It’s not difficult to grow a herb garden. A little patience goes a long way. Because it may take three to four weeks for all your seeds to germinate. Here’s all the details on how to grow a beautiful herb garden.
Find the Right Location
Herbs really like the sunshine. It’s best to plant in late spring. And make sure they are planted or can be moved to get plenty of direct sunlight. Anywhere between 70 to 90 degrees is the optimum growing temperature.
Sunshine, soil, regular watering, and some fertilizer. You can start your herb garden in the ground or in plant pots.
If your herbs are growing outside in the ground, make sure the area gets at least 4 hours of sun a day.These plants will grow with less sun. But they grow very slowly.
It’s best to use large containers. Some herbs grow up to 4’ tall. If you start off with a tiny pot you will need to transplant to a larger pot. Because herbs can become stunted when they outgrow their pots.
If you use larger pots (10″ to 18″ in diameter) you can combine several herbs. Plants that have the same watering needs can go into a single container. Some herbs grow well in pots together. For example, mint, chives, and coriander require plenty of water. Rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano and bay need well-drained soil.
Pick Your Herbs
You might want to have a variety of herbs. Rosemary, oregano, dill, savory and thyme are good for cooking. Lavender works in wreaths and sachets. And your cats will love catnip.
You can choose your herbs based on how you want to use them. Or you might want to grow herbs that are large and or beautiful. You want to fill your herb garden with fragrance and flavor!
Plant Size:
- Up to 3.5 feet – Sage, Rosemary, Mints, Marjoram, Oregano,
- Up to 2.5 feet – Thyme, Basil, Tarragon, Savory
- 1 foot – Dill, Chives, Cilantro, Parsley
Prepare Your Herb Garden
You can plant from seeds or use starter plants. Use good potting soil with organic or vegetable fertilizer. And mix it in per the package directions.
Plant your herbs in damp soil. Water your them when the soil is dry to the touch. Don’t over-water. Over-watering can be just as bad for Herbs as under-watering.
Every couple of weeks it’s a good idea to add more natural fertilizer.
Time to Harvest
When the plant is 6” to 8” tall it’s time to harvest your herbs for the first time. Just cut approximately 1/3 of the plant’s new growth. Many herbs grow their new leaves from mid plant. Make your cuts close to an intersection of the leaf and branch. This expedites regrowth.
It’s a good idea to completely remove the oldest tiny branches. Then you can leave the new growth branches coming in from the center of the plant.
Frequent harvesting makes your herbs grow thicker and healthier. And keep in mind that herbs are tastier before they flower.
Enjoy your herb garden!
