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!
