Having the freshest ingredients within your reach is always good if you want your dishes to go up a level. It can be quite intimidating to plant veggies and fruits at home for beginners. Many home gardeners will argue that the best way to start living a self-sustaining lifestyle is by first planting herbs for your garden.
While easier than planting fruits and vegetables, there are still a few challenges that come with herb gardening. If you want to make things easier on your end, here are some important tips to consider.
1.Pick Your Herbs
The good news is that majority of herbs are low-maintenance and very easy to grow. You can pick the herbs you’d want to grow based on which ones you typically use at home.
Some of the common herbs you can easily grow at home include basil, mint, chives, parsley, oregano, and rosemary. Don’t be afraid to expand your herb garden with more herbs. The more you plant, the more exciting dishes you can make at home.
Don’t be afraid to start small. Some people begin by keeping a single pot of their favourite herb by the window sill. Once they get used to grow it, they’ll start getting more herbs for their herb garden.
2.Read Up
With your herbs picked, the next best step for you is to begin reading up on those you have chosen. Herbs are easy to grow in general. However, that doesn’t mean that each herb is similar to one another. There are key differences in the amount of water, soil, and sun needed for each herb to keep them growing healthy.
3.Seeds vs. Starter Plants
Seeds allow you to grow your herbs right from their very early stages. On the other hand, start plants are sprouts that will eventually grow into herbs.
If you’re an experienced herb gardener, then you might want to pick seeds. While more complex to grow, growing seeds is good because it gives you full control of how you want the herbs to be. Starter plants are best for beginners as all you have to do is to place the sprout in a plant and water it regularly.
4.Indoor vs. Outdoor Gardening
This is a matter of convenience above anything else. If you plant your herbs indoors or by the window sill in your kitchen, it will be very easy to harvest them and have the herbs added to your dishes. Keeping it close also helps you care for the herbs much better.
On the other hand, keeping your herbs indoors means you’ll have limited space for herbs. Go for indoors if you’re only considering growing a single herb.
Outdoor herb gardening is good if you are looking to have a variety of herbs for your kitchen. The main problem with this is that it can be more troublesome to protect and care for your herbs this way.
5.Preparing The Soil
The most important part of any planting project begins with the soil. Even if you place the herb in a good spot, it will struggle to grow without the right soil to sustain it. According to planting gurus from MLSWA, herbs will thrive in soil that has an acidity that ranges from pH 6.5 to 7.0. As for the type of soil, they can grow with regular garden soil such as loam.
Most herbs will thrive on soil that’s moist and well-drained. It’s not ideal to give them soil that’s wet for long periods of time. It’s always best to invest in a good pot that has good drainage at the bottom. That way, the herb gets the water it needs without having too much surrounding it.
6.Stay Easy On The Fertilizer
If you’re going to use fertilizer on plants, make sure that you stick with organic and natural options. However, most herbs don’t really need fertilizer as long as they have good exposure to the sun and the right amount of water in their soil.
While it won’t do your plants any harm, fertilizer can result in excessive foliage. Most importantly, however, you might get a weaker flavour profile from your herbs.
7.Keep A Diary
It’s very easy to lose track of the things you’ve done with your herbs. We highly suggest keeping a herb diary. To put it simply, this diary will help you keep track of your plant’s growth. This prevents overwatering and overexposure to the sun. If you’re a busy person, then a diary will be the best way to keep you hands-on with your herbs.
Aside from being a source of fresh herbs for your kitchen, an herb garden can also be good for your mental health. Taking care of plants have long been seen as a therapeutic habit. With these simple tips, your herb garden is going to start flourishing in just a short amount of time.
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