walls were constructed using the neighbours discarded timber fence and has created beautiful rustic feature walls.
Recycled and Vintage Treasures
The Greenhouse floors are made from pavers donated from neighbours and the ladies lounge slate flooring was gifted from a friend and had been lovely kept in her family for many years. Then came the exciting part of decorating the rooms with all the special items and decor.
Follow your Dreams
“Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and the thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see the greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself”. – Edmund Lee
Inspiration is often found on the glossy pages of magazines or hoarded away in boards on Pinterest but the key to following your dreams is in the action of doing. You CAN do it. Mum shared her dreams and ideas with friends and family and they came together to offer supplies and words of encouragement. This became her driving force and she was off on a mission to bring her dreams to life. She learnt new skills, got stuck in and didn’t wait for someone to come along and do it for her. So don’t spend too much time searching for inspiration, share your ideas and just get started.
A big thank you to all her friends and family for donating special items and supporting her with this DIY greenhouse project. It sure is an inspiring space to visit!
Holly 🌱
MY GARDENING ESSENTIALS // Fertiliser spray gun: https://bit.ly/366nL1t Retractable Hose: https://bit.ly/2TSC0Bo More gardening tools: https://bit.ly/32IQmbD
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content!
Beetroot Beta vulgaris is a vegetable that is grown for its root. It is easy to grow and the leaves are also edible. Below is a collection of recipes and posts including the beetroot so you can get the most out of your crop.
Beetroot is one of my favourite veggies to cook with. It is so versatile and can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes. Beetroot has also a vibrant natural pigment that I just can’t get enough of! Plus Beetroot is also a great source of fibre,folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. Dark chocolate and beetroot go so well together and these choc chip cookies are so delicious. Plus with all the choc chippies the beetroot taste is very mild. The beetroot puree helps bind and keep the cookies moist plus the colour is just something else!
Vegan Beetroot Choc Chip Cookies
Yield: 15 cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups Plain Organic Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 medium beetroot
1/2 cup dark vegan choc chip
1/2 cup white vegan choc chip
Instructions
Cut the Beetroot into 4- 6 pieces, place in a saucepan and add enough water to just cover the pieces. Lightly simmer until you can pierce with a folk. Keep the water in and set it aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl add the sugar, salt and oil and mix to combine. Add 1 TBS of the water from the beetroot pot.
Add the beetroot to a blender or Nutribullet. Add a few teaspoons of the water from the saucepan. Enough to help it combine into a puree. Blend and add extra liquid if needed.
Add the beetroot Puree into the sugar and oil and mix to combine. sift and add flour and baking powder. Gently mix with a wooden spoon or spatular to combine. Don't over mix.
Add your choc chips and gently stir through.
Place the mix in the fridge to cool for 10-20mins.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius and place baking paper on a tray or grease the tray.
Make tablespoon-sized balls and place them on the tray leaving at least 5cm in between each one. Press down gently with a fork and bake for 12-15mins until slightly golden.
Beetroot falafel is a quick and easy way to make a delicious meal with only a few ingredients. I have included ways to use the whole vegetable from root to shoot. These beetroot falafels can be made into 12 small balls which are great for salads or wraps or moulded into larger burger patties.
Beetroot Falafel
Yield: 12 Falafel Balls or 6 Burger Patties
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
2 small- medium Beetroot
250g Cooked Chickpeas (or one 420g can)
2 small Garlic Cloves
2 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Salt
3 TBS Flour
2 TBS Bread Crumbs
2 TBS Water
2 TBS Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
Cut the leaves and stems of the beetroot and set them aside for later use. Cut the beetroot into 2-3cm cubes and place in a roasting dish. Drizzle with oil and bake in the oven.
Cook for 30-40mins or until beetroots are soft.
Remove and let the beetroot cool slightly. Blitz the beetroot, cumin and garlic. Then add chickpeas, salt and chopped parsley and blitz to combine and the chickpeas are broken into small pieces.
Add the bowl and mix flour and bread crumbs through. Taste and season with extra salt if needed.
Roll into tablespoon-sized balls or mould 1/2 cup into burger patties
Add oil to a pan and panfry until crispy.
Serve in a salad, burger, wrap or pita bread.
Serve these beetroot falafels with a salad using the beetroot leaves and the pickled beetroot stems make a great accompaniment and salad dressing. This salad can also be made and used for the burgers as well.
Beetroot Falafel Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour20 minutes
Ingredients
SALAD
1 Cup of lettuce greens (lettuce, nasturtium leaves, baby spinach)
Beetroot leaves and stems set aside from Beetroots used in Falafels
1 TBS feta
1/2 Avocado
1 TBS Sunflower seeds
1 TBS Pumpkin seeds
Edible flowers to serve (nasturtium)
BEETROOT STEM DRESSING
Beetroot stems set aside form Falafels
1 TBS Olive oil
1 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
1 TBSP Water
1 TBS Sugar
1.2 tsp Salt
AVOCADO SALAD DRESSING
1/2 Avocado
1 TBS Feta
1 TBS Lemon Juice
2 TBS Water
Salt to season
Instructions
Beetroot stem dressing
1. In a serving dish, jar or jug, add the apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, water and oil. Stir until combined.
2. Finely slice beetroot stems and add. Cover and set aside in the fridge for 1 -2 hours (can be made and left overnight).
Salad
1. Wash and roughly chop salad greens and beetroot leaves and place them in a serving bowl.
2. Crumble feta on top, slice and add avocado and sprinkle over seeds. Place edible flowers to finish.
Avocado Dressing
1. Add avocado to a bowl and mash and stir until mixed and slightly creamy.
2. Add feta, oil, salt, lemon and water into the avocado and mix well until smooth. Add extra water if needed.
Growing Sweet Potatoes / Kūmara (Ipomoea batatas) in your home garden is a great step toward self-sufficiency. Sweet Potatoes are my favourite permaculture plant and are an easy crop to grow for beginner gardeners. It is important to grow plants that support and encourage other plants and beneficial insects in your garden. Creating a cohesive ecosystem that promotes the growth and success of your garden’s health and supports abundant harvests.
Many people do not know that the leaves of the sweet potato plant are also edible. This is most likely because the leaves provide no economical value in the mainstream food system and so they are discarded. Our learnt behaviours tend to come from what is around us but the key is to question things more often. Can I eat this? How do I cook this? We are very lucky to have so much knowledge available to us at the click of a button.
If you want to learn more from outside “the box” subscribe to my blog and let’s get into all things, Sweet Potato!
WATCH my top 12 Reasons to start growing Sweet Potatoes or scroll down to read more.
12 Reasons to Grow Sweet Potatoes
1. The Whole Plant is Edible
Not only does the Sweet Potato plant produce delicious edible tubers underground but, you can also eat the leaves and stems of the plant too ( It rarely flowers but these are not edible). Sweet Potato is not actually part of the potato family but is part of the morning glory family. Unlike potatoes – the sweet potato leaves are edible and packed full of *vitamin A, C, K, B1, B2, B3 and B9. Sweet potato leaves also have minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Sweet potato leaves are used in a similar way to spinach. The young leaves and shoots can be added fresh to salads and smoothies or to curries, stirfries and soups. They can also be sauteed to make a delicious side dish of greens. Sautee in butter and garlic or tamari, garlic, chilli and ginger is another delicious way to use sweet potato leaves.
2. Produces an Abundant Cropon each Plant
Sweet potatoes produce many large tubers underground from a single plant. These tubers are high in calories and carbohydrates which can form a great “base crop” on your journey to living more self-sufficiently. Growing base crops such as sweet potatoes or pumpkin can increase your ability to make wholesome meals entirely from the garden. You can store sweet potatoes by letting them harden off for half to a whole day in sunlight or diffused sunlight. Then store them somewhere dark and cool for a few weeks or up to a few months. They will keep until they start sprouting or start to go soft and spongy. It can be a good idea to make meals from them and freeze them to preserve your harvests that way. Curried sweet potato soup is one of my favourite ways to prepare and save my sweet potatoes.
3. Grows Quickly and Easily
Sweet potatoes like warm weather and once the soil warms up in spring and summer they will take off and grow vigorously. They are a very low-maintenance plant that can still produce well with neglect. They can handle low water or dry spells but will produce best when kept well watered. They require free-draining soil as wet, boggy or heavy clay soils may cause the tubers to rot. Promote healthy, free-draining soil with lots of compost. The leaves may get holes and be eaten by bugs but they are very hardy and it would take a lot to restrict their growth. Sweet potato is fairly pest resistant but as the tubers form they will get closer to the surface of the soil. If they are exposed to the surface, rodents such as rats and mice may find them. Check that you can’t see any above the soil and if so, rebury them.
4. Can be Grown all Year Round
In warm climates with mild winters like we have here (Perth, Australia), Sweet potatoes can be grown all year round. It slows down in winter but you can still harvest the leaves. I have found the purple varieties grow best during winter. In cooler climates, it’s best to harvest your sweet potato before the winter sets in and grow it annually. You can, however, take cuttings and grow them indoors in jars of water or pot them up and have lush house plants over winter. Once Spring arrives and the soil warms up you can replant them back out into the garden. To get the most out of your tuber harvests it is best to harvest annually and then replant your patch. You can leave some tubers in the ground and they will remain dormant until the soil warms up and they will just pop and regrow by themselves!
5. You can Harvest in Stages
If you have a large sweet potato patch and multiple plants you can harvest your sweet potatoes in stages to get the most out of your harvests. When veggies are ready all at once it can be hard to utilise them and not get overwhelmed. Towards the end of summer and autumn, I will also just go out and harvest one or two for dinner. Here in Australia, we call it “bandicooting”. Bandicoots are marsupials that look kind of rat/rabbit-like, that fossick around for food. Find where the main stem of your sweet potato goes into the ground and have a light dig around to see if you can find any sweet potatoes near the surface.
6. Easy to Propagate
Propagating and growing more sweet potatoes is very easy and there are multiple ways to do this. If you do not already have sweet potatoes growing at home then you can start a patch with a single tuber from the farmers market. You can bury the whole tuber in the garden or cut it into 3-4 pieces and start multiple plants. Another way to grow a plant from the tuber is to place the tuber in a jar of water until it sends off shoots. The shoots can then be cut and placed in water to grow roots. Let the shoots get above 10cm before cutting them off. You can keep doing this and using your tuber to farm multiple plants.
Once you have an established patch you can cut sections of the vines off ( known as “slips” ) and regrow more plants. Either plant the slips directly into the soil or place them in a jar of water to form roots first. If you plant them directly into the garden make sure to keep them well watered while they strike roots.
To learn more about growing food from cuttings, check out my ebook. It’s a great way to establish an edible garden for little to no cost.
There are a lot more varieties of sweet potatoes than the ones you commonly see in the shops. Growing your own food opens up so many more exciting options and varieties of vegetables. The varieties available at the supermarket have been bred to aid in mass production, pest resistance and shelf life. Rather than on the quality of nutrients, texture and flavour. I know which ones I would pick! I am growing the Orange, Red and White, Hawaiian (white skin with purple flesh) and Purple skin with Purple flesh variety. They all have unique qualities and cooking properties. The Purple and White are deliciously roasted, whereas, the all-purple variety is not great roasted but delicious mashed. Once you have established some plants you can then swap and trade with others who may be growing different varieties to you.
8. Amazing Living Mulch/ Ground Cover
The Sweet Potato naturally grows as a vine along the ground. It will send off side shoots and quickly become a thick and lush ground cover. This protects the soil from the harsh sun and creates a healthy habitat for beneficial insects. Having lots of beneficial insects is an essential part of growing a natural, thriving garden. This lush ground cover provides an excellent bottom layer of a food forest system. I have Sweet Potato vines growing all in between and underneath my fruit trees.
9. Grows in Sun or Shade
Sweet Potato prefers full sun but will grow in a wide range of locations from full sun to full shade. The plants that grow in shade will be slower to produce but will still grow well. This means you have more options in choosing a location to grow your Sweet Potato. I actually find that during our harsh summers in Perth, my Sweet Potato prefers some shade. Versatile plants are great for the garden because you have more flexibility and options for choosing a location to plant them. It also means they are a little more forgiving for beginner gardeners because they won’t up and die if the sunlight isn’t just right.
10. Grows in Containers or in the Garden
Urban gardens often mean utilising container gardens and selecting plants that grow in both is amazing! Ok, you can see why I love this plant! It is just so easygoing. The Sweet Potato plant can take off quickly and grow very vigorously. This means it can shade out smaller plants and take over the garden. If you are short on space or have small space, or urban gardens, then it may be best to grow it in containers. Don’t be afraid to cut off the edges if it starts to take over.
11. Can be Fed to Animals
Sweet Potato leaves can be feed to many animals including chickens, pigs and rabbits. When you are harvesting the patch or just trimming the edges, then this can be a great way to add feed to your animals. They are full of vitamins and nutrients to help boost your animal’s overall health. Plus, it promotes a sustainable cycle and the animal manure can then be composted to use on your gardens and grow more Sweet Potatoes!
12. Save Money!
Sweet Potatoes can be expensive! Especially if they are not the common variety. Recently the Red and White ones were over $9 p/k at my local store. With their ease of growth and abundant production, Sweet Potato is such an economical plant to grow in your home garden.
As you can see I could talk about growing sweet potatoes all day! They are my favourite permaculture plant because they are versatile and have so many benefits and interconnected relationships within the garden.
If you have any questions about growing, harvesting or propagating sweet potatoes please leave me a comment below. If you found this content helpful please share it with your friends. Sharing my articles will help me inspire and help more people to start growing their own food. Every little bit counts towards growing and inspiring a greener world.
DISCLAIMER: Links included on this page might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my blog so I can continue to provide you with free content each week.
Subscribe
MY GARDENING ESSENTIALS // Fertiliser spray gun: https://bit.ly/366nL1t Retractable Hose: https://bit.ly/2TSC0Bo More gardening tools: https://bit.ly/32IQmbD
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content!
I grow a lot of edible flowers in my urban permaculture garden. That way, I not only have plenty of flowers for the bees, but also lots of beautiful edibles to brighten up any meal. Edible flowers have so many health benefits and valuable nutritional qualities. Flowers don’t often last long on the plant and a great way to preserve and harness their energy is to press or dry them. This way you can make infused oils, herbal teas and still have beautiful bright flowers to use throughout the year.
What Time of Day is Best to Pick Edible Flowers?
Pick your edible flowers in the morning but after the sun has come up. First thing in the morning the flowers will still be closed so wait until they fully open up. They will be at their best in the morning, full of life and well hydrated. Throughout the day they can lose moisture and become damaged by insects or wind. Make sure you select flowers that you know don’t have any chemicals or sprays on them. I only use flowers I have grown in my backyard as I can have more control over their surroundings.
Should you Dry the Whole Flower or just the Petals?
You can do both! If the flower has a thick base or bud I tend to remove the petals. Flowers such as Sunflower and Hibiscus, I usually remove the petals. The base will take a very long time to dry and most of the time will not be palatable/hard and bitter. Calendula has many healing properties in the base, leave this on if you are going to use it for infused oils and balms.
Air Drying Flowers Naturally
The main way that I preserve my edible flowers is to air dry them naturally. I keep a bowl or plate in my pantry and add petals and flowers to it regularly. Each time I go out to the garden to pick veggies, I will pick edible flowers as well. If I don’t use them fresh in my meals I will just pop them aside to dry. It is very hot and dry here in Perth, Australia during the summer, so they will dry within a couple of days. If you live in a humid or cool climate or it is winter, it would be best to oven-dry or use a dehydrator. You want to get the flowers as dry as possible with no moisture left. This is to prevent them from going mouldy or growing bacteria.
Oven drying flowers
Turn your oven on to 40-50degrees Celcius and spread your flowers out on a tray. If your flowers have thick buds or bases it will be best to separate them out and just dry the petals. This may take a while depending on the size and moisture levels of your flowers. It may take around 4-6 hours and gently turn and mix your flowers around during that time to help them dry evenly.
Drying flowers in the dehydrator
Lay your flowers out flat on a tray and turn your dehydrator on to 40-50 degrees Celcius. It will depend on the moisture levels and size of your flowers but it will take between 4-6 hours to dry. Make sure they are completely dry and they may sound crunchy to touch.
Pressing Edible Flowers
Another way I like to preserve my edible flowers is to press them. You can do this with any flower press or to press flowers without a flower press, simply place your flowers between sheets of paper or a notepad and stack some heavy books on top. Press whole flowers or petals but if the bud or base of the flower is quite thick, I would remove it and just press the petals. Pressing flowers will take a while to ensure that they are completely dry. Depending on your temperatures and climate it can take between 2-4 weeks to dry your edible flowers.
How to Store Edible Flowers
Once your flowers are completely dry you can store them in an airtight container out of sunlight. I keep all my air-dried flowers in jars in my pantry. My pressed flowers that I want to keep intact, I store in a glass container with a bit of paper towel. In dry conditions, these will last quite a while. I have some from a year ago that are still great.
How to use Dried Edible Flowers?
There are so many ways to use your dried flowers. Here are some of my favourite ways to use them.
MY GARDENING ESSENTIALS // Fertiliser spray gun: https://bit.ly/366nL1t Retractable Hose: https://bit.ly/2TSC0Bo More gardening tools: https://bit.ly/32IQmbD
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content!
