Re:Herbal growing conditions

[Guest guest]

> > of the things we are attempting to find out in the Learning Garden,

>a

> > collaboration among Venice High School, Yo San University and the Herban

> > Farmacy. We have already raised some artemisias, some perilla, some

> xanthium

> > and others. I cannot believe that plants like perilla, pogostemon,

> mint, etc

> > would not keep their medicinal properties grown in Southern California.

> > Rhubarb may be a different story.

 

In general we want to grow herbs here in similar conditions to those grown

for medicinal use in China or other parts of the world- altitude, climate,

hours and intensity of sunlight and soils. Roots are probably more

sensitive to soil, for instance, than leaves (as a gross

generalization). I would not grow astragalus membranaceous, for instance

on irrigated Southern California soils where selenium levels may be high,

since local astragalus species (locoweed) tend to accumulate selenium to

toxic levels. We know that field grown ginseng on farms in British

Columbia has terrible mold problems, necessitating fungicidal use, but it

seems to grow well in glacial till and rocky mountainous woods in drier

climates. My artemesia in New York is probably less effective than yours

in sunnier Southern California although artemesia has a wide growing range

and starts with a lot of inherent qi- so I may merely have make slight

dosage adjustments with my own.

 

I don't think that mountain valley qi is the only kind herbs need, here or

in China. But the qi of the growing and drying processes are important

considerations.