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.
