A fresh herb garden is the fastest way to add zest to dull gardening. Nothing can be simpler than growing fresh herbs. Even if you can kill a silk plant you can quickly discover how to easily grow fresh herbs.
Having the ability to decide to plant your garden indoors or outdoors is one of the best parts of growing herbs. Planting indoors gives you the chance to admire the herbs you are growing. Interacting with your plants can help you to remember to water you plants. And having fresh herbs so close means you will never want for something special to put in your favorite recipes.
Like most areas of life, planning ahead is important for beginning herb growers. Decide early about the types of herbs you want to grow. Popular choices are medicinal herbs, culinary herbs, and aromatic herbs.
Many herbs are useful for more than one purpose. Most all are familiar with mint. It is a culinary herb used in many cuisines that is also a medicinal herb. It is considered a useful digestive aid. When you pick mint from your garden the air is filled with its lovely fragrance, one more reason to include mint in your garden.
Planning the kinds and types of herbs you will plant will naturally lead you to whether to grow indoors or out. Different herbs respond differently to planting location, so it is best to know your herbs well.
When you choose an herb that needs plenty of room then planting outdoors sometimes makes the most sense. Rosemary fits in this category. However, since rosemary spreads easily, it can overtake a garden. You will find herb gardeners who will only grow rosemary indoors, or in container, to prevent this. A rose hip is used as a nutritional supplement (medicinal herb). It must be grown outdoors to have success.
Soil conditions are an extremely important consideration when planting a fresh herb garden. Because herbs tend not to do well in a soil that retains water or has a high nutrient content, avoid using pure potting soil. This is a common mistake among beginning herb gardener mistake.
The best soil mixture for herbs is made by combining potting soil, common dirt, and clean sand. The dirt will reduce the nutrient content while the sand allows excessive water to drain from the soil. Herbs prefer a slightly alkaline soil so mix in 1 tablespoon of lime with each container, or for each square foot of garden if planting outdoors.
Avoid plant too deeply when starting with seeds or cuttings. In this situation your herbs will not be able to germinate and sprout correctly and your garden will die before it begins. Planting at a depth of about two inches is best. Also keep your soil slightly loose and not overly compacted.
