Herbs work well as indoor and outdoor plants. This is because they’re easy to take care of and don’t tend to grow too wild. They work well on a kitchen windowsill or in a sunny backyard. If you love adding herbs to your food, try starting your own herb garden at home. If you’re unsure where to get started with this, here are 5 need-to-know tips on how to start an herb garden!
How to Build a Herb Garden Box
Despite how cute those mason jar gardens look, they can be really tricky for first-time gardeners.
Most herbs need drainage — and mason jars provide absolutely no drainage. Make sure to find containers with holes in the bottom or containers that you can punch holes through.
Additionally, you’ll want to consider what kind of soil you’ll be putting into these containers.
For herbs, who tend to like their water (more on that to come), make sure your soil has an even mixture of soil, compost and peat to trap in moisture. If you notice your plants’ soil getting too dry, try adding more peat and watering more frequently.
How Much Sunlight Does Herbs Need?
Most herbs will grow just fine if they’re sitting next to a sunny window with minimal shade.
However, more sun-loving herbs will flourish in continuous direct sunlight and warm weather, such as basil. Other herbs, like cilantro, tend to like more cool spring-time temperatures and shade.
So if you notice that one of your herbs is not looking so green, you might try checking if your plant is getting enough or not enough sunlight. Consider making a windowsill garden as herbs are small enough to fit while also exposed enough to sunlight.
How to Start an Herb Garden and Prune Correctly
Most people didn’t know that herbs tend to produce flowers, and most people also didn’t know that these flowers can actually change the flavor of your herbs.
Yep – that’s right. If you notice little white flowers popping up on your basil plant, make sure to prune these little buggers away!
Make sure to use sharpened and cleaned shears for even cuts to prevent spreading any kind of disease to your garden.
Watering – How & When
When it comes to growing a herb garden, water is one of the biggest issues.
Most herb care tags will tell you that they like “normal” amounts of water, but how much is that really? You’ll want to water about every 2 to 3 days or any time that the top inch of soil feels dry.
But is there a certain time of day that you should water? For herb gardens located in direct sunlight or outdoors, watering during the morning and evening can keep your plants hydrated longer.
Harvest Time!
When harvesting your herbs, you’ll want to make sure you don’t harvest too much in one go.
Just like pruning, harvesting is a careful balance where you don’t want to cut back too much, otherwise, you risk the health of your plants.
Pro-tip: If you’re looking to save some money, try drying your herbs – it’s much cheaper than buying the bottled store-bought versions!
Takeaway
If you’ve been wondering how to start an herb garden in your home, these tips will help you on your journey. Whether you’re wondering how to start a small herb garden or looking for backyard herb garden ideas, try using these tips. Soon, you’ll have a beautiful garden filled with fragrant, healthy, and delicious herbs.