And as I've consulted with all our Rooted Garden clients, I've actually found that to be true again: it's the herbs they learn to grow successfully first. But, how to actually start an herb garden? Like with everything I do, I like to learn about the plants first.
Before you start your herb garden, you should definitely get to know herb plants and understand their needs. In general, herb plants are quite different from most other plants in the vegetable garden. Their needs and care demands are unique to them — unlike tomatoes, squash, beans, or even lettuces.
So, before heading out and buying a bunch of herbs from the store, it's important to learn more about each plant and discover its particularities. My favorite way to do this is to learn which plant family each herb plant belongs to. In fact, I love this method so much, I made a whole video about it. You can watch it here. By learning the key herb plant families, you'll begin to be able to categorize the herb plants you want to grow and understand each plant's unique growing needs.
I recorded a video to introduce you to the main herb plant families right here. Once you know the main plant families for the key herbs you want to grow, you'll know how to start your herb garden.
Once you begin to understand herb plant families and their unique needs, it's time to create a special space for them to grow. As you'll learn as you discover the herb plant families, few of the ones we enjoy in our kitchen originated in our home state. So, when you set up your herb garden, your main goal is to re-create an environment for your herb garden that feels like home to them.
In other words, setting up an herb garden usually requires you to set up a unique space, with a different soil blend, perhaps a different level of water, and maybe even a raised garden. Creating a space that will feel similar to the area where your herb plant originated will make your herb garden so much more successful. Your herbs will literally be making themselves at home. Keep the soil moist by covering the container with plastic kitchen wrap, a plastic bag, or a plastic garden dome.
Remove the covering when seedlings emerge. Place the container in a sunny south-facing window. Keep the mix evenly moist by watering it from the bottom: Soak the containers in a sink filled with 2 inches of water until beads of moisture appear on the soil surface. When the seedlings reach 2 inches tall, transplant them to individual pots or thin those started in small pots to one seedling per pot by snipping off all but the strongest-looking seedling. Note: Sow borage, chervil, coriander, dill, and fennel directly in warm garden soil because they don't transplant well.
Beginning herb gardeners may want to start with transplants from a garden center. Herb and vegetable gardens b egin with healthy soil. Amend the soil with compost to get your transplants off to a good start.
Use a hoe to break up any soil lumps. Dig a hole slightly larger than your transplant, set the seedling in the hole, and gently pat soil around the roots. Water well after planting.
Pull or hoe weeds as they appear. Water when the soil feels dry. An added benefit to a good pruning, aside from increased yield, is a more compact and well-kept plant. Keep in mind, not all herbs are alike and some respond faster to pruning than others. It may seem counter productive but there are reason behind the madness of harvesting the new growth. First, those large older leaves are powering your herbs growth acting like big solar panels feeding the new growth up top. Second, remembering mistake 7 let it all grow out , we want to take our harvest from leaves plucked up top and further proper pruning, the fact new leaves taste better is an added benefit.
Mistake 9: Flowers are not welcome at this party! Unless your growing something for its edible flowers, you should be cutting back herbs before they start growing flowers. Many people often note their sweet basil turns bitter in the middle of the summer and this is because those darn flowers ruin the flavour party. Keep cutting off flower buds if you find them and it will keep your herb focused on growing leaves.
Mistake Bring another herb or 5 into your bed. Variety is the spice of life and the more herbs you grow, the more flavour your food can have. For any foodie, this is a no brainer. Ever thought of having your own herb garden and growing herbs at home?
Gardening has been around for centuries as people have used it first and foremost as a food source and a means of livelihood.
While those reasons are still prevalent today, many are getting into gardening as a hobby and as a way to be healthier and more economically responsible.
Herbs are able to add a lot of flavor to a variety of dishes and baked goods. You can also use them to brew your own tea. Use our detailed guide to learn how to start an herb garden.
You can either start with seeds or starter plants, depending on your preference. There is a wide variety of herbs to choose from for your herb garden, including:. Even if you have space for a garden, or currently have a garden, planting your herbs in a container will be beneficial in many ways. You can also start your herbs in the winter or early spring and move them outdoors when the weather is ready for them.
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