Start Your Own Edible Garden with an Epazote Plant Today
Epazote is a herb that can be used in many different dishes. It has a strong flavor and is best used in small amounts. If you want to start an edible garden, epazote is a great start.
Here are some tips on how to start an edible garden with epazote.
What is Epazote?
Epazote is an herb that you can eat. It is often used in Mexican cuisine but has a strong smell and taste that some people compare to a skunk. It is an acquired taste that not everyone likes. You can easily grow your own epazote plant, which grows quickly, so you will have a supply of fresh epazote leaves all summer.
The plant is tall and thin, with large, soft leaves that are oval-shaped with a notch at the end. The leaves can be up to 4 inches long and one and a half inches wide. The color of the leaves can be green, yellow-green, or red-green.
The plant has reddish, cream-colored, or green stems and small, yellow-greenish flowers that grow from mid-summer to fall. The plant has a strong smell because the tiny glands on the stems and leaves secrete a highly scented oil.
This means that you should wait until the temperatures outside are warm enough that there is no longer a risk of frost before planting your garden.
Epazote leaves are the only edible part of the plant – the other parts, especially the seeds, are poisonous to humans and animals.
How to Start an Edible Garden with Epazote
If you’re curious about how to start an edible garden with epazote, there are a few things you should know.
1. Keep It Trimmed and Under Control
First, epazote is a tropical plant, and it will not grow well in cold climates. The plant prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Epazote is a fast-growing plant, and it can quickly become invasive. To prevent this, it’s important to keep the plant trimmed and under control.
2. Start with a Healthy Plant
When starting an edible garden with epazote, it’s important to start with a healthy plant. You can purchase epazote plants from a nursery or online retailer. Once you have your plant, it’s important to plant it in a location that receives full sun. Epazote can also be grown from seed, but it’s best to start with a young plant.
3. Fertilize It Every Few Weeks
Once your plant is in the ground, water it regularly and fertilize it every few weeks. Epazote is a fast-growing plant that will quickly outgrow its space if it’s not trimmed regularly. When harvesting epazote, it’s important to take only a few leaves from the plant. This will ensure that the plant continues to produce new leaves.
4. Use It Depending on Your Needs
Epazote can be used fresh, dried, or ground into a powder. The leaves can be used whole, or they can be chopped into smaller pieces. When drying epazote, it’s important to hang the leaves in a well-ventilated area. Epazote powder can be stored in an airtight container and kept in a cool, dark place.
Conclusion
Epazote is an excellent herb to add to your edible garden. It has a long history of use in culinary and medicinal applications. When starting your garden, give it plenty of room to grow as it can reach up to three feet in height. Epazote is a hardy plant that can tolerate many conditions, so it is a good choice for beginning gardeners. You can enjoy fresh epazote leaves all season long with a bit of care.
Do you want to know how to start an edible garden? Check out Blossom & Broom so you can get started on your gardening. We got the information you need for your edible garden journey. Browse our blogs and learn more about us today!
