Herb Garden Tips

Herb gardening grows plants without needing much space.  Herb gardens can be kept indoors in sunny corners and are readily available when you need them.  Each herb is different and requires different strategies to ensure a healthy plant that smells and tastes good.

• Decide whether to grow the herb plant from seed or cutting.  Some herb plants do best when grown from seed, such as basil, thyme and parsley, while other plants are best propagated by starting with cuttings, such as mint and rosemary.


• Pick your annual herbs before they flower.  Once they flower, the taste of herb leaves tends to become bitter.


• Drainage conditions are very important for herb gardens. Dig a hole, and place crushed stone in the bottom to improve drainage conditions.  Then, place the soil on top of the bed of stones.  Herbs do not like to be sitting in wet soil.


• If you want to have herbs within easy reach, then an indoor herb garden is ideal.  People tend to use herbs more when they are within easy reach.  Indoor herb plants have the same requirements as outdoor herb plants--mainly sunlight and well-drained soil.  To ensure your herbs get enough light indoors, place them near a south or west window.  Some herbs prefer lots of sunlight.  These herbs include basil, dill, oregano, rosemary, tarragon and thyme.


• To protect outdoor herb plants in the winter, place mulch, such as straw, bark or leaves, 4 inches deep around the plants.  The mulch will help keep the ground soil around the plant warm.  This helps prevent your shallow herbs from heaving, or lifting from the soil, during the first thaws in spring.