Growing Your Own Herbs

Gardeners not keen on spending a lot of time should consider planting a herb garden, if they want an easy way to see the fruit of their labours on the dinner table. Often ignored, this gardens are easy to maintain, and will assure the keen gardener a constant supply of delicious and spicy herbs to flavour even the most elaborate meals.

Windowsill Herb Garden In Pots

The first step, as always, is the choice of plants for the garden. The huge variety and choice can make this task seem daunting. One way to make it easier though, is just to look in your kitchen's cupboards. Herbs that you already use make the best candidates for most people's gardens. If you still need ideas, popular plants include basil, mint, sage, dill, parsley and rosemary.

Home Herb Garden Kits

Whatever plants you choose to plant, one key ingredient for a successful crop is a patch of soil with excellent drainage. Water logged soil will never result in a healthy garden. That said, even people with gardens that have poor drainage can still improve their herb's chances. One easy way is to dig out some soil, layer the pit with some stones and sand, and then cover these back with soil and compost. The stones at the bottom will help improve the drainage of that patch of the garden.

Idea For Herb Garden In Containers

There is always a temptation to buy expensive plants from a nursery when starting a herb garden. Unlike a lot of other plants though, it is often far easier and cheaper to grow the plants from seeds, than to buy ready grown plants. A lot of herbs also have the advantage of growing quite quickly, so you do not save much time by buying plants instead of seeds. Many of these fast growing herbs, such as mint, can quickly spread take over the garden, so a good idea is to grow them in pots, so they are easier to manage.

Hydroponic Garden Herb Plants

Once you have a plants going, take special care when harvesting. Pruning too much off a plant can kill it, and a good strategy is to harvest little, but harvest often. It is also helpful to inspect the individual plants before harvesting. Allow plants that do not look too healthy a bit more time to recover between harvests. Not only will you improve the longevity, you will improve the quality that make their way to your dinner table too. Many plants, if looked after, will continue providing for years.

Small Organic Herb Garden Markers

Harvested herbs can be used fresh, or dried out for storage and later use. If you want to dry them, an easy method is to place them on some tin foil, and bake them in an over for 2 to 4 hours, at about 170 degrees (F). Once they are dried, you can store them in airtight. Old jam jars fit the bill perfectly. Try and avoid paper or cardboard storage solutions. Besides not being airtight, the paper can absorb a lot of the oils and flavours from your well deserved crop. If you plan to store for a long time, it is important to keep an eye on them, to ensure that moisture and mildew that can lead to rotting do not build up. If moisture is building up, empty the container, and re-dry in your oven.

In conclusion, a herb is the perfect choice for anyone that loves gardening, herbs in their food, or both. Getting the drainage right might require a bit of effort, but once the herbs have taken root, the rewards make it all worthwhile.