Happy Monday GPODers!
08.08.2024 - 11:57 / balconygardenweb.com / Editorial Team
This small woody shrub belonging to the mint family is grown for its fragrant, edible, and medicinal leaves and flowers. Growing hyssop has a host of health benefits and is also useful in maintaining a thriving, pest-free garden. Let’s dig in!
Native to southern Europe and the Middle East, Hyssopus officinalis is a short-lived herb that resembles lavender. It has tiny purple and blue blooms on slender stems. However, unlike lavender, which has grayish silver foliage, it has broader and greener leaves .
This perennial herb is hardy in USDA zones 4-9. You can grow it directly from seed or stem cuttings. It prefers slightly alkaline soil and needs a pH between 6.5 and 8.0. Hyssop thrives in well-drained, fertile, loamy soil and enjoys full sun with some afternoon shade, especially in warm weather.
Blooming in fall, it relishes regular watering but tolerates drought and poor, sandy, dry soils once established. To grow, sow seeds in spring, and once the growing season is over, prune the herb in the following spring after all the dangers of the last frost have subsided and new growth has emerged. Do this by cutting back one-third of the growth from the current height of the plant!
It will self-seed and expand in the garden without fuss or extra fertilizers. It can also be cloned from cuttings and divisions. And if you decide to grow hyssop in a container, a standard pot size with a depth of 10-12 inches would be best for a grown plant. For a small specimen at the young stage, you can start it in a 6-8 inches planter.
This herb has naturalized itself in various other regions, such as North America, and makes an excellent addition to any native herb garden. One of the biggest advantages of having Hyssop in your garden is it
Happy Monday GPODers!
How to Grow and Care for Weigela Shrubs Weigela spp.
Header image: Cilantro seedlings grown in 100% recycled glass material. Image credit: Andrea Quezada
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