4 Easy-to-Grow Herbs for Spring Sipping Staples
4 Easy-to-Grow Herbs for Spring Sipping Staples
Grow your mixology skills by growing the perfect herbs for your favorite spring cocktails.
Things are better with sage
Sage is a hearty herb, and makes a delicious Sage Lime Tequila Smash, but it can attract sucking insects such as aphids, spittlebugs and whiteflies, along with caterpillars and slugs. Identify bug problems, and then read label directions to compare and select the right steps and product to solve your problem. Now, you’re ready to grow sage near a window or on your backyard deck!
No mixologist’s bar is complete without rosemary
Rosemary adds class and creativity to whiskey-based cocktails. It tends to be pest- and disease-resistant, but you should keep an eye out for spittlebugs, aphids and whiteflies. Proper spacing and growing conditions when you’re initially planting rosemary can help prevent bug problems. If insects do appear, you can also choose to treat problems with insecticides used according to label directions found in your local garden center.
A twist on refreshMINT
From Mint Juleps to Mojitos, nothing beats the unmistakable fresh scent and flavor of mint in your cocktails. Consider planting it in a pot – you can contain the sweet smell, but also prevent it from overtaking your other herbs and plants. Watch out for mint rust. If it appears, find the approach that works for you to make sure your mint is healthy again. Whether it means removing the infected leaves, which you can identify by the orange spots that appear, or considering a fungus treatment product you can research and pickup at your local retailer.
Give your basil a great spring start
Basil thrives outside in May, but if you’re ready to get a head start, you can grow it indoors earlier in the spring. Basil grows quickly when cared for correctly, so it needs to be trimmed as it begins to blossom. Keep an eye out for downy mildew and fusarium wilt – a common fungal disease which will appear underneath your basil leaves and include spotting on the leaves. Read label directions to determine a product that will work for you.
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