Herb Garden: How To Grow Herbs At Home

Fresh herbs bring along all the flavours to your kitchen! A quick guide on how to grow your own herbs at home and many useful tips for growing your own herb garden.

Fresh herbs are an essential in every garden. You don't have a garden? No problem! Most herbs can be grown on balconies or windowsills. Here you can read all about which herbs grow best in different conditions, find many useful tips on plant care and learn how to get that thing growing.

Which herbs to choose?

Different herbs have different needs, so they all prefere different places and different soil.

When choosing which herbs you want to start growing, you need to consider where you want to start your herb garden. Most herbs just need two things - a well-drained soil and lots of sunlight. You need to look for a place that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day and that is well drained.

Most herbs grow in simple garden soil - as long as it has good drainage. Herbs native to the Mediterranean on the other hand prefer gritty, sharply drained soil. A good drainage is crucial here, becaue the roots of Mediterranean herbs are very likley to rot. Add some gravel to the pot before you fill it with soil. This will work as a good drainage. Keep in mind that Mediterranean herbs as basil, thyme or rosemary need loads of sunlight.

Watercress, dill and chives on the other hand, don't need so much sunlight - they will also thrive in half-shade locations.

Generally, herbs can be classified in 2 categories: annual herbs and perennial herbs.

Annual plants only grow throughout one season, perennial herbs grow year after year. Most herbs appear annual in our gardens because they aren't frost-resistant. Basil, dill, coriander and indian cress are anual herbs. Thyme, oregano, sage, chives and lemon balm are perennial herbs.

As a rough guide, never plant annual and perennial herbs together. Simply becaue perennial herbs don't want new neighbours every year. They prefer to stay among themselves.

The importance of neighborhood

Not all herbs go together. As mentioned above, annual and perennial herbs shouldn't be placed in the same spot. Basil, for example, is a pleasant-natured specimen amongst annual herbs. Lemon balm on the other hand goes together with nearly all perennial herbs. Nevertheless, those two shouldn't be placed in the same spot, because they don't thrive together. However, besides location and soil, a good neighbourhood between those plants is also very important for a thriving herb garden.

Some great combinations, proved to thrive together:

• Basil & Rosemary

• Dill, cress, marjoram, parsley and chervil

• Chives & camomile

• Sage, chives, tarragon and thyme

• Savory, oregano and sage

• Thyme, fennel, tarragon and savory

• Chives, dill, savory and camomile

How about a herb bed?

Besides location and herbal neighborhood, there are a few more things to keep in mind for a thriving herb bed. Herbs with a great growing hight should be placed in the middle or in the background of the bed. Otherwise they would take the sunlight from their herbal neighbors. Dry loving herbs should be placed at the verge and in the edges. Sprawling plants should find their places in delimited zones - otherwise they multiply beyond control.

Some herbs prefer to stand alone - they should be placed apart. Lovage, lemon grass and wormwood are suchlike.

Some herbs affect other plants in their growth. This might be useful, when intercropping in your garden. Basil, for example, keeps away blight and white flies from tomatoes, cucumbers and cabbage. When cultivating herbs in a raised bed, a good drainage is crucial.

Growing herbs on a windowsill...

Bring your herb garden indoors for the winter, or all year, plant a windowsill herb garden. There might be some difficulties to get your plants thriving, but most herbs grow quite well in containers and require only minimal care. However, there are a few more extra considerations to be taken, when growing herb plants indoors.

Esnure they get enough sunlight! You should only plant a windowsill herb garden on sunny windowsills - southside works best. Pick larger plants and pots, so you have enough herbs to enjoy in your cooking. When planting herbs in pots, good drainage is crucial. Add a layer of gravel to the pot before adding the soil. This will help keeping the roots dry. Don't forget to repot your herbs, when they outgrow their old pots. Also keep in mind to fertilize your plants regularly. Better use organic fertilizer to avoid pollutants in your plants. You should also water your herbs on a regular basis, but be careful not to overwater them. Just feel the soil with your fingers - if it is still moist, you can skip this time.

Also make sure to harvest your herbs. Many new gardeners are afraid that harvesting the herbs would hurt them - the opposite is true. Frequently harvesting your herbs will help them thrive and produce more foliage, which increases the amount you are able to harvest.

There are the same considerations, when growing herbs on your balcony. The only difference to your windowsill is the size of the pots. On a balcony you can increase the size of your planters and pots and grow more herbs. Watch out for your balconys' orientation - keep in mind to water them more frequently, when your balcony faces the south. If your balcony points southwards, Mediterranean herbs might be the best choice for you - they love sunny and dry spots.

Whether you grow your herb garden on your yard, in a raised bed, on a balcony or on a windowsill - most herbs thrive in all conditions. Just keep in mind to water, fertilize and repot them on a regular basis. And the most important thing for thriving plants? Some love. Plants love to chat a little. They will thank you by thriving!