Organic Herb Gardening Tips : Herb Garden Growing Tips

Easy Herb Garden Secrets

Gardening is enjoying a tremendous increase in popularity. Today a great number of people are renewing the practice of home gardening and many are pondering easy herb garden projects.  The National Gardening Association reports that 25,000 schools nationwide have some sort of ongoing gardening projects involving students.  The objective of these programs is to connect children with the practice of growing healthy food and learning about nutrition.  84% of the U.S. population live in metropolitan areas and have become disconnected with the growing of fresh fruits and vegetables and consequently consume less of the healthy fresh foods.

This resurgence in gardening popularity can be attributed to several factors.  The green movement is encouraging the “grow your own” sentiment to help save energy and assist in the reduction of global warming. The current economic situation is encouraging others to have a garden to save money.  Still others are gardening for the purpose of having their own healthy and organically grown fruits and vegetables.

Paralleling this boom in traditional gardening is a significant increase in the pursuit of herb gardening.  Herbs have always been the “stepchild” of gardening and deemed to be some sort of specialty line of gardening whose sole function  was to produce a few of those exotic food flavorings.

The irony of herb gardening is that herb plants are much easier and less troublesome to grow that the traditional vegetable and fruit plants.  There is also a wider variety of herb plants to choose from for a herb garden.  The most well know type of herbs are those of the culinary family.  Most are familiar with such popular food flavorings as basil, sage, thyme, garlic, rosemary and fennel which we all enjoy in all types of cuisine.

There are several other types of herb plants that add excitement to the pursuit of herb gardening.  The medicinal type of herbs provide all sorts of curative remedies for sickness and injury.  Before modern medicine herbal remedies were all that was available to mankind for curative relief and they still provide their medicinal relief today.

Aromatic herbs are another type that flies under the radar of public attention.  Aromatic herbs produce very fragrant aromas and can be used in many applications to include the making of perfumes, linen and room fresheners, and gifts.  Another type of herb is the ornamental.  Many provide spectacular bloom, leaves and foliage that make beautiful additions to any landscape plans.

knowledge of the different types of herb plants make the thought of raising any of these wonderful plants an exciting endeavor.  As stated earlier growing herbs is easier and less troublesome than the traditional vegetable gardens.  If a person is new to herb gardening and desires to start a garden there are two ways to begin.  One is to read as much as possible on the subject and get instructions from a mentor.  The other is the short cut method of purchasing a herb garden kit that supplies all that a new herb gardener needs to get started.  There are many different types of kits available that vary in the type of herbs offered to the amount of supplies  included with the kit.  They all help the new herb gardener hit the deck running and begin enjoying fresh herbs in a short time.

Indoor Organic Herb Garden

Growing an organic herb garden is a delightful project. The fragrant plants not only look and smell good; they are also good for flavoring foods.

Indoor organic herb gardens have the advantage of being year-round, giving a continuous supply of fresh herbs. An indoor organic herb garden can be as small as a few pots on a window sill or as large as a greenhouse filled with containers of aromatic organic herbs.

Herb Choices

There are many ways to decide which herbs to include in your organic herb garden. Here are some ideas.

1. Italian Herb Garden: Plant rosemary, oregano, basil, fennel, and chives. Terra cotta containers will make your indoor organic herb garden look authentically old world.

2. French Herb Garden: Begin with lemon basil, marjoram, and parsley, and add other herbs you like to use in French cooking.

3. Fragrant Herb Garden: Choose angelica, bergamot, catmint, chamomile, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, mint, and sage. This organic herb garden is a natural air freshener.

4. Tea Herb Garden: If you enjoy herbal teas, your organic herb garden might focus on appropriate herbs for your tea: catnip, chamomile, lavender, lemon grass, mint, and peppermint.

You may not want to theme your indoor organic herb garden, but simply grow a few herbs that appeal to you.

Containers

Many herbs are well-suited to container gardening, but you will want to choose containers according to the herbs you intend to grow.

1. Those tiny herb peat pots sold in discount stores give the wrong idea. Your indoor organic herb garden will not last long with such small thinking.

2. Begin with containers a bit larger than those in which the live nursery plants were purchased. This will give your plants room to start growing.

3. Once your herbs are stabilized and growing well, transplant them into larger containers.

4. Basil, mint, oregano, and sage are examples of herbs that can be grown in pots of about 8 to 10 inches.

5. If you want a large crop of herbs that is constantly being replenished in your organic herb garden, use 3 to 5 gallon containers. This will assure you of having plenty of rosemary, basil, etc. when you want it.

Container Soil

Indoor organic herb gardens call for building organic soil. Your soil should have a pH of about 7, since herbs prefer a more alkaline soil. If yours is too acid, add some calcified seaweed. Be sure you use only organic fertilizers to build your soil.

Indoor Lighting

An indoor organic herb garden will need lighting, especially if your room is not sunny. Lighting is especially important for year-round indoor gardens.

Different plants have different light requirements, some preferring bright sun and others preferring shade. Most herbs prefer full sun, but there are exceptions, so learn what each of your herbs needs.

Incandescent lights, even though called “grow lights”, are a poor choice for your indoor organic herb garden. Fluorescent lights are better, and have the advantage of being inexpensive, easily available, and easy to set up. The best choice for lighting your indoor organic herb garden is high intensity discharge lighting, often called HID lights. These are even more affordable and efficient.

Useful and Beautiful

An indoor organic herb garden can be both useful and beautiful. Herbs are generally eager to please, and require little maintenance. Simply give them the right food, water, and sunlight, and they will reward you abundantly.

Container Gardening: Container Herb Garden

Container gardening is a great way to grow plants, vegetables and herbs without needing a lot of space. Herbs do especially well and can be grown right outside your kitchen door. In this video, you’ll learn how to use an old farmer’s market basket to make a great container garden. Fill it with your favorite herbs and your cooking will be full of flavor all summer long.

Indoor Herb Garden – 8 Wonderful Tips For A Wonderful Indoor Herb Garden!

Can you imagine any meal being cooked without spices or rather, herbs? You would probably comment, “It tastes like sawdust!” At the same time, it feels rather tiresome to keep making umpteen trips to the market just because you have run out of some herb or the other! Therefore, the best thing to do is to cultivate your own indoor herb garden.

The advantage to having herbs within your reach is that all your meals get that added spice and color. And if you collect some tips on how to take care of them, you could grow them in containers or pots the whole year round. So they are always within your reach!

Here are some suggestions on getting started with your indoor herb garden:

(1) Ensure that the soil is of very good quality. Since it is to be kept in a pot or container, the soil should have the capacity to retain water. In fact, if the purchased soil has organic matter added to it, so much the better; the herbs will grow faster. If you feel that soil quality does not matter, then you should not worry about the quality of your herbs either!

(2) Your indoor herb garden does not require all that much water – if they are watered once or twice every week without fail, it should do. This keeps the moisture at the correct level – the soil is always damp, but no water is left standing at the bottom. Too much of water will cause the roots to begin rotting.

(3) Indoors or outdoors, no plant can live without sunlight. Most of the herbs need to be under direct sunlight; so placing them near windows is best. Herbs such as chives, rosemary, basil, thyme and oregano require more than six hours of direct sunlight each day. In case it is not possible to provide direct sunlight, grow lamps or specialized natural light bulbs are available.

(4) Though the indoor herb garden requires direct sunlight, it would be wise to keep the plants a few inches away from the window and not in direct contact with the window glass or window sill. The sills become very hot in the summer months and affect the plants. During winter months, the temperature near the window is much cooler than the temperature a little inside the room.

(5) To ensure faster growth, dried or dead leaves should be removed. So also dead blossoms from plants that produce flowers

(6) The biggest leaves are found at the ends of branches or shoots. Pluck them first for the growth stays in control.

(7) The plants in your indoor herb garden need trimming from time to time. Otherwise, they may become too big for the containers or pots. Trimming should be done with a pair of sharp scissors, never with a knife. A knife can damage the plants because a pulling motion is used.

(8) For additional information, you could become a member of a gardening club or organization. Otherwise, turn to the Internet for advice. Experience is of course the best teacher to guide you regarding your indoor herb garden!

Herb Gardening Essentials – Gardener Guide

Herbs are a greatly popular result of gardening – just as popular as flowers, shrubs, trees, fruits and vegetables. Herbs are used to spice up or add a nice spark of flavor to all types of food dishes. They are used for medicinal purposes as well as for their pretty flowers. These are just a few reasons why herbs are so popular among gardeners all over the world.

Have you ever reached for a spice when cooking only to realize you were out of it? Wouldn’t it be nice to just go over to your plant and clip off what you need, instead of running to the store or doing without? You can have fresh basil, thyme, sage, chives, dill, rosemary or tarragon right at your fingertips from your very own herb garden.

Herbs can be annuals, biennials or perennials. Annuals will flower one season and then die. Biennials will live two seasons, flower one and then die. Perennials will die in winter but return to blossom each season. If you do choose perennials, make sure you plant them in a place they can be kept year after year.

Herb gardens need little space. You can plant them by seeds or plant clippings. Seeds should be planted in shallow boxes in late winter and can then be transplanted outdoors in spring. Soil is a determining factor of whether your herb garden will thrive or falter. Herbs will not grow in wet soil. So it is important you provide adequate drainage. If you do not have good drainage you can correct this by adding compost and sand to your soil, or digging out 15-18 inches of dirt and adding crushed stone under it to assist in this process.

Herbs also do not need much fertilizer. The more fertile the soil, the less foliage will occur and the resulting herb will have little flavor. There are also very few diseases and insects which will attack herbal plants.

Harvesting herbs should take place in the morning and only after the plant has enough foliage to maintain growth. When picked, they should be washed immediately in cold water. They can be used fresh or dried for winter use.

To dry herbs, after washing, hang until drops of water evaporate. Tie the stems together and place in a bag with the stems at the bag’s opening. Close the bag with a rubber band and hang from a line in a cool, dry, dark place. Basements are too damp, so the attic is a better choice. After two to three weeks, remove herbs from the bag and crumble the leaves. Place in a shallow pan and put in an oven on the warm setting. When the crumbled leaves are crispy, store in glass jars or an airtight container in a cool place. They will be ready for you whenever you need them.

There are almost sixty different varieties of herbs to choose from when deciding on what herb to plant. Each variety comes with its own unique flavor. Cooking with herbs livens up bland foods naturally. Add some gusto to your life and use some of the herbs from your very own garden, next time you are preparing a meal.

Creating an Attractive and Productive Herb Garden the Easy Way

Gardening has always been a favorite pastime amongst the young and old, which has relaxation benefits for all who put their time and effort into this hobby.

Gardening to some is considered to an art form. So what about herb gardens, have you thought about starting one? Well gardening in it self is a healthy pastime, add the added benefits of fresh herbs to the mix and you come up with an idea that warrants some extra attention. Now if you like to garden and like to cook this idea has double the benefit for you.

With the additional benefits herbs can provide in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, starting your own herb garden at home has many positive prospects. Through the positive benefits natural herbs have in a diet and lifestyle change it is only natural to want things within reach for continued and convenient use. Some of the things you will need to think about before you begin your journey into herb gardening.

What you need to think about before you start. What will be the main purpose for growing an herb garden? Will it be for healthy, hobby or cooking? This will determine the herbs you purchase.

How much space do you have to use to grow your herbs in? An efficient garden can be grown in a small amount of space, if you know what your needs or use will be for them. What will be your goal in starting and maintaining your garden? Why are you thinking of growing an herb garden? Once you have these few answers and a plan of action any plant supply store can help you to gather what you need to begin as long as they know your needs.

Once you have your supplies planting is the easy part after doing some research on the herbs you have chosen (the internet is a great beginners tool) so that you know how far apart, deep and what should be next to what for optimal growth reasons.

Even the beginner can make herb gardening look like an art. Then you just wait and with some basic care needs nature will do the rest. Once you have grown herbs you can simple use what you need. Fresh herbs are now at your fingertips, learn what works best for you and enjoy. Now although fresh herbs are great gardening herbs can be done year round and when you can’t grow them you can dry and store them for later use. Cut them by the stems rinse them with cold water and hang in leaves to dry, bunch them by type and put inside a paper bag leafs down and store in a dry place.

In two weeks check the paper bags, they should be dry with little moisture in them at this point you can bake on low oven setting after you crumble and place them on a baking tray. This process is not to cook the herbs but to make sure they are fully dried. Then you can store them, their uses are endless.

Growing Your Own Herbs

Herb Gardening Tips

Herbs can be annual, biennial or perennial. Herbs with lifespan of one year are known as annuals, while those with a lifespan of two years are known as biennials. Perennials are ones that live longer than two years. Herb gardening is not only an art but also a science besides being a great form of exercise and a hobby. The Chinese, Indians and Greeks have extensively developed herb gardening for centuries. According to the main characteristic of herbs, they can be classified as culinary, medicinal or ornamental herbs.

You can become successful herb gardener if you know the secrets of setting up a herb garden and taking care of it the right way. Even though each herb grows in different conditions, all herbs maintain the equilibrium of their surroundings. Herb gardening can either be done indoors or outdoors. While few grow well indoors in a pot or a container, others grow well only in the garden. Edible herbs grown by you would be free of herbicides. In turn, you can safely consume chemical-free herbs.

Maintenance

Easy maintenance and low costs are the main advantages of herb gardening. However, there are few points to remember when you try growing herbs, especially the edible varieties. If you opt for indoor gardening, make sure you choose appropriate pots or containers. While selecting the edible parts of the herb for consumption, make sure that they are not infected or have any insect bites. Some of the herbs may not like to be restricted to a pot or vessel. Make sure that you do not plant such herbs inside the house.

Herb Gardening In Containers

You can use any container for growing plants. Make sure that there are no insects, bugs or snails hiding inside the vessel or pot used for sowing the seeds. Insects are the worst enemies of any kind of plant, as they destroy the leaves and other important parts of the herb. Also, make sure that the holes are such that bugs cannot crawl into the pot after filling it with soil. Before you fill the pot or container with soil, cover the bigger holes with a thin cloth so that it covers the hole and a small portion around it. The cloth should be one that allows water to drain out and at the same time, keeps the insects out.

Fill the pot with sufficient and appropriate soil, and then sow the seeds in appropriate climatic conditions. You can also choose to purchase ready-made pots with the herb already planted in it. In both conditions, you should remember to change the soil after 3 months. Moreover, make sure that you pluck off the dried and dead leaves, and keep trimming the herb so that it does not grow wild.

Raised bed herb gardens and Parterre are other styles of herb gardening besides container gardening. With a sincere effort on your part and proper care, you too can show off your homegrown herbs to all and sundry.

Herb Gardens Are A Delightful Addition To Any Garden

Herbs have been in use since centuries for various medicinal, culinary and aromatic purposes. Herbs are used even in many of the modern medicines, cosmetics etc. Having your own herb garden can be very useful. Planning it is definitely great fun!

Herbs can be grown in a number of ways. With a proper planning a herb garden can be an essential part of your home. You can choose to have it either indoors or outdoors. In case of limited outdoor space, you can opt for planting herbs on a windowsill or in a window box.

Planning

The first step to cultivating a herb garden is selecting the herbs you want to plant. There are different kinds of herbs for different purposes. Hence you need to first decide the main purpose of having a herb garden. Some herbs like thyme grow low and spreading while others like parsley grow in clumps. Some herbs are perennials and some are annuals.

First plan on paper. Decide the exact size you wish your garden to be. This helps in selecting the right type of herbs. Also, you can determine the amount of space per herb as per your requirements.

Requirements

Firstly, do note that herbs require well-drained soil. Before staring to plant your herbs, test if the soil is alkaline. Herbs need alkaline soil to grow. You can add lime to your soil to keep it alkaline.

Sunlight is a very important factor for herbs to grow well. Herbs need at least six hours of sunlight. In case you can not find a suitable sunny spot, you can plant the herbs in a garden container so that it can be moved around in sunlight. Keep enough space for the herbs to grow. The herbs need adequate air circulation to prevent molds.

Familiarize yourself with the herbs you will be planting. Read about the requirements and conditions of growing them. This will help you take proper care of them.

Planting the herbs

You can begin planting either with seeds or small plants from the garden center. It is better to have small plants rather than seeds as you will have a higher success rate.

When using seeds to plants, it is better to plan them ahead since the seeds require several months to grow. Keep your herb garden close to your home. This will help you to take care and check for the problems.

You can plant your herbs either in straight lines or in geometrical shapes. You can even have square beds divided into four paths. Plants even in the shape of flowing, curved beds and walkways look amazing. Some flowers and shrubs can add to the beauty of your herb garden.

You can refer to various magazines and books to know what type of garden best suits your needs. You can even seek professional help if required. They are easy to maintain and simple to grow. With enough drainage, sunlight, water and nutrient rich and organic soil, your herb garden can thrive for years.

Next Page »