Tips On Growing Herbs At Home

As you might have guessed, people have a variety of reasons for growing herbs. Herbs can be medicinal for various ailments. They can be used to make wonderful teas and beverages. And they are delightful ingredients for recipes which need spices and herbs for flavor. Herbs are a beautiful addition to any garden lover's back yard and are not difficult to grow.

Selecting a Site and Readying the Soil:

Most herbs will do well in any sunny, well-drained location, regardless of the soil type. If the soil where you wish to plant your herbs is of a poorer quality, you can build it up with various types of organic matter. Manure, peat moss or your own compost blended or tilled into the ground to a depth of 4-6 inches will benefit your herbs greatly. (A little sand mixed in will aid in areas where the soil does not drain well). 

Now you simply even out the area you have worked in with a rake, tiller, etc., remove all rocks, weeds, sticks and so forth and you are ready to plant. (If all you have are shaded planting areas you can research for herbs such as mint, ginseng and others which tolerate shade well).

Planting Your Herbs:

After the danger of frost is past in your area, you can begin putting your herbs in the ground. If you wish to start your garden in the fall, you must again research for hardy plants like dill and basil, that tolerate the cold well and which can be started in cooler temperatures.

You can plant large groupings of single herbs or you can design a layout for your herb garden. Keep in mind that some herbs spread rapidly, while others grow tall enough to block the sun from shorter plants.

Now put the plants you have purchased or grown on the ground in their pots where you wish to plant them. Dig holes big enough to handle the entire root system of the potted herb. Remove the plants from their pots, set them in their respective holes and pull the dirt up around them so they are firmly established in the ground. Water each herb thoroughly and put a marker in the ground for each herb, so you will remember what you planted where.

Water and Fertilizers:

Water needs to penetrate the soil clear down to the roots of the plants. You should water often enough that your plants do not dry out. Check growing instructions for each herb to see if there are any specific watering guidelines. Some people sprinkle their plants with a little water every day, which is not effective for herbs. You must take enough time to be sure the water reaches down to the root system.

Most herbs do not require special fertilizers. The most important thing is that their soil is well nourished (with manure, compost, etc. mentioned above.) If the soil is healthy the herb will be as well. Growing instructions with each plant will indicate any special needs.

Preparing Herbs for Winter:

If you planted annual herbs that cannot handle frost, you must dig them up and re-pot them, bringing them inside for the winter if you want them to survive.

For your perennials, most of them will do just fine throughout the winter months if you put straw, leaves or other mulch around them before the ground begins to freeze. Pile the mulch at least 2 to 4 inches deep, especially if you live where the ground will stay frozen much of the winter.

Harvesting Your Herbs:

Plant oils, which give each herb it's own rich flavor and scent, reach their peak at various times in the particular plants' development. You would do well to find when each plant you are growing should be harvested for maximum flavor and nutrition.

Leaves are usually harvested just before the plant flowers. Seeds are best harvested when they have ripened to a dark color. Both leaves and seeds should be gathered in the early morning just after the dew has evaporated. Be sure to leave some leaves at the bottom of each stem to encourage more new growth for later harvests.

Roots should be dug up in the fall, just after frosting occurs. At this point much of the plants food has gone from the leaves down into the roots.

Using and Preserving the Herbs:

While there are several ways to preserve the herbs from your garden, most herb lovers agree that they are never quite the same as fresh from the garden. You will likely want to use a portion of what you grow fresh and preserve the rest.

Preservation methods include freezing and drying.
If you choose to freeze your herbs you just wash them, shake the water off and put them in freezer bags in the portions you desire. Freezing holds in the flavor of an herb in a delightful way.

By far the most popular way to preserve herbs is drying or dehydrating them. After harvesting the plants spread them out on a screen or netting of some kind in a dark, dry, well-ventilated area to dry. Once the herbs are completely dry (they will mold and ruin if not totally dry) store them in airtight containers in a place that is cool and dark.

You can also use a food dehydrator if you are careful not to over dry the herbs. Some folks still enjoy the old-fashioned method of drying herbs as well: stringing up small bunches of herbs from the ceiling in rooms that are dry and warm. This method is both fragrant and fun.

Hopefully this will give you the basics you need to get started growing herbs for both your health and enjoyment.