Here, we're going to cover all the common herb gardening questions: "What kinds of herbs should I use in my garden?", "How do I plant them?", "What care do they need?" and a bunch more. So let's get right to it!
How to start an herb garden
Growing herbs is a super rewarding hobby. It doesn't require a lot of space, time or money to get started and pound for pound herbs are some of the most valuable plants you can grow both dollar wise (supermarket herbs are expensive) and for their amazing health benefits.
With fresh herbs you can transform your cooking, brew amazing cups of tea and even create unique gifts! Plus, most herbs grow easily in a variety of conditions, making them ideal for new gardeners.
But before we begin its important to 'start with the end in mind' as they say.
Think about what are your favorite herbs, do you plan just to cook with them, or use them to craft for presents or just grow for beauty or their scent ... then buy according to your tastes and needs.
Select the site for your herb garden
If you are planting outside it's important to find a site in your yard that gets at least 6 hours of full sun a day. Some culinary herb plants require less sun, like parsley, cilantro and mint who will grow fine with 4 hours of good sunlight, so if you're planting in a shady spot make sure to pick plants that can survive a light shade.
Herbs don't like wet feet, so ensure the area you select is well drained. If the soil tends to get soggy after a rain, choose another location, or opt for a raised bed or containers placed in the landscape.
The other consideration is competition from nearby trees and shrubs who's roots will make digging difficult and rob your herbs of nutrients, in such cases planting direct in ground may not be the best option.
Location close to a water source and the kitchen door for harvesting should also be considered and placing your herb garden where you'll see it both for the beauty and noticing when your plants need watering or if the neighborhood bugs invade is also a good idea.
So in summary the 3 key elements for when selecting your outdoor space for healthy plants, flavor and fragrance:
- Soil - that is not overly rich but very well drained is a must
- Sun - full sun for at least 6 hrs a day or 4 hrs for shade tolerant varieties.
- Water - regularly but don't over do it or allow plants to dry out (especially in containers).
Now that you have selected some options for your herb garden location it's time to think about an herb garden design.
Gardening Methods
In the Landscape
Herbs have both ornamental and companion qualities so herb gardening can blend in nicely to your existing landscape or vegetable garden . Consider herb placement in the garden like you would any other plant, and imagine how they will look when harvested and during different seasons throughout the year.
Once you have selected your site, you will need to prepare the ground . If your yard offers rich, well-draining soil you are in luck but if the soil is poor, that is very sandy or clay heavy, you will want to add some compost. Even if your soil is reasonably good, adding compost to top one foot (30cm) of the herb garden will help will drainage and provide nutrients to the herb plants.
When herb gardening, be careful using composted manures as they are generally high in nitrogen which gives fast growth but can reduce many herbs flavor - in general most herbs like 'lean well draining soil' the exception are herbs grown for their flowers who do best in 'rich' soil (with plenty of water)
Raised Beds
The best thing about a raised garden bed is that the soil is elevated higher than the ground. This makes it easier to reach your plants if you have back pain, arthritis, or any other mobility problem. It's also good for herb gardens because you can harvest the herbs more often.
Another upside to elevated gardening is that there are fewer weeds as you will use potting soil that does carry weed seeds. Be sure to invest in quality potting soil and don't use garden soil or else you will have drainage problems as garden soil compacts with watering.
The added bonus is raised beds can be placed anywhere, including on sloping ground where conventional in-ground planting would have poor drainage, on rooftops, patios, and balconies.
Some people build their own herb garden beds from recycled lumber or cedar, brick pavers, rocks and stones or even herb planters with either wood or metal frames.
Container Herb Garden
Herbs don't mind life in a pot, but if you want them to look better than your average grocery store herbs you will need to give them a little more attention. Some herb plants do better in containers than others.
Herbs such as mints, thyme and parsley grow well in container as can rosemary or sage. Remember that herb plants such as basil and dill require more sun than those who prefer some shade, so by planting them in containers they can be placed to get optimum sunlight and potted herbs can be brought inside over winter.
Be sure to use premium potting mix (not garden dirt) and you can also add gravel to the base of the container for drainage remembering herbs don't like wet feet.
Herb Spiral
Herb spirals are a vertical garden design. This is a great way to grow herbs and it is very productive as the spiral design will save space. Herbs are the perfect plants for a herb spiral because they can be planted according what individual herbs require by way of water, light, and space.
The spiral will give them different conditions so they can grow well - for example as the water drains down through the levels the soil is moist toward the bottom (basil) and drier up top (rosemary).
Plant yours vertically
A great option in small spaces is to go vertical with your herb garden . You can do this by using wall containers or planters. This is a great way to utilize space that would otherwise go unused, such as on a fence, a balcony, even indoors.
There are many different ways to build vertical herb planters. One way is to use old wooden crates and stack them on top of each other. You can drill holes in the bottom of each crate for drainage. Another option is to use a wooden pallet and attach herb containers to the sides of the pallet.
You can also buy commercial garden planters that are specially designed for vertical gardens and are a great option if DIY is not your thing. I would suggest investing in a base that has wheels (lockable - kid proof) so you can move it around to ensure maximum sunlight through the growing months.
Window Box
Window boxes are perfect for growing many culinary herbs as they provide good drainage when using quality potting mix and a way to keep the herbs close to the kitchen.
In addition, the Mediterranean herbs like thyme and rosemary will like staying drier under the eaves in areas of high summer rainfall. Eaves also give some protection from the cold, and being against the house helps protect against temperature extremes.
If you have several boxes in different exposures, you can grow a variety of herbs with different growing needs close to where you need them!
Indoor herb garden
Indoor herb gardens are a great way to have fresh herbs at your fingertips, but also fill the home with fragrance and greenery.
The herbs that tend to best indoors are sweet basil, chives, common mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary and common thyme - you will still need a sunny spot with 4 - 5 hours of good light but this selection of herbs would be best for beginners.
While there is no hard rule on what type of pot will work best for each species, you can use just about any container as long as it has good drainage (some gravel on the bottom will help) and something to protect the surface they are sitting on.
Here's some advice from someone who has experience growing both indoors as well outside: "Just be sure to only water when needed - often times these plants are killed with kindness" OK I mean drowned!
And don't forget, if you don't have a sunny spot in your house, you can also grow herbs in an indoor herb garden under grow lights with great success.
Plant Families
Once you decide which herbs you want to grow and have options where to grow them its best to understand which category and plant family they fit into;
I then like to find out what plant family each herb belongs in. This is helpful because different families of herbs have similar needs. For example, the mint family (which includes peppermint and spearmint) likes wet soil and partial shade, while the lavender family (which includes lavender and lemon balm) likes drier conditions and full sun.
In this article we cover the Herb Plant Families to help you select and group plants with similar light, water, and soil requirements.
Pick Your Plants - Suggested Herbs
It is also a good idea to learn about each individual herb, its uses and growing habits. This will help you decide where to place your plants and how to care for them so you can enjoy them for many seasons.
The planting tag that comes with each herb plant will give you information on the herb, including the name, family, size, and other growing tips.
To help get you started, here are some suggested herbs that are easy to grow:
- basil
- sage
- oregano
- common thyme
- mint
- lavender
- rosemary
- parsley
- chives
- cilantro
You can find more information in our types of herbs article.
Seeds or Live Plants
If you're just starting out, I would recommend investing in some herb seedlings instead of planting your own from seed. You can find these little starter plants at most nurseries and garden stores for around the same price as grocery store herbs!
There's a lot that could go wrong during the germination and stater stage so I recommend skipping all those risks by opting to buy nursery-grown live plants rather than doing things yourself with seeds or plugs and you will also save weeks of time.
If you are hell bent on testing your green thumb growing from seed here are some quick tips:
Herbs like basil, parsley, chives and mint are the easiest to start from seed. Cilantro actually an be finicky when transplanted so give this one a try from seed direct in ground or pot.
- Sow your herb seeds in soil that is finely sifted and moisten it before planting. You can buy proper seed raising mix which is the best option.
- Don't over crowd and follow packet instruction on spacing and planting depth. Weak plants can be pulled out latter if need be.
- Cover the herb seeds with a light layer of soil and tamp it gently so that the seed makes good contact with the soil.
- Lightly water, mist moisten the soil so as not to wash the soil layer covering the herbs away and don't let them dry out.
You can get extra herb plants for free by dividing up pots of supermarket herbs and growing them on. Most of these are grown from seed, with many small plants tightly packed together in each container, simply split these clumps as desired and re-pot in the growing season, or anytime if growing indoors under grow lights.
Finding great herb sources
I have learned that buying a garden herb plant from the nursery is the best way to get results. Many have had great success with mail-order herbs, but this depends on your location and the time of year.
Buying from a big box store may not be the best start up strategy as the quality and availability of the plants in the correct growing season is sometimes questionable.
The point is to do your research on each herb that you are interested in before you purchase it, so that you know what to expect in terms of its needs and how to care for it.
Growing Herbs
Whether planting in the ground of container the process is similar, you start by digging a hole that is the same depth as the herb pot and about twice as wide.
At the risk of repeating myself:
- If you are planting in a container, be sure to use a good quality potting mix.
- If you are planting in the ground and have clay soil, amend it with some organic matter like compost before planting.
Just before planting moisten the soil in the hole and the soil in the pot with the herb plant, this will help minimize root shock.
Remove the herb from its pot and loosen the roots before planting. If the herb has been in its pot for a while, it might be root bound. In this case, you can tease apart the roots before planting.
Plant the herb into the hole, then bury it up the stem to the same level as it was in its original container. After that, carefully press down the dirt around the plant and water thoroughly.
Pro Tip - Mint is a wonderful herb but it is invasive and will soon take over the garden. Mint should be planted in it's own container or if planting in the ground leave it in its plastic pot.
Label your herbs!
It is helpful to know what you are growing as it can be difficult to tell sometimes when the seedlings are very young. You can have fun with the kids making your own herb tags or opt for some ready made options.
Caring for your Herb Plants
Watering
Herbs need to be kept moist but not wet. Water herb plants in the morning so they have time to dry out before nightfall. This will help prevent diseases. Drought tolerant plants of course need less water.
If you are growing herbs indoors make sure to use a pebble tray or humidifier as indoor air is very dry.
Fertilizing
Herbs don't need a lot of fertilizer. In fact, too much fertilizer will make them produce more leaves and less flowers or fruit.
If you are growing herbs in containers, use a liquid fertilizer every two weeks or so especially if you are growing different plants in the same container.
If you are growing herbs in the ground, add some compost to the soil in the spring.
Pruning
Herbs can be pruned at any time but it is best to do it in the spring before they start to grow too much.
To prune, simply cut the herb plant back by about a third. This will encourage new growth and make the plant bushier.
Harvesting
Herbs grow best with regular harvesting. In fact, harvesting will actually make the herbs bushier and thicker. Snip off the herb leaves with a pair of scissors or garden shears in the morning for the best flavor. Don't take more than one-third of the plant at a time so that it can continue to grow.
Most herbs taste their best before they flower, so be sure to pinch off the blooms as they form unless of course you are growing them for their flowers. Basil is a great herb to start with, as it will keep producing leaves for a long time if harvested regularly.
If you are going to be away on vacation or just busy and won't be able to harvest your herbs for a few weeks, cut them back before you go to extend their life.
Drying and storing
Many herbs can be dried and stored for later use.
To dry, tie the herb plant upside down in bunches and hang in a cool, dark place.
Once the herb leaves are dry, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
To Wrap up
Herb gardening is a great way to add flavor to your cooking and fragrance to your home. With just a little bit of knowledge, you can successfully grow herbs at home. Start by learning about the specific needs of each herb plant, then choose a location (with well drained soil) and get started planting. Be sure to label your plants, water them regularly, and harvest often for the best results.
Enjoy your herb garden!