People have been growing herbs for centuries. In fact, Chinese history has revealed that this was used as early as 2700 B.C. Aside from using it for medical purposes, people have also used this to intensify taste to what they prepare in the kitchen .
The motivating thing about herb gardening is that it is not that different from planting flowers or greens in your garden since you still need to prepare the soil and then plant it into the ground so this will grow .
You need to do some investigation before you start growing your own herbs, we have some steps in this article if you are new to this pastime. For rookies, you can start with basil, dill, oregano, rosemary and sage since these are all easy to mature in containers, require little maintenance and are flexible for a wide assortment of dishes.
Herbs can be planted in the soil or in containers. If you are going to be planting herbs in your garden be sure to plan ahead to avoid frustration and time wasting. While drawing it on a piece of paper is good, why don’t you place pegs, rocks, or other markers to outline the shape of the patch plot? This will give you an idea how it looks like when the herbs finally develop .
It will also be a good idea to mix some flowers to add color so it will look good even when you see this from afar .
If it is hard for you to visualize, obtain a few samples and then see how it looks. You can surely take back what you don’t need and swap these for those that you will end up using.
For those who will use a container, make sure that it is food-safe and made of plastic . Keep in mind that terra cotta pots can also be used. Some people are able to put two or more herbs in one pot. If the herb you are planting is a large plant, don’t even try it and grow these in separate pots.
You can buy herbs at any nursery, backyard store or you can even get seeds online these days. There, you can purchase a plant that is almost fully grown or one that is still a seed.
Bear in mind that if you are buying seeds that some may take a while to grow and produce herb plants so don’t be too hasty if taking this route. On the other hand, there are also some seeds that quickly mature so you have to do some research to find out how fast it grows.
Aside from choosing what herbs to plant, attention must also be given to the type of soil where this will be placed. Sandy soil is in most cases the best choice for herbs as this type of soil allows ample drainage.
Herbs need plenty of sunlight to grow properly so ensure you plant them in the sunniest part of your garden.
Unlike fruits, you don’t have to harvest the herbs all at once . Only pick off pieces as and when you need it.
One thing you should know about herbs is that not all plants are compatible with others. This is since some of these herbs have a negative biochemical reaction with certain plants around them so you have to be careful .
Aside from using the right soil and giving your mulch sunlight, it will also be good if you complement mulch. This is easily made at home ar you can get it from a store.
Herb gardening is exciting since it can be used for a lot of things. You can use it for food, as an alternative to medication or even for aromatherapy.
One threat you should always be on the lookout for are pests like red spider mites and aphids. You can get rid of them by mixing castile soap and water then spraying this over the herbs or putting a few other insects that will do the job of getting rid of them.
There are many ways to use the herbs and it can be used fresh or dried. It really depends what you will be using it for because you can even soak this in oil.
So what are you waiting for? Go to the nursery and get some herbs so you can have your own herb patch.
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