Planning Your First Herb Garden

Your herb garden can be as simple as a small indoor container unit or a very elaborate patch outdoors that provides both aesthetic appeal to your home and of course, in culinary function in your kitchen.

Herb Garden Size and Design

The size of your herb garden depends on the number of variety you desire. It also depends on the space that you have at hand in your home. Typically a kitchen garden measures 20 by 4 feet.

You can start by planning out the outline of your herb garden, especially if it\’s an outdoor garden you want. Also plan on the type of herb you require, and if you are creative enough, take into account herbs that will provide you with a dash of color when they flower, such as parsley and purple basil. Other examples that will provide you with brightly colored flowers and foliage include valerian, borage, chicory, thyme, mint, lavender, and chives.

Location and Soil Conditions

When you determine the site of your garden, the soil condition comes into play. You need to ensure that there is enough drainage and proper soil fertility in order for your herb garden to thrive.

Like many plants, herbs do not grow well in wet soils. You will need to modify the conditions of the soil if it has poor drainage. This can be done by removing about 15 to 18 inches of soil from the top. Then layer about 3 inch of crushed stone or similar material, and return the soil on top of this layer, mixing compost and sand with the soil to lighten the texture. Refill the beds higher than the original level as this allow the soil to settle.

How much fertilizer do you need?

Unless the soil at the site is truly parched and unhealthy, you should not add too much fertilizer. Soil that is too fertile will cause excessive amount of growth that will not give you the pungent flavor that is synonymous with herbs.

The Herb Chart

Below is a herb chart derived from HowStuffWorks.com that can help guide you on the different types of herbs. They are divided into Annual (A), Biennial (B) and Perennial (P); with indication on whether they require Full Sun (FS), Partial Shade (PS) and Shade (S). It also contains information on the type of soils they thrive in: Poor (P), Average (A), Rich (R), Sandy (S), Moist (M) or Dry (D) and whether they are easily cultivated or not: Easy to Grow (E), Average (A), Difficult (D) and Rampant Grower/ Keep Restricted (R).

The table also highlights the height and spread of the plant in inches.

Caring for Your Herb Garden

While very few diseases or insects attack herbs, you should still be mindful about the growth and maintenance of your herb garden. Aphids may attack herbs like anise, caraway, dill, and fennel; while red spider mites may infest low-growing plants. You will also need to monitor an rampant growth of herbs that may inadvertedly overtake the garden, such as mints. To confine them, plant them in a bucket (remember to punch holes in the pot for drainage) and sink them to the ground.

When you plant container herbs, sow the seeds in shallow boxes in late winter and transplant them outdoors in the spring. Make sure that you use well-drained soil for sowing the seeds indoors. Any type of seed that is too fine should not be sowed too deeply. Anise, dill, fennel and coriander should be sowed directly in the garden as they do not transplant well.

Winter Protection

If you experience winter where you live, you should be mindful about protecting your perennial and biennial herbs. This is because the herbs\’ roots are located in shallow ground, and susceptible to heaving when spring thaws occur.

You can counter this with mulch made of straw, hay, or grass clippings scattered 4 inches deep. The mulch should be applied once the ground freezes in early winter. The mulch should not be removes until you see signs of growth in early spring.

More Reading:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-grow-an-herb-garden4.htm

Growing Herbs in the Home Garden:

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/herbs/ne208hrb.htm