Growing a herb garden for beginners
Herbs are one of the easiest plants to grow in your home as they grow fast and require less maintenance. Growing herbs in your home can benefit you in many ways. You get fresh herbs to add to your dishes and treat health problems.Here are few things to know when growing a herb garden:
Planning a herb garden
1. Before planning your herbal garden, do some research and find out what herb grows well in your location.
Herbs are of two categories Annuals and Perennials.
Annuals are herbs that grow for a single season. Some examples include mint, cilantro, borage, dill and basil.
Perennial herbs are those that live for 2 to 3 years. Some examples are oregano, sage, thyme and lemon balm.
Certain herbs like thyme and oregano love hot temperatures whereas others like rosemary, mint and basil grow best during the cold season. Choose herbs that grow best in your region’s weather conditions.
2. Next, choose a spot in your garden that receives good amounts of sunlight. All herbs require a minimum of 4 hours of sunlight every day to grow well.
3. If you have a backyard you can start growing herbs directly in the ground. You can create a raised garden bed to plant your herbs. Certain herbs can take over your garden if they are not curtailed within a certain area so it’s best to plant them in raised beds. If you are living in an apartment you can plant them in containers that are at least 12 inches deep and wide. Containers must also have proper drainage holes as herbs require well-draining soil.
4. Most herbs grow best in fertile soil that has good drainage. The best soil for growing herbs is sandy loam soil. Prepare the soil before you start planting herbs. Mix 50% compost with 30% sand and 20% garden soil if you are growing them directly in the ground. If you are growing herbs in containers mix 50 % compost with 20% sand 20% perlite and 10% garden soil.
5. After you have prepared the potting mix for herbs the next thing to do is to start planting them. You can buy herb saplings from nurseries or you can start growing them from seeds. Herbs that are grown from seeds take a long time to sprout. It’s best to buy healthy saplings from local nurseries. If you still want to grow herbs from seeds, here is how to do it.
Prepare the potting mix for seed-starting
Fill seed-starting containers with the seed-starting mix.
Sow the seeds directly in the soil and gently mist them. Next, cover it with a plastic bag and gently add some holes in the bag.
Place the containers near a windowsill that gets some sunlight.
Remove the bag once in a while to check the moisture levels in the soil. If the soil has dried up mist the soil again.
Seeds will sprout within 3 to 4 weeks.
Once they have sprouted, you can take off the plastic bag and then place the seedlings in a location that gets 3 hours of morning sunlight. Once they have grown 6 inches tall you can transplant them into containers or directly to the ground.
How to take care of your herbs.
Herbs require moisture but at the same time, they don’t like to be overwatered as it can lead to root rot. Water them regularly during hot summers. During cool seasons like autumn and spring check soil moisture levels before you water your herbs.
Herbs are low-maintenance plants that do not require much care. You can fertilise your herbs once in 2 months with liquid fertiliser.
Pruning your herbs improves air circulation and helps in new foliage growth. The best time to prune your herbs is during the early spring season.
Herbs can also be grown as companion plants to vegetables. The strong scent produced by herbs drives away insects and pests Herbs also help to attract pollinators. Here are some must-grow herbs in your garden.