Getting Started...
ABOUT HERBOLOGY HUB...
Can I really learn to grow medicinal herbs through an online membership?
Yes, and I understand the scepticism. The live online meet up format works well because it is interactive. You can ask questions, bring real problems from your own garden, and get answers that apply to your actual situation rather than a generic response. The recorded sessions mean you can revisit anything you need to. What makes it work is that the teaching is grounded in real growing, not just presented information. After 45 years of hands-on experience, the detail I can offer is specific and practical in a way that is hard to find elsewhere.
Can I join if I have never had much luck growing plants before and lack confidence?
Yes, and you are in good company. Almost every experienced grower has a long list of plants they have killed. The difference between a struggling grower and a capable one is usually not natural talent, it is having the right information applied in the right order. Confidence comes through doing, and it builds faster when you are getting real guidance rather than trying to piece things together from conflicting sources. We start with easy wins for a reason.
Can I join if I am a qualified herbalist who wants to grow more of what I prescribe?
Absolutely. A significant part of the Herbology Hub community is made up of qualified herbalists and practitioners who know the medicine well but want to deepen their relationship with the living plant. There is a real difference between knowing a plant as a clinical remedy and knowing it as a growing thing, in the ground, through its whole life cycle. That knowledge changes how you think about the medicine. The depth and context we go into inside the membership suits practitioners very well.
What support do I get if I get stuck
The live sessions are the primary place for that, and they run twice a month. You can bring real questions, photos of problem plants, and specific growing challenges and get a practical response. Members also have access to the recorded archive, which covers an extensive range of topics built up over time. The goal is that you always have somewhere to turn when something is not working, rather than being left to search the internet and end up more confused than when you started.
How do I start growing medicinal herbs at home with no experience?
Start with plants that are forgiving and rewarding. Calendula, Lemon balm, and Yarrow are three I always recommend to beginners because they grow readily, show clear results, and build your confidence quickly. Start simple, start with one or two plants, and learn as you grow.
What medicinal herbs should I grow first?
Calendula is my first recommendation for almost everyone. It grows easily, it is genuinely useful as a medicinal plant, and watching it thrive gives you a real sense of what good growing looks like. From there, lemon balm and Yarrow are excellent second choices. Resist the urge to grow too many species too soon. We all go through the stage of wanting to grow every herb possible… Creating depth with a few plants will teach you far more than spreading yourself thin across twenty.
What is the best time of year to start growing medicinal herbs?
In Australia, the answer depends on where you are. Australia has such a broad range of climates and this guides your first choice of herbs to grow. Broadly speaking, spring is the natural starting point for most growers, but many medicinal herbs can be established in autumn in warmer climates. The next issue is the timing relative to preparing your growing area. Inside the Herbology Hub we talk through a number of herbs in detail and thoroughly cover how to grow them plus answer your questions.
Do I need special equipment to grow medicinal herbs at home?
You can start for very little. A few quality plants or seeds, some decent compost, and a suitable growing space is genuinely all you need at the beginning. Costs grow with ambition, not with necessity. Where people waste money is buying the wrong plants for their climate, skipping soil preparation, and replacing dead plants repeatedly. Getting the fundamentals right from the start is the most cost-effective thing you can do.
GROWING CONDITIONS...
What soil do medicinal herbs need to grow well?
This is where most growing problems begin, long before a plant is in the ground. Your key factors are well-structured soil with good drainage, good organic matter, and healthy microbial activity. Most Australian soils need improving before they are ready. I work with organic and biodynamic methods because they build the kind of soil that supports plant resilience over the long term.
How much light do medicinal herbs need to thrive?
Most medicinal herbs prefer full sun, which means six or more hours of direct sunlight per day. That said, there are genuinely useful medicinal plants that tolerate or even prefer partial shade, so limited light does not have to stop you. The problem comes when people try to force full-sun plants into shaded positions and wonder why they struggle. Understanding what each plant actually needs before you put it somewhere is the starting point.
Can I grow medicinal herbs in containers on my patio?
Yes, absolutely. Container growing works well for many medicinal herbs, and it gives you control over soil quality that you often do not have in the ground. The key considerations are container size, drainage, and watering frequency. Containers dry out faster than garden beds, so you need to stay attentive. Some plants do better in containers than others. Inside the membership, we cover which species are well-suited to pot culture and how to set them up properly.
Can I grow medicinal herbs if I only have a small space or a kitchen garden?
A small space is a constraint, not a barrier. That said, some herbs are more adaptable than others, and growing even a small selection of the right plants is far more worthwhile than growing a large number poorly. Start with what your space can actually support, and do it well.
TROUBLE SHOOTING & QUALITY...
Why are my medicinal herb plants dying?
In my experience, there are four common causes. Watering, soil, climate & location. There is more to watering than you would assume. Soils may need to be amended or prepared in some way. Climate relates to the species you are growing. Location means light, wind etc which are all individual to the plant. Most problems trace back to one of these four things. In HERBOLOGY HUB you have plenty of opportunity to ask questions about your own situation.
What pests attack medicinal herbs and how do I manage them organically?
Aphids, caterpillars, slugs, and snails are the most common visitors. The honest answer is that healthy plants growing in good soil with adequate airflow are far more resilient to pest pressure than stressed plants. Organic pest management starts with plant health, not sprays. That said, there are practical, non-chemical approaches to most common pest problems that work well in a home garden setting. This is the kind of real-world detail we cover in the live sessions.
How do I know when medicinal herbs are ready to harvest?
Harvest timing matters more than most people realise, particularly for medicinal quality. The right time varies by plant and by the part of the plant you are harvesting, whether that is leaf, flower, root, or seed. As a general principle, harvest in the morning after the dew has dried but before the heat of the day. For flowers, harvest at or just before peak opening. For leaves, before the plant has gone to flower. These are starting points. Each species has its own nuances, and learning those is part of becoming a genuinely capable grower.
What mistakes do most beginner growers make?
The most common ones I see are planting too many species too soon, skipping soil preparation, overwatering, and choosing plants based on what they want to grow rather than what will actually work in their conditions. There is also a tendency to follow advice that was written for a different climate entirely. A lot of information available online comes from northern hemisphere sources, and it does not always translate to Australian growing conditions. Local, grounded guidance makes a genuine difference.
