Don’t let a lack of space in Hong Kong discourage you fromgrowing your own herbs. Crave asks local horticultural expertshow to cultivate a thriving home garden.
Text by Jason Spotts, illustrations by Esther Chan
If you cook at home, you’ve likely considered growing your own herbs. But in Hong Kong, cultivating a garden may be a littledaunting. After all, given the lack of gardens and lawns, as well as interior space limitations, potted plants seem like all that we can handle.But thanks to an exploding green culture worldwide, new options for a home herb garden have emerged. I went to visit with experts to find out more about the latest gardening innovations.
During a trip to Lamma Island, I discovered that, even with potted herbs, a little knowledge goes a long way. My first stop was Herboland, just a 25-minute stroll from Yung Shue Wan ferry pier.
According to co-owners Gary Tse andGavin Yu, Herboland is Hong Kong’sonly organic garden that concentrates predominantly on herbs. It’s worth thetrip to visit this idyllic corner of Hong Kong, where a cup of their ultra-healthy anddelicious herbal tea is a must.
Yu, and Tse in particular, are dedicated experts. “Growing herbs is not unlike taking care of a human being,” Tse says. “It’s about feeling. It’s about observation. Plants will always show you their health and performance. It is up to you to respond.”
The best education is to talk to someone like Tse. Reading up on the subject is easy, but local horticulturalists can offer better advice because they live where you live.
For example, plants respond best tothe climate conditions of their placeof origin, according to Tse. The careof rosemary, a European herb, is different in Europe than it is in East Asia. As such, local farmers can teach you how to mimic ideal conditions for each herb as closely as nature allows.
“Herbs need their own natural environment,” Tse says. “European herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano flourish during autumn and spring, struggling most in summer.
“In summer, many herbs need cooler surroundings and less water due to humidity. From July to September, rosemary is like a recuperatingpatient. Think about this when youplant rosemary: summer is theworst time.”
Tse counsels against getting carried away with aesthetics. The garden should be organised to promote ideal growing conditions, not to simply look attractive.
“People are very concerned with presentation,” Tse says. “You know what the most beautiful presentation is to me? Positioning plants to maximise their health. That’s beauty.”
On Tse’s herb patches, he often grows lemongrass on two sides to balance soil moisture and provide shade for other herbs.At home, the configuration of pots canmake a big difference. Pay attention togiving extra shade to some plants ormore air to others.
Rely on common sense. A lot of knowledge comes with experience and observation. You can often tell how much water a type of herb needs from its characteristics. Thin leaves with a large surface, like basil, indicate a weakness in water retention. They need more water than plants with smaller, thicker and sturdier leaves, such as rosemary.
“People often ask me ‘how much I shouldwater my herbs in general?’” Tse says. “To me, it’s like they are making a child drink water at set times every day instead of when they are thirsty.
“Water plants according to the seasons and climate conditions. If you live in a country with four discernable seasons, then alter your watering four times a year.”
Tse notes that many make the mistake of over-fertilising, believing that more results in robust growth. “Herbs tendnot to need excessive fertilising,”he says. “Rice water is very good. Coffee grounds have enough nutrients for herbs, but not for a tomato plant, for example. Egg shells also do the job well.”
It is important to remember that fresh herbs are great for uses other than cooking. “Only about 20 to 30 per cent of herbs are used for cooking,” Tse says. “Catnip tea, for example, is great for quality sleep. Lemon thyme tea is good for colds.
“And stevia is a remarkable sweetener.”We sweeten our teas here with stevia.It is an excellent natural sugar substitutefor diabetics. Simply use hot water to make syrup with it.”
After Herboland, I visited David Sanders,an ex-Kadoorie Farm horticultural expert and founder of The Green Patch, Hong Kong.He is a committed advocate of local agriculture and a passionate educator.
His primary tool is the Microgarden,a simple and ingenious system of domestic farming that seems made for Hong Kong. His struggle is not merely against a lack of space. He struggles against a culture that undermines the importance and benefits of local farming on any scale.
“It’s a cultural liability,” Sanders tells me in his garden, which overlooks the northern shores of Lamma. “The young are ridiculed by elders if they take an interest in horticulture. They are told that you can’t make any money from farming and that it’s a waste of time. But you should see the glee on kids’ faces when they get stuck in the soil.
“They get it. Especially when they hear that Microgardens don’t harm the environment.
It’s a pleasure for us to put them in touch with something missing terribly in their lives. You take one smart kid and one who can’t add anything up, get some soil on their hands and they cannot help but relate.”
The Microgarden is a simple concept that seems to be made for herbs. Customisable and elevated multi-tier modular units are constructed with 95 per cent recycled uPVC (a UV-resistant PVC). They are designed with a double skin that keeps a 3cm hollow gap for insulation.
The key is the growing media. Instead of soil, an organic base is made from fully fermented cow and horse manure mixed with plant waste. The nature and fertility of this media encourages intensive growth. Essentially, this means that Microgardens can grow herbs and vegetables in very close proximity. It’s perfect for a rooftop or balcony garden.
In fact, proximity is crucial to the health of a Microgarden. “The secret is successional planting,” says Sanders. “You are never idle. Once you harvest anything, immediately plant more in its place. Avoiding empty spaces is crucial as it provides cover for the growing media, which has a brilliant capacity to hold onto nutrients.”
Sanders says that this unique growing media takes care of any soil preferences of herbs, and promotes crop diversity. “You can grow almost anything in the same plot,” Sanders says. “In fact, pests dislike diversity. They like mono-crop fields because diversity confuses them.
“You can plant a very robust herb garden in one of these. So far, almost everything we’ve tried to grow with the Microgarden has worked.”
A standard three-tier Microgarden kit from The Green Patch costs around $1,500 and includes a growing guide, a Hong Kong planting calendar, organic growing media, a pack of fertiliser, a mini tool, a watering can and a pack of starter seeds.
It’s also possible to rent garden space. Some horticultural companies will plant your herb garden on their own land. Sanders keeps patches for three or four neighbours on his land, happily tending to them when the owners are unable to.
Potted plants, Microgardens or rented land are viable options for Hongkongers interested in using the freshest herbs in their cooking. Lack of space isn’t an excuse anymore. All it takes is an investment of time, labour and a little love and care, and you can raise your home cooking to new level.
Herb Gardening Tips 101
BUG OFF
A simple and harmless pest repellent for herbs can be made from water, chili and garlic. Chop up the chili and garlic and soak them in water for a day. Drain the water into a spray bottle and spray your herbs. It is crucial that you also spray the bottom of the leaves.
A sprinkle of finely powdered pepper on the leaves is another option.
Pests hide from heat and predators during the day. They come out mostly at dusk and dawn, so this is the best time to pick them off with your hands. Always check under the leaves for bugs.
NIP IT IN THE BUD
With herbs that flower such as basil, energy is taken from other parts of the plant to sustain the blooms. The flavour of most herbs are concentrated in the leaves. Flowers take up nutrients that would normally go to these leaves, lessening their quality. Cut the flowers away to ensure your leaves receive the lion’s share of nutrients for maximum flavour.
SPOIL WITH SOIL
Some herbs require moisture retention, some are harmed by it. The right soil consistency helps to balance moisture retention and the resulting health of herbs. Rosemary, for example, needs less moisture which means its soil must have better drainage. Mix some small stones in with the soil, or fill the bottom 10 per cent of your pot with stones before topping up with soil.
HONG KONG HERB CALENDAR
Herboland co-founders Gary Tse and Gavin Yu with gardening tips and optimal seasons to sow seeds in Hong Kong.
1. Basil
2. Chives
3. Lemongrass
4. Parsley
5. Peppermint
6. Thyme
7. Curry Leaf Tree
8. Aloe vera
9. Coriander
10. Fennel
11. Parsley
12. Rosemary
13. Oregano
14. Sage
15. Basil
16. Dill
17. Lemongrass
18. Thyme
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