Since most herbs are pretty easy to cultivate, narrowing down your selection is an important step. First take an inventory of your spice rack and see which herbs you use most. Also, take a look at the spices of the different ethnic foods you enjoy. If you like curry or Peking duck, grow some Chinese herbs.
Organic herbs of a dozen varieties will give you plenty of options when it comes to putting together your next dinner party menu. Do a little advance research and find out which herbs are better fresh and which are better dried. While you will find most are best straight out of the garden, there are a few that work better dried, like marjoram.
A few easy steps
When growing an indoor garden you will want to ensure that you are using proper drainage and that the soil is not too rich. Add at least 1 inch of crushed stone to each pot to drain water and avoid root rot. Herbs grown in overly rich soils will have better foliage but will not have as intense flavors than those grown in a less nutrient-rich loam.
In preparing potting soil, be sure to follow a couple of steps to ensure intensely flavored herbs. Cutting your potting soil by half with coarse sand or perlite is key. Add limestone to your soil in order to ensure its sweetness. About 1 teaspoon per 5-inch pot is just right.
Outdoor gardens
Herbs are hearty and the most commonly used varieties thrive throughout the US. Elevated beds are also a great idea to ensure that the soil has proper drainage and a loose texture. You will also find it easier to manage sunlight and harvesting with elevated beds in your herb garden. Each square foot bed should contain a single variety of herb. Grading the beds according to intensity of flavor and whether the herbs are annuals or perennials will also help to enhance the quality of your harvested herbs.
Drainage is as important to the quality of your garden as any other aspect. Most herbs tend to have rather delicate root systems, so the likelihood of root rot increases. Herbs with root rot quickly become dead plants.
Organic herbs of a dozen varieties will give you plenty of options when it comes to putting together your next dinner party menu. Do a little advance research and find out which herbs are better fresh and which are better dried. While you will find most are best straight out of the garden, there are a few that work better dried, like marjoram.
A few easy steps
- One of the best things you can do for your herbs is to trim the top bud, or apical meristem. This will cause the plant to bush out more and produce more leaves. It will also limit the height of the herb. By limiting the height and boosting foliage, you will get more flavorful herbs with fewer amounts of nutrients, making the herb’s flavor more concentrated.
- The bigger the leaf the less sunlight you need. A larger leaf herb like Bay will not need as much sunlight as a smaller leaf plant such as rosemary. Big leaf plants are usually those that live under a canopy of trees and have surface area that allows them to catch sun where they can.
- Don't use plant feed on your herbs. Herbs that are overly nourished tend to have weaker flavors. Plant foods can also taint delicate flavor notes of certain herbs.
When growing an indoor garden you will want to ensure that you are using proper drainage and that the soil is not too rich. Add at least 1 inch of crushed stone to each pot to drain water and avoid root rot. Herbs grown in overly rich soils will have better foliage but will not have as intense flavors than those grown in a less nutrient-rich loam.
In preparing potting soil, be sure to follow a couple of steps to ensure intensely flavored herbs. Cutting your potting soil by half with coarse sand or perlite is key. Add limestone to your soil in order to ensure its sweetness. About 1 teaspoon per 5-inch pot is just right.
Outdoor gardens
Herbs are hearty and the most commonly used varieties thrive throughout the US. Elevated beds are also a great idea to ensure that the soil has proper drainage and a loose texture. You will also find it easier to manage sunlight and harvesting with elevated beds in your herb garden. Each square foot bed should contain a single variety of herb. Grading the beds according to intensity of flavor and whether the herbs are annuals or perennials will also help to enhance the quality of your harvested herbs.
Drainage is as important to the quality of your garden as any other aspect. Most herbs tend to have rather delicate root systems, so the likelihood of root rot increases. Herbs with root rot quickly become dead plants.
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