The magic really happens when you add some home-grown herbs to your dishes. Whether it’s a touch of parsley or a dash of basil, it will make your dish a delight. Therefore, it makes sense you grow a herb garden. It’s a rewarding hobby that gets you out in the sunshine.
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Tips for a Healthy Herb Garden
A lot of people find that it all goes wrong when they start to grow their herbs. They don’t grow well, and they are left disappointed when they harvest the crops. Therefore, here are some tips on how to keep a successful herb garden which will give you some flavorsome herbs to add to your dish. Let’s take a look!
Choose a Herb Which is Easy to Grow
If you want to make a success of your herb garden, you need to start with something simple. So many gardeners opt for a difficult herb they love to eat. But if it’s hard to tend to, you will end up with no crop at the end of the growing season. Therefore, you need to pick a herb which is easy to grow and won’t pose too much of a challenge. One of the easiest herbs to start with when you are a first-timer is basil.
Having your own herb garden can be a therapeutic experience. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
One of the best things about basil is it’s very versatile. You can add the herb to many dishes so it’s a great addition to your kitchen. Chives and mint are also both easy to grow in your garden. Once you have cracked these herbs, you can opt for more complex herbs for your garden.
Use a Form of Shelter to Protect Them
The weather is a problem when you grow herbs in your garden. A bad rainfall, wind or snowfall will bring an early end to your growing herbs. The frost during the winter months also poses a risk to the growing process. While you can cover them, the cold weather will still likely damage your herbs. Just the same as weather, pests are a challenge when the herbs are out in the garden. They are incredibly appealing to pests who will consume them. As much as you can use pest repellent in your yard, it’s important to find a form of shade to protect your growing herbs. This might mean you invest in a greenhouse for your yard. Or you could get a polytunnel. A polytunnel means you have shade from weather and pests and it is a great way to grow your herbs all-year round. Therefore, you can have a successful herb garden even as we enter the colder months. With the shade the herbs need, they will grow well, and you will soon enjoy fresh herbs with your meals.
Keep your Soil in Good Shape
You need to prep your soil before you plant your herbs. If you have soil which lacks in nutrients, then you will not produce delicious herbs. You will find they won’t grow to their best in your garden. Therefore, add compost to your soil to help prepare it for its new tenants. Adding compost will give the seedlings warmth and will ensure there are enough nutrients in the soil. To give the soil a fresh lease of life, you should also loosen the soil. A garden fork will boost the soil and will create space for the roots of your herbs. Add fertilizer to help the herbs grow well too.
Do Water Them Regularly
It’s so important you regularly water the herbs if you want them to grow well. It will ensure they get the nutrients they need to flourish in your garden. While you don’t want to over water the herbs, you should water them at least a couple of times a week when the weather outside is hot. That way, they won’t dry out and die of dehydration in your garden. Remember to water the herbs when the soil is dry to touch. Once the soil loses the water, it will lead to disease and even death for your growing herbs. Therefore, tend to them often to help make a success of your herb garden.
Ensure They Have Good Sunlight
You need to place the herbs in a good position if you want them to grow well in your garden. You want the seeds to get as much sunshine as possible to flourish well. You need to make sure they get at least four hours of sunlight to grow well in your garden. With good nutrients, you will have great herbs to consume. If you live in a hot area, place them in an area where they have some shade when the sun is at its hottest. That way, it won’t lead to dehydration for your growing herbs.
