How to Grow Herbs

• by Colleen V.

Introduction

• Herbs are some of the most versatile, enjoyable plants you can grow. They can flavor your food, provide the makings for a great cup of tea or scent your home and garden with their irresistible fragrance. As a bonus, they're generally easy to grow, and do not need synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to thrive.

Planning Your Herb Garden

• It is important to decide what you want for your herb garden. Do you want to grow herbs for cooking, or do you just want to grow herbs for fun? Will your garden be inside or outside? If it's outside, will it be in a dedicated herb garden or planted in containers? By planning now, you'll spend more time growing and enjoying your herbs and less time dealing with the problems that arise from poor planning.

Indoors or Outdoors?

Indoor Herb Gardens

• Indoor herb gardens are very popular. If you're in an apartment or don't have enough space in your yard for herbs, an indoor garden will work perfectly for you. Many people who grow herbs outdoors still choose to have an indoor herb garden as well. This ensures that even when the growing season is over, you'll still have a nice supply of herbs to use.

• Advantages of Indoor Herb Gardens

1. Easy to maintain
2. Within reach for easy use
3. Year-round growing

• Disadvantages of Indoor Herb Growing

1. Plants more susceptible to mites and fungus
2. Plants struggle if there isn't enough light
3. Limited space

Outdoor Herb Gardens

• Growing herbs outdoors, whether in the ground or in containers, is a lot of fun. The key is having a site that gets at least six hours of sun per day. If you have a shady lot with a few selected sunny spots, you may want to consider growing in containers to take advantage of what light you do have by scattering the plants around your sunny spots. If you have a generally sunny site, as well as the room to devote to it, an in-ground herb garden can be a wonderful addition to your landscape.

• Advantages of Outdoor Herb Growing

1. More space to grow a wider variety of herbs
2. Easier access to sunlight
3. Air circulation prevents pests and fungal issues

• Disadvantages of Outdoor Herb Growing

1. Growing season is dependent on the weather
2. Shady properties won't work as well
3. Your herbs may not be easily accessible, depending on where you locate your herb garden

Types of Herb Gardens

• You'll probably be interested in growing a particular type of herb garden. If you love to cook (or would like to get into cooking), a culinary herb garden may be your goal. If you're a tea connoisseur, growing your own herbs for tea will be right up your alley. If you enjoy crafts and flower arranging, a fragrant herb garden is what you'll want. Of course, there's no law saying you can't grow herbs for all of these purposes. Your only limitations are the amount of space and time you have to devote to herb gardening.

Culinary Herbs

• The culinary herbs, such as basil, rosemary, thyme, sage and parsley, are easy to grow. Most of these herbs are native to the Mediterranean, so they really enjoy sunny, warm weather and well drained soil. They are among the most popular herbs to grow, and many do well both indoors and out.

Herbs for Tea

• A tea garden of your own is a joy to maintain. Plants like chamomile, lemon balm, thyme, mint and camellia sinensis (tea plant) are some of the most common for a tea garden. Most of these will work well both indoors and out.

Fragrant Herbs

• Lavenders, scented geraniums and others are perfect for flower arranging, potpourri and craft projects. In general, these plants are more suited to the outdoors, as they can be rather large plants. Scented geraniums, however, do very well indoors.

Plants and Seeds

Buying Healthy Plants

• To make sure you're starting with the best plant possible, inspect it carefully before purchasing. Look at the leaves. Are there any signs of mold, mildew, insect damage or yellowing? Don't buy it. You'll only be introducing problems into your new herb garden. Pop the plant out of the pot and inspect the roots. You want to see thick, light-colored roots. If the roots are wimpy, the plant will be, too. Some plants may be a little root bound, meaning that the roots have started circling around inside of the pot. This isn't a big problem, but plants that are very root bound my experience some transplant shock. It's better to look for plants that aren't too root bound.
• Herbs That Must be Bought as Plants
• Certain herbs don't grow well, or at all, from seed. These herbs are best purchased as transplants:

1. Rosemary
2. Tarragon
3. Oregano (You can grow it from seed, but the seedlings won't necessarily be consistent in their flavor. It's much better to start with plants.)
4. Lemon verbena
5. Lavender (Again, this could be started from seed, but lavender takes a very long time to germinate.)

Starting Herbs from Seed

• Many popular herbs are very easy to start from seed. Certain herbs, such as sage, take a long time to get started from seed. For these, you'll need to have either an indoor grow light set up or bright sunny window, and start your seeds six to eight weeks before your region's last frost date. Happily, many favorite herbs are easy to sow directly in the garden or container in which they will grow.
• Easy Herbs to Start from Seed

1. Basil
2. Chamomile
3. Lemon Balm
4. Chives
5. Parsley

Outdoor Herb Gardens

Site Selection

• You'll want to select a site that has at least six full hours of sun for your herb garden. Keep in mind that you will need access to water, as well as adequate space to maneuver yourself and your garden tools around the plants. Also, consider convenience: you're more likely to use the herbs in your garden if they're conveniently located close to your kitchen.

Garden Preparation

• Herbs like soil that drains well and is of average fertility. If you are planting your garden directly in the ground, consider getting several bags of compost and mixing this into the top few inches of soil. This will both loosen your existing soil and add nutrients. If there is sod in the area, you'll have to dig it out before amending the soil and planting your seeds or plants. After your herbs are planted, spread a two to three inch layer of mulch on the soil. This will prevent weeds from invading your herb garden, retain soil moisture and keep your herbs clean (you won't have mud splashing up on them every time you water.)

Planting

• If you are starting from seed, follow the directions on your seed packet in terms of seed planting depth and spacing. If you are growing from transplants, simply dig a hole twice as wide as the pot in which the herb is currently growing, and just as deep. Remove the plant from the pot, set it in and fill in around it. Water your herbs in well to help the soil settle around the roots and get them off to a good start.

Maintenance

• Regularly inspect your herbs for signs of insect and pest damage. Luckily, most herbs aren't bothered by pests, so this should be easy. Pick off any yellowing leaves or shoots, water regularly and snip off any flowers that are starting to grow. Once herbs start flowering, their flavor diminishes somewhat.

Harvesting

• Harvesting is the fun part. To harvest your herbs, simply snip or pick off leaves as you need them. For semi-woody herbs like rosemary and tarragon, you'll need to snip off a branch, and then pull off the individual leaves to add to your recipes.

Indoor Herb Gardens

Where to Grow Herbs Indoors

• The best places to grow herbs indoors are in a sunny, east or south-facing window, or under fluorescent grow lights. Herbs require at least six hours of light per day. If they don't get it, they will be weak and spindly.

Containers

• Part of the fun of growing herbs indoors is that you can match your planting containers to your decor. You can use glazed ceramic, terracotta or plastic flower pots, or you can get creative and use found items such has colanders or tea kettles. Just be sure that whatever container you use has drainage holes in it. Herbs don't like to sit in water.

Soil

• Any good quality potting mix will work for herbs. The only thing that you should never use is soil dug from your garden. This is just too heavy, and your potted herbs won't grow well in it.

Maintenance

• Inspect your plants regularly for signs of pest problems. Indoor herbs are susceptible to spider mites. If you see any tiny insets or white webs on your plants, you have spider mites. You can get rid of them with insecticidal soap, which is a safe, nontoxic (to humans) solution. Pick off any yellowing or browning leaves, and water them when the first one to two inches of soil in the pot is dry. Herbs don't like to be over-fertilized, so you really don't need to fertilize them at all.

Harvesting

• Simply pick off leaves and stems to use as you need them. Since you'll be lucky enough to have your herb garden growing year round, you'll never have to worry about running out.

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Resources for How to Grow Herbs

• About.com: Choosing Healthy Plants  
• iVillage: 5 Easy-to-Grow Herbs
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service: Growing Herbs for the Home Gardener
• Ohio State University Cooperative Extension Service: Growing Culinary Herbs in the Home Garden
• Plantea: How to Bring and Grow Herbs Indoors
• RealSimple: Grow Herbs in a Potted Arrangement
• University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service: Growing Herbs in the Home Garden

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