Herbs Gardens

Herbs Gardens: The Professional Gardener’s Secret

One of the best ways to make sure that you always have all the herbs you could possibly ever want (And more) is to maintain multiple herbs gardens at the same time. This is one of the secrets that professional gardeners know and the best part is that even the hobbyist can take advantage of this technique. It may initially sound like a lot of unnecessary time and effort running multiple gardens, however the truth is very different. By growing herbs in multiple locations you not only have constant access to herbs, but also have the advantage of growing many different kinds of herbs.

Using Herbs Gardens to Maximize Sunshine

Most people think that herbs need as much sunlight as possible. While this is certainly true for Italian herb garden plants, it is not true for all herbs. In fact many thrive on the shaded areas of your garden. This can be an excellent way to really maximize your space, growing some herbs in the sunniest areas and others in the darker areas of your garden/ house.

The good news is that a lot of great herbs grow really well in the shade. An additional benefit is that you don’t need to worry about them getting enough sunlight, so they are easy to take care of. Herbs such as wild ginger, parsley and lemon balm all grow really well in the shade and are fantastic culinary herbs.

Dividing Your Garden By Type

Many people have found that it is best to divide their gardens by the intended use for the herbs. Usually the area of the garden that is most visible is where the ornamental herbs are placed. The culinary herbs are placed in a windowsill herb garden or other kinds of home herb garden so that they can be easily accessed while cooking. Also the aromatic herbs are often placed near to a door or window, so that the smell constantly wafts in. If you are unfamiliar with the terms used to describe these categories of herbs, see my article called herb garden plants for more information.

Growing Herbs Together For Flavor Or Symbiosis

Amazingly some herbs actually ‘help each other out’ and growing them together increases the benefits for the gardener. A great example is basil which actually lends its flavor to the plants around it (Try growing basil next to your tomatoes and be ready for a wonderful surprise). Other plants offer other benefits such as mint which repels flies and some even symbiotically help other herbs to grow.

So there you have it: a small trick that gardeners use to maximize their harvest. Try following these instructions and soon you will have enough herbs for a small business.


Start Herb Garden

How To Start Your Herb Garden

Starting your herb garden can seem a bit intimidating at first, however the best news is that it is a lot more simple than most would think. Space is one of the most important things to consider, herb gardens can be grown almost any size. If you only have a limited amount of space the best thing is to make a windowsill herb garden these can be made in only a small amount of space that does not even receive a lot of sunlight. For those who have huge gardens formal English gardens can be great. These gardens allow you to really fill up a large space with flavorful and ornamental herbs.

Herbs come in a few different types, most are divided into perennial, annual and shrub varieties. All of these have similar needs, however things such as harvesting the herb garden will vary depending on what variety you choose. Because of this many people buy herb garden kits to take some of the guesswork out of the process.

Soil and drainage become very important to herbs. If the soil when you start your herb garden is too heavy you may need to add some organic matter to it. Conversely if it is regularly very dry, it probably lacks proper drainage and you may even consider adding a layer of crushed rocks underneath your herb to increase drainage. Most herbs will not need any fertilizer added to them, some herb do. If you buy one of these kinds of herbs make sure that you buy a fertilizer that is suitable for use on edibles if you intend to eat them. There are strong fertilizers that are only designed to be used on ornamental herbs (Plants only used for their beauty not for eating), so be careful!

Many gardeners worry excessively about diseases, parasites and phytophagous (Plant-eating) insects. You know that fiery or bitter taste that makes herbs so delicious? That was actually evolved as a means of protection against insects and as a result your plants are given protection. This is great as herbs often take care of themselves.

There are a few insects that you should be careful to protect your garden against. Red spider mites can be a pain if the weather is hot or arid. These can be blasted using a chemical known as a miticide with little risk to your plant. For those who favor organic gardening, these mites can be bio-controlled using pirate bugs, the Stethorus species of lady bettle, or commercial, natural pesticides made from mites of Phytoseiidae family that prey on red spider mites. Additionally aphids can be a real problem for some herbs (Dill and fennel being two examples).

The only remaining thing is to plant your herb of choice. Many gardeners plant their herbs indoors initially and then transfer them outside after they have established some growth. To ensure that they grow best give them a light, well-drained soil with plenty of drainage. For most plants this it is a good idea to grow them indoors initially, however be careful as herbs such as anise, dill, fennel and coriander do not transplant well.

There is always a lot of information out there about herbs, but hopefully this article should point you in the right direction. You are about to embark on one of the best hobbies you can have, so enjoy and check the other articles on  herbgrowerhelp.com to guide you on the way.


Herbs For Growing

All The Herbs You Need For Growing

All herbs can be grown in a range of different conditions, but of course some conditions are better for some herbs.

Anise

Anise is a tasty culinary herb that has a taste like licorice. It is also often used as a ornamental herb as it has small white herbs that look great in most gardens. In terms of growing, you will want to grow this herb in early spring as frosts will prevent it from growing. The best time for harvesting your herb is after about a month of growth has taken place and the flowers have had a chance to bloom. These herbs are great for tea herb gardening.

Basil

This is one of the most popular herbs and most gardens use it. It is an annual herb and has pretty white flowers. Again this wants to be sown in early spring or late winter as frost will devastate this plant. This plant will then need regular cutting as too much growth makes less flavorful growth. Luckily this plant can be used with most kinds of cooking, so you will enjoy cutting it!

Borage

This herb is often as popular for its pretty, pink flowers as it is for its taste. If you have flowers that need pollunating, this herb will be your best friend as it attracts a lot of bees. This herb is great for most gardens as it thrives on dry and sunny conditions. The only problem is that it is very tough to transport this herb. For this reason most gardeners try to disturb the herb as little as possible.

Chives

Chives are great herbs for beginner and advanced gardeners alike as they virtually take care of themselves. All that is needed is for the gardener to occasionally divide them to prevent overgrowth and make sure to cut them regularly to maximize growth. Then the best part: they are highly versatile herbs that can be used in most forms of cooking.

Coriander

When it comes spring time this plant can be planted in most gardens and will do well. This herb is an annual, however has a relatively low yield of edible parts to a herb such as herb garden cilantro. The best part of this herb are the flavorful herbs that make a great condiment.

Fennel

This herb along with oregano is one of the most popular Italian herb garden plants. Fennel seeds are usually sown in spring and can grow so large that they will often need to be tied to stakes. As a general rule, the shoots are at their most flavorful before flowering. The seeds are also commonly used to add flavor to spreads and dips.

Mint

Mint is a great herb that can tend to get out of control easily. It just loves to try to take over your garden and will happily grow into sunny or shaded areas. Make sure that it is carefully controlled by dividing or cutting regularly. You can also grow it using a concrete divider or in a buried pot to limit the amount it can spread. Although the herb can be harvested anytime, it is usually harvested before the flowers bloom to maximize the flavor.

Oregano

Another very popular Italian herb, it is also sometimes known as wild marjoram. This herb is another easy to grow plant as it can be found growing in the poorest of soils. Once some growth is established, it will then grow if cuttings are regularly taken. From then on it should be harvested, dried and added to any Italian dish.

Parsley

Parsley is a slightly unusual herb as it is a biennial that acts like a cross between an annual and a biennial! Other than this oddity, it is pretty straightforward to grow and can be used as a great garnish or flavoring for broths and soups.

Rosemary

This is a hardy shrub that unfortunately does not like the cold. Many gardeners like to bring it indoors during the winter, as temperatures of less than 5 degrees damage the plant! Drainage is also important, so ensure that your garden has plenty or increase drainage by burying a layer of stones under your rosemary plantation. Despite these drawbacks this is a great herb and forms the basis of many a dish.

Sage

This makes the ultimate stuffing for poultry. Like many culinary herbs, it is most flavorful before the flowers bloom, so harvest early. The good news is that the herb has a long life span, however it can be hard to grow at first. Many gardeners initially grow it indoors and then transplant it outside as it grows. It requires a lot of sunlight, so it will need to be planted in an unshaded area.

Thyme

Thyme is a great ‘all-rounder,’ as it can be used in cooking, medicine, perfume and just for looking at. It is also relatively easy to grow, requiring only a light, well-drained soil. There are many different kinds of thyme that I discuss in my article on thyme herb gardening.


Herbs And Growing

Herbs And Growing Them

Growing herbs can be one of the most satisfying activities you ever become involved in. There is nothing better than viewing a beautiful garden that you created with your own hands and tasting delicious, freshly picked herbs. There are usually five stages in the growing of herbs:

Preparing the Ground

The first stage involves making sure that the soil is optimum for growing herbs. First you will have to remove any debris or rocks that may obstruct the growth of the plant. Next you have to look at the drainage of your soil. Basically is your soil really soggy or extra dry. If you want to improve the drainage dig a little extra than you usually would when planting the herb (Around 18 inches should be fine). Now make a 3 inch layer of crushed stones or gravel. This will dramatically increase your drainage. It is usually useful to add a compost as well. This is essential if you are growing herbs such as fennel, but will help most herbs to grow.

Sowing/ Planting Your Herbs

This is an important part of growing, as you have to decide whether growing herbs in pots, a windowsill herb garden or a bigger garden such as a formal English garden is better. There is no simple answer to this, basically you have to decide based on your goals for the garden and the kind of herbs you want to grow. The best way to plant/ sow your plant. Some herbs (Especially the invasive herbs such as mint) may have to be grown using a combination of techniques (Such as burying a pot in the ground to prevent it spreading).

A great trip from gardeners is to grow your herbs inside until some growth has been established, then transporting them to an outside garden. This reduces the chance of your herb failing to grow (Or being eating as a seed!). Not all herbs are suitable for this process (It will actually hinder the growth of coriander and dill), but for most herbs this really increases your yield.

Another great tip is to sow your herbs in late winter, that way the herbs get the benefit of growing during the warmer spring and summer months. The only exception are the biennials that are usually sown in the spring.  The only problem with sowing herbs in winter is that freak frosts may kill them, so make sure that you check the future weather as far as possible into the future.

If you have a cold winter, then you will need to protect your biennial and perennial herbs from dying in the cold. For this you will need mulch. Apply the mulch onto the frozen ground and leave it there until the herb starts growing again in spring.

Cutting Your Herbs

If your herb is growing slowly, it can be a good idea take some cuttings off it. When this is done, the plant concentrates more of its energy into regrowing the cut section and yields more edible parts. Be careful as excessive cuttings can be too much for the plant to regrow and kill it. If you are looking to make a garden, the cuttings can be buried to generate new plants. If you are satisfied with your current garden size, then the cuttings should be preserved and eaten later.

Harvesting Your Herbs

Once your herb has enough growth to survive a harvest, you should harvest your herbs. As a general rule, you want to harvest your herbs on a calm and dry morning, so that neither rain nor sunlight has had a chance to reduce the amount of oil in the plant (The oils are what give herbs their delicious flavors). You will then have a number of different options such as drying the herbs immediately, preserving them in a medium or freezing them. These methods of preserving your harvest are great ways to store herbs for sale or for eating later.

Using Your Herbs

Now it is time for the final stage, enjoying the herbs in your favorite meal. A great reward for your gardening!


Herb Garden How To

A Simple How To Guide for Herb Garden Growers

When you want to start growing a herb garden there are a few things that are very important to know:

How Big Are the Herbs That You Want to Grow?

This is important as bigger herbs will cast shadows over the smaller herbs as they grow. This can lead to the smaller plants not getting enough light and dying prematurely. I have included section about this in my article on herb garden designs.

How Much Sunlight Will The Garden Receive?

It is always worth thinking about how much light your garden will receive. If you have only a limited amount of light you will need to suppliment the natural light with an artificial light source. This is especially important if you have a home herb garden.

Many gardeners have chosen to grow herbs that thrive in shaded areas. This can be a great way to maximize space if you have a limited amount of space. With careful planning you can mix herbs that like the shade with those that need lots of sunlight, filling every inch of your garden.

What Kind of Weather Do You Have In Your Area?

The weather conditions that you experience will highly influence which herbs you grow. If you live in a really hot area, try a herb like cilantro in your herb garden and you will soon find yourself constantly fighting against your bolting plant. Likewise other herbs such as some Italian herb garden plants die very easily in frosts.

The Amount of Space That You Have to Grow Herbs In

There are a large range of garden sizes that are commonly used for growing herbs. The smallest are the windowsill herb garden and the home herb garden. These gardens can be grown in the smallest of spaces. On the other hand formal English gardens can be as big as the garden has space. You may also want to divide the garden by the kinds of herbs that you use, for example using parts for edible herbs and other parts for medicinal herbs.

What Do You Want to Use The Herbs For

Not all herbs are created equal! There are many different uses for herbs and this will influence both your garden design and the type of herbs that you plant. Obviously if you want to eat the herbs, you will need to plant culinary herbs. There are also medicinal herbs (Used for medical reasons), aromatic herbs (Good smelling ones) and ornamental herbs (Those that are attractive to the eye). The best part is that some herbs serve multiple functions, some even do all these roles.

Once you have thought about the organisation and types of herbs that you want to plant it is time to get on with the next part, growing the herbs. The best bit of course comes as you harvest them and eat them. Yum!


Mini Herb Garden

How To Create A Mini Herb Garden

There are many different kinds of mini herb gardens. Growing herbs in pots outside is a popular kind for people who want a taste of growing herbs outdoors, with the security of being able to bring them inside in case of frost or low rainfall. For gardeners who want a small garden that is readily accessable while cooking a windowsill herb garden is easy to grow and maintain.

Usually mini herb gardens are used for culinary herbs as the major use of these gardens is to keep the herbs close for cooking purposes. However many gardeners grow herbs for tea herb gardening. These herbs can be easily grown indoors and are easily grown. Therefore a little thought about what you want to use the herbs for will tell you which kind of herbs to grow, likewise your personal tastes will have a large impact too.

The most important thing for these herbs is the amount of sunlight they get. This is especially important for herbs that are being grown indoors, as houses vary in the amount of light available to the herbs inside. As a general rule southern and western exposures get the most light, so your plants should be placed in these windows. If the area that you want to grow them in has little light you may have to buy an artificial light to supplement the natural light.

If your apartment only has northern or eastern facing windows, there are luckily herbs that love the shade. Plants such as parsley, chives, lemon balm and borage all grow well in darker areas.

If you want to grow entirely inside you will need to choose a container that is big enough for the herbs that you want to grow (Different herbs require different amounts of space).  Make sure that your container has drainage holes in the bottom. If it doesn’t you will need to make some yourself using a knife.

Then you can plant your herbs. Remember not to mix big and small herbs too much: it isn’t pleasing on the eye and too much shade from larger herbs can easily kill smaller plants. Now fill your pot to the half way line with soil mixed with vermiculite. Some gardeners also add peat moss as it is a completly organic soil conditioner. Peat moss has the advantages of saving water, increasing the speed of the composting process and adding organic material. Finally fill up with soil to an inch or so beneath the top of the container.

Follow these simple tips and you will soon have the mini herb garden of your dreams. With some herbs you can also make your house look nicer and smell better into the bargain. The only thing left to do is enjoy using therse wonderful herbs in as many recipes as possible. Bon appetit.


Fresh Herb Gardening

Growing Fresh Herbs

One of the main reasons that people don’t want to grow a herb garden is that they think it will be difficult to do. In fact the opposite is true, it is actually surprisingly easily. The only real investment that you have to make is the time that you put into it. The best part is that it is a lot cheaper than paying the extortionate prices that most supermarkets charge.

The first thing that you have to do is decide where you want to plant your herbs. If you are going to use your garden you will want to spend a little time removing the weeds and larger stones. A little time spent thinking about your herb garden design will pay off in the future, as you want to plant smaller herbs in the middle and bigger herbs in the corners/ edges.

If you want to grow your herbs in pots the most important thing will be sunlight. If your house doesn’t get enough you will need to use artificial light. Another idea is to grow a windowsill herb garden, so that you can be sure that the maximum amount of light is received by the plant.

For people that want to eat their herbs as quickly as possible, you can buy pre-grown herbs at most nurseries. Of course you can grow the herbs from seeds and usually this is the cheaper (Although less time-efficient) way to garden.

If you are growing herbs that are prone to heat/ frost problems (Cilantro is a good example) it can be a good idea to get a big-sized container, so you can bring the herbs inside during times of risky weather. Most containers are a rectangular shape with holes in the bottom for drainage. If your container has no holes, use a knife to make some.

Finally consider what you want your herbs to do. Different herbs have different benefits. If you want a garden that is mostly for looking at a formal English garden is great. Tea herb gardening is becoming more popular. There are also culinary garden herbs, aromatic herbs and medicinal garden herbs, all of which have their own uses.

Whatever your goal the most important thing is to schedule regular time to take care of the herbs. Luckily this doesn’t have to be much time. Soon you will have plenty of herbs to enjoy.


Bolting Plants

What Bolting Is and How to Avoid It

It is a nice, sunny day and you are on your way outside to harvest your herbs. You are dreaming about the delicious dishes that you can make from the plant. Suddenly you notice that the herb is tough, woody and so bitter that you can’t even eat it. What is going on? The answer is simple: your plant has bolted.

Bolting may sound strange (Giving images of plants running away as the gardener chases them) but it happens a lot in hot parts of the world. It is an inbuilt survival mechanism and once it has start, it is difficult to stop. The herbs cilantro and basil are especially vulnerable to bolting.

What Is Bolting?

Bolting happens when the plant believes that it is too hot to realistically survive. Obviously gardeners that grow their plants in hot, dry regions are more likely to experience bolting than other gardeners. Instead of focusing on growing the delicious leaves that we cook with, the herb abandons all growth and instead focuses on producing seeds to try to ensure the next generation’s survival. This usually leaves the plant inedible.

The early stages of bolting can be seen if the plant is producing an excessive amount of flowers or flowering when you wouldn’t expect it.

What to do If My Herb Starts Bolting

Once bolting has started there are some things that can be done to try and stop it. If you are growing cilantro, your best bet is to hastily snip off the flowers and flower buds. This will slow the process and hopefully give you enough time to harvest the herb. In the case of basil, if you can snip the buds off quickly enough the plant resumes normal growth and your harvest can be saved!

Of course the best prevention is to ensure that the plant doesn’t bolt in the first place. This can be done in a number of ways. If it is not too hot in your country, then using mulch or watering more frequently can be enough to cool the plant down and prevent bolting. If this doesn’t work then you will want to strategically place cover so that the herb is not shaded early on, but is shaded when the Sun is strongest. Herbs that provide cover, such as rosemary, are useful and shades can be easily bought/ manufactured.


Herb Garden Cilantro

Growing Cilantro In a Herb  Garden

The annual herb cilantro (Also known by its scientific name Coriandrun sativum) has always been a favorite of gardeners worldwide. It has delicious leaves and strongly flavored roots. The little herb also has a fantastic, strong taste and is used in everything from Mediterranean cooking to Asian cooking. The best part is that its seeds are known as coriander, so you get two herbs for the effort of growing one- no wonder this herb is so popular!

For both casual and committed gardeners, cilantro has a surprising property: it grows really quickly, so I hope you have lots of recipes that you want to use this herb in! In most climates cilantro will run through its entire life-cycle in as little as 5 and a half weeks! Because of this, many gardener freeze the leaves after harvesting. As a general rule, try to avoid drying this herb as it tends to lose its strong flavor.

As a general rule this plant grows to about 60-70 cm, so plant the seeds about 30-40 cm apart. The best time to plant is in spring, however make sure that any early frosts that sometimes happen at the start of spring are finished, as this plant is not very resilient to cold. Let it grow to 12-15 cm or so before you start harvesting the herb.

Cilantro Bolting and How to Avoid It

One of the disadvantages to growing cilantro is that it has a tendency to bolt if the ground is too hot. This is a survival mechanism that is built into the plant and is difficult to stop. Many gardeners cut back the buds to try to reduce bolting, however this generally only slows the process and gives you a little more time to harvest. Cilantro can be especially troublesome as the bolting leaves the leaves inedible.

If you live in a moderately warm part of the world, you don’t need to worry about bolting too much. Simply place the herb in an area where it can get maximum sunlight. If you are worried that the temperature is unusually hot, water regularly and use mulch to keep temperatures down.

If you live in a really hot part of the world, you will need to stratigically place a cover or plant in front of a bigger plant, so that your cilantro gets a little shade during the hottest part of the day. If this doesn’t work the best advice is to start to grow your plant in summer, so that it matures in the cooler fall months.

For those that find that their herb just keeps bolting, it may be best to try growing the herb in pots using a grow lamp. For more information check out my article on home herb gardens.


Herb Garden Designs

Knowing About Herb Garden Designs

When people start planting herbs, it can seem a little intimidating. There are so many different designs and shapes that are recommended that it can seem overwhelming. However by focusing on what you want you can quickly decide on the best way to plant your herbs and get on with the fun part: using them in delicious recipes.

Before you do any designing it is best to spend some time sketching out what you want your garden to look like. Would you like a large garden such as a formal English garden? Or would you prefer something smaller such as a windowsill herb garden?

Next take a pen and paper and sketch out a diagram. The best advice is to stick to some simple shapes (Line, circles and diamonds are easy for beginners; advanced gardeners may prefer knots or mazes) and use colors to represent the herbs so you can work out the aesthetics. Remember the golden rule: large herbs in the backs and corners; small herbs towards the center.

Designing Around the Sunlight

The first thing that gardeners need to take into account is the sunshine that the garden receives. You want to check whether anything is blocking the sunlight from reaching the herbs. Is there a tree that is casting a big shadow or a fence that makes one part of the garden darker than another? Certain herbs prefer the shade, whereas others prefer bright sunshine, so this should factor into your calculations. Also be careful not to add anything at a later date (A massive ornament for example) that may cause problems later.

Designing Around the Use

Some thought should go into what you want to use your herbs for. If your goal is mainly to make culinary herbs then you want to place them in a location where harvesting the herbs is very convenient to get to. Luckily culinary herbs require less room than other plants, so they use the space very efficiently. A lot of people plant culinary herbs between the other plants in their garden to maximize the space. Another great tactic is to plant the herbs next to the vegetables that they are most often used with, this way you can reduce the number of trips to your garden.

If you have ambitions to sell the herbs or make potpourri you will need a lot more space to allocate to your herbs. Remember that some herbs may be damaged or lost and so plan accordingly.

Designing Herb Gardens Based on Type

Some people like to design their gardens by dividing the herbs based on their properties or type. Some examples are: