Growing and Using Medicinal Herbs

Growing And Using Medicinal Herbs
Growing your own medicinal herbs can be an interesting and worthwhile hobby. Using the medicinal herbs you grow the way they are meant to be used can be extremely satisfying.

To grow medicinal herbs, create a garden area just as would for flowers or vegetables. Choose the varieties of herbs you grow carefully. Some herbs are perennials. (They come back every year.) Some herbs are annuals and need to be replanted every year. Others take a full two years to mature. These are biennials. Which of categories the herbs you plant fall into will affect how how you take care of them and when you plant them.

When deciding which medicinal herbs to grow, consider what you want to use them for. If you are looking for a good night’s sleep, things like Passion Flower, Chamomile, and Skullcap are very beneficial. There are several herbs that are good for prostate health. Some of these are Echinacea and Horsetail. St. John’s Wort has been used for years for emotional health and concentration. Skullcap and Cayenne are used in many dietary supplements for heart health. Woman’s health issues are addressed with things like Chaste-berry, Angelica, and Ginger.

Okay. You have prepared your garden, chosen the medicinal herbs you want to grow, and now they are ready. After a successful growing period, the medicinal herbs are mature and ready to cut and prepared so they can be used. Just as for any herb, medicinal herbs can be dried in the oven or hung upside down, then stored till you are ready to use them. You can dry the entire plant, including the roots.

Here are some tips for using the medicinal herbs you have painstakingly chosen and grown. The most common way of using medicinal herbs is to make a tea using the stems, leaves, and flowers of the herb. If you are using fresh medicinal herbs, boil the water over the stems and leaves for a few minutes. If you have dried your herbs, pour boiling water over one teaspoon of dried herb.

To make a tea with the roots, bark, or seeds of the herb, put one teaspoon of the dried herb per cup of tea into a glass or enamel pan. Add the water and boil for about fifteen minutes. Be sure to put a lid on it so all the goodness doesn’t boil away, and then strain the tea into a cup. So thats it for now. Pick those herbs that are best for you and your family and get growing. You will reap the benefits of these wonderful herbs by being more healthy and vibrant.

By: Keith Greene Resource: http://www.NewHerbGarden.com