Living a more natural and holistic life has many facets, including what you eat and where you get your food. To be as holistic as possible, consider growing your own herbs at home. Not only can you use herbs to cook, but you can also use some of them for healing and natural medicine. You will save money and ensure you have the most organic herbs possible.
1. Have a Plan Beforehand
The first step to growing your own herbs is the prep stage. You want to take some time to figure out where you will place your garden, what you intend to grow and how you are going to use it, and how much room you are going to need. This is when the research comes in handy.
The worst thing you can do is just go buy some seeds and fertilizer, and start planting without having planned exactly what you intend to do beforehand.
2. Growing Your Own Herbs: Decide Between Seeds or Start Plants
There are two main ways to grow herbs; you can start them from seeds, or you can purchase plants that have been started for you. Naturally, if you are a beginner at growing, the plants are going to be much easier for you. This is recommended for most people who are starting their very first herb garden, as it eases them into caring for herbs, without having to start them from seeds.
3. Become Familiar with Each Herb
Before you start planting your herbs, understand what each herb needs you to do as far as care and growing it healthy. Every herb will have different guidelines, such as how much water it needs, when to give it direct sunlight, and whether it needs to be in a container or in the ground.
For example:
Mint grows very fast and works best in a container with only mint in it. Mint grows well in sunlight, but it can also use a bit of shade and still grow well.
With rosemary, it grows best in cool climates that have sun and needs to be brought indoors during the winter.
4. Caring for Your Herbs
While many herbs can be grown indoors in planters, they still need to be close to a window. Some plants may need to be moved outdoors for at least a few hours, as most herbs should get 3-4 hours of direct sunlight each day. Again, this will depend on your herbs.
Remember that care includes sunlight and temperature control, watering, and using the right soil.
5. Harvest When Ready
Something to keep in mind when harvesting your herbs is that the more often you do it (when they are ready), the healthier the herb plant will continue to grow. Again, look at each variety’s instructions to understand harvesting guidelines.
All in All: Growing Your Own Herbs
To start growing your own herbs, you’ll need to choose which ones you want to grow. Herbs like cilantro and parsley are easy to grow from seed, but other types of herbs like oregano and basil are best grown from cuttings taken from plants that are already growing well in your garden or greenhouse.
Once you’ve chosen the herbs that you want to grow, it’s time for some soil prep! The soil should be loose and well-drained, so break up any clumps with a fork or rake before planting. If necessary, add some compost or fertilizer to help keep the plants healthy throughout the season.
With soil prepared and seeds planted (or cuttings planted), all that’s left is waiting for them to sprout! You should see tiny green leaves poking out of the ground within 10 days of planting seeds or taking cuttings; once they’ve sprouted, keep an eye on them so they don’t dry out while they’re still small.
Read more:
Herb garden: How to grow your own herbs
8 Things to Know Before Growing Your Own Herbs
The Best Herb Garden Kits to Plant Indoors or Outdoors