Growing Herbs In Pots
You can use all types of pots and containers to grow herbs inside. Hanging containers and window boxes can also be used to cultivate herbs. However, the same essentials that are needed to grow outdoor garden herbs are required to grow herbs inside, meaning the correct mix of soil, light and water.
Sunlight, quality soil and adequate water are the three main things any plant requires to thrive. Herbs are certainly no deviation to this formula. Whether they are being grown indoors or in an outdoor garden, the crucial thing needed to grow herbs – or any type of plant – is the right amount of sunlight. In order to get the proper amount of sunlight for your herbs, position them in a kitchen or other room in window that faces south or west.
All herbs need a bright location to grow, but some types will have distinct light requirements from others. Like some home herb growers, you might want to use fluorescent lamps or “grow lights” to make up for inadequate sunlight. You need to also be sure to use the proper soil – not too rich – that will drain well so your herbs will thrive.
When you are growing herbs in containers, you should use two parts sterilized potting soil to one part coarse sand or perlite. You want to be sure that the herb has good drainage, so you will need to place about an inch of crushed rock in the bottom of each pot. To guarantee the soil is sweet enough for growing herbs in pots indoors, you can supplement one teaspoon of lime per 5-inch container.
Proper watering as another essential factor to productive for both indoor and outdoor herb gardening. The herbs do best in humid conditions, and you can achieve this by dampening the pebbles and misting the plants. Even though they will require more water when growing herbs in pots indoors than when they are grown in an outdoor herb garden, you need to be prudent not to over water them, which can cause the roots to become soggy and rot.
Having the flexibility to be able to move your herbs anywhere you please is a great benefit to growing herbs in pots. Perennial herbs will grow best if you place them outdoors during the summer months, but you can keep annual herbs indoors year round. However, you need to remember that any herbs you have outdoors need to be brought in before the first frost to avoid harm and foliage loss, except for tarragon, chives or mint… When these types of herbs are introduced to a light frost, they will go into a dormant period and then form fresher and firmer growth.
When growing herbs in pots, you will discover that some herbs do better than others in containers. For instance, mint will take over your garden if it is not contained.
Over all it is fairly easy to keep a healthily indoor herb garden. A great advantage of an indoor garden is that anytime you need your herbs for a recipe, they are right there within your reach.
You should be able to raise a great crop of plants in your indoor herb garden if you simply follow the tips we listed above. Make sure to include periodic feeding and yearly repotting should be a part of your herb gardening regimen for optimal results.
Also, pruning your herbs encourages new group, so make sure you harvest them occasionally, even if you do not need them right away (remember you can always dry them). Enjoy your fresh, delicious herbs in your cooking, teas, and crafts.
Herb Garden Kits Secrets
Are you thinking of starting an home herb garden and considering using an herb garden kit? You’re in good company. People around the world are finding renewed interest in growing herbs at home. Before you can you start you herb garden, you have to ask yourself some basic things like, which plants should be planted as seeds? What type of soil should I use if I want these herbs to thrive? If this seems a bit confusing, an easy solution is using an herb gardening kit.
An herb gardening kit is a comprehensive collection of technical knowledge, plant supplies and of course, the herbs themselves. Whether you want German herbs or Italian herbs for your cooking, we’re quite sure that a kit can provide the right mix of herbs for your planting needs.
Each herb garden kit includes all the essentials to get started such as the container or planter, seeds, peat pellets and or soil, and growing instructions.
After purchasing your very home garden kit, make sure that you read the literature provided, especially about setting up the kit and how to sow the seeds. Apart from technical guides for the gardening part, your herb garden kit usually includes great recipes using your delicious, fresh herbs.
In the modern world, the home is the perfect place to plant herbs. That’s why herb garden kits are here to help you grow your herbs in the comfort of your home. Never mind finding a suitable plot outside, don’t tire yourself out. You can have all the oreganos, etc. right there in your kitchen or living room.
After growing your herbs inside your home, you no longer have to worry about winter or frost, and every spice and herb you need would be at your disposal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These beautiful herbs can also lend a wonderful scent to the space in your home where they grow. Aromatic and gentle, they can liven up your home’s atmosphere as well as your food. The constant ambient temperature in your home, regulated by equipments like heaters, would make sure that herbs would survive even if it’s already winter outside. By growing your herbs inside your home, common problems like extra rain for a few days would no longer be a problem.
You can be an expert too! Just gain enough basic, technical knowledge about gardening, sowing and specific information about the herbs that you want to plant and you would be enjoying your herbs in a few weeks. Be an herb garden master by being familiar with the physiology of plants and how they survive different conditions.
The Fabulous Italian Herb Garden
There are a many possibilities when it comes to beginning to grow your own herbs in an Italian herb garden. Italy is known for some of the best, most famous and tastiest herbs in the world. Italy’s cuisine world famous and their fresh herbs play a big part of that.
Many Italian recipes contain basil; a well known Italian herb has many additional benefits for the health of your herb garden. Other plants in your garden will benefit from the basil while adding flavor to your favorite Italian dishes. The flavor of your tomatoes and peppers will improve if you plant basil nearby. Flies and mosquitoes won’t come around a garden with basil in it.
Parsley can be used in your Italian dishes and other types of cuisines as well, but it isn’t an easy herb to grow. Before there were breath mints, generations ago, if you had eaten a flavorful cuisine, eating fresh parsley, raw, afterward would get rid of your bad breath. Because of this, people began serving parsley on the side of the dish as a tradition. This is why in almost all of your meals, you will find parsley used as a garnish.
Another flavorful and decorative herb is oregano. You will know that your plant is fully mature when purple flowers, that are quite pretty, begin to sprout. When you see these flowers, you know that the plant is most flavorful and ready to be harvested.
Italian sausage is often flavored with and enhanced by fennel seeds. As the plant matures, it loses flavor, which is not the norm when it comes to most herb plants. Every few years, to enhance the flavor, you should divide and replant this perennial herb.
Another herb that will enhance your garden as a whole, like basil, is rosemary. This large shrub will sprout blue flowers, as it grows, and is also very aesthetically pleasing. Bees will be attracted, therefore your garden will grow better. This evergreen perennial is very tough, though frost can hurt it severely.
Garlic is the most common herb that is used in Italian dishes. Your Italian herb garden could be considered incomplete if you left out this herb, which is quite useful. Garlic requires very little attention and when planted in almost any garden, it is sure to thrive. You can store garlic to use down the line if you freeze or pickle them, making them convenient to harvest at anytime, knowing that they will never go to waste.
From meats to salads, sage is used in many different types of Italian meals. Keep your sage plants trim and don’t let them get too woody, because new shoots of the plant hold the most flavor. You will notice that new shoots will grow much easier. After sage blooms, you can harvest it.
Seriously consider which herbs you will choose for your Italian herb garden because there are quite a few herbs you can choose from. You need to know that you will be able to provide for your plants needs and that you have good growing conditions for it. Look at your Italian herbs as something more than a flavor enhancer for your dishes.
Your landscape will also benefit from such a beautiful garden. The herbs color and aroma will add to the outside of your home. You will feel like you are standing in a garden in Italy, once you plant some Italian herbs among your other vegetables. You will easily be able to imagine a walk on a hill in Italy.
Let’s Start – Herb Garden Plants
Herb plants are categorized based on their growth patterns, just like other plants. Some herb plants are biennials while some are perennial growers, while still some are annuals. If you wish to make use of a specific variety of herb plant, the first thing that you should do is to find out as much about the herb plant as you can.
Find out a bit about the history of the plant, where it grows, how it grows and of course, its uses. By figuring out the basic uses of the different herb plants, you would be able to mold your herb garden based on what you want.
Remember that the climate can really affect the growth (or death) of herb plants. In a way, several of the most popular herb plants (basil, summery savory and cilantro) succumb easily to frost. Frost isn’t merely a drop in temperature; bitter cold winds that come regularly at night can also be the cause of the death of herb plants.
Have you ever encountered biennial plants? Biennial plants produce their leaves during the first season of planting while the coveted leaves and the all-important flowers are produced the next season. The soil needs to be fine but still needs a bit of moisture. The rows should not be too deep (the finer the seeds, the less soil you need). Organic mulches can be applies to retain the moisture of the soil during the vital germination phase, if you are using seeds.
You can buy herb and herb seeds based on their uses. The most popular use of the herb plants are of course as spices. Leaves, stems, seeds and roots are all used around the world to make dishes even more special. Marjoram, sage and thyme are used in Europe to make great pizzas, whole meals, etc. Herbs are simply one of the most useful things in the kitchen, regardless of your specialty in cooking.
There are also aromatic herb plants that are used to create fragrant foliages and shades at home. These special aromatic herb plants contain oils that can be extracted and added to special fragrant products such as toilet water and even great perfumes! Potpourri can also be created from some aromatic herb plants, and potpourri often lasts longer. Did you know that the humble lavender has been in use for decades because of its simple, fragrant smell?
Some herb plants are also known because of their medicinal functions; however, herbs are by no means harmless when ingested. You have to consult first with a knowledgeable source before you eat raw herbs for any malady. Just like prescription drugs, herb plants can be just as potent and can produce real effects on the body. If you can consult with a doctor prior to using an herbal plant regimen, we highly recommend it.
Let’s not forget that some herbal plants are most appreciated for their appearance. Like orchids and other plants, some herbal plants produce beautiful flowers with color that run the gamut from pure white to brilliant blue. Flowers like valerian are among the herb plants that are ornamental, too. The small flowers produced can be placed alongside other ornamental plants. Don’t forget that some herb plants are also multi-functional because they can be used for both pest control and for tea. The common mint plant is a good example of these multi-functional herb plants.
Tips on Harvesting Your Herbs
Many people at enjoy the luxury of having their own home herb garden point in their life. Home-grown herbs are wonderful to have at your fingertips, especially for cooking. Starting your own home herb garden takes a little effort in the beginning, but the delicious, fresh herbs are definitely worth a little investment of your time..
Part of taking proper care of your home herb garden is harvesting the herbs. It’s important to pick your herb at the proper time of the day, because the flavor of the herbs can be adversely affected by the elements.
It is best if your herbs are harvested on a mild, rainless day. Rainless day are preferred because herb plant produces less flavorful oil on wet days. It is also better to try to harvest early in the morning, before the sun dries the dew.
Be careful not to pull the whole plant out of the grown when harvesting and only harvest enough for your immediate use. It is also important that you not harvest more than one third of the plant. Herbs need their leaves to collect energy in order to grow back. Pay attention to any imperfections or bugs before gathering the herbs.
If you have an abundance of herbs that you can not use right away, there are a variety of storage option for future use such as drying; putting in the freezer; or storing them in salt or vinegar.
A few hints about drying herbs:
Gather a small amount of stems together, at least six, and strip any leaves from the bottoms before drying.
Collect these stems together with a string.
Keep drying herbs in a cool, dark area.
Drying separate leaves are easy to preserve on a screen or rack in the pantry. When drying leaves individually, make sure to turn them regularly so they can dry evenly.
Many new gadgets like dehydrators and microwaves can help dry your herbs quicker, but are not necessarily as flavorful as naturally drying them.
Another easy way to keep fresh herbs is to freeze them. First cut your herbs and lay them out on a paper lined baking sheet. After the initial freezing, you can gather the herbs and put them in a bag so they will take up less space in your freezer. You can also keep your herbs fresh by using another material. Some herbs will last for months if they are just covered with a little vinegar to keep them.
Another wonderful way to keep herbs is to layer them with salt, this way you get flavored salt to cook with as well. After the herbs have dried, you can separate the leaves from the salt and keep both in sealed containers.
The best way by far to enjoy fresh herbs is right from the garden. Make sure your herbs are washed properly before use. It is easy to clean herbs using just a bowl and some cold water. In cases where you have a lot of herbs, the sink is often a good bet.
Salt can be used to get rid of stubborn insects without killing the herbs. Just add two tablespoons of salt to the water before rinsing the herbs. Then simply use your handy salad spinner to dry them up.
There are a many varieties of herbs and all herbs have different ways they can be used. Each herb also has specific requirements for harvesting, preparing and storing them. To most fully enjoy your home herb garden, learn about the special requirements of your plants and how to best preserve them for future use. This way, you will always have your own home grown herbs at your fingertips and will be able to enjoy them year round.
Getting Started: Herb Garden Information
Herbs may well be one of the oldest and most useful plants that mankind has had the pleasure of discovering. In modern times, herbs have been placed exclusively as irreplaceable aids in the kitchen as spices and flavor enhancers. But did you know that the herbs we use and enjoy now have been in use since the time of the mighty pharaohs of Egypt?
Even during the so-called Dark Ages of Europe saw the rise in importance of herbs (and consequently, spices). The herbs themselves have an assortment of uses, from improving the flavor of a dish to healing common health woes like fever. Herbal plants are also very flexible; they can occupy a small garden plot or they can grow well in small containers located in your windowsill in the kitchen.
Most herbs require light soil that can accommodate some amount of airflow; organic matter should be used if the soil is very dense. As for the amount of sunlight that herbs should receive, we are happy to report that herbs are not fickle with the space that you put them in. Though it would be a good idea to find out whether a particular herb likes the sun more, you can place that plant in a spot in your garden where the afternoon sun is the brightest.
As for diseases and pests, you won’t have to worry much about your herbs. Some low-growing species may receive some unwanted attention from insects like the red spider mites. Aphids, the bane of all plants, can attack caraway and anise during the hottest months of the year.
Are you interested in planting herbs now? You can either go to a reputable grower for some transplants or you can just buy the seeds of the herbs that you want. From hereon you can begin to build a working knowledge of the specific herbs that would later flourish in your garden.
From the sowing to the natural death of the plants, we can assure you that every minute spent in the garden would be time well spent. Now, just make sure that you always protect your herbs from frost or any dips in temperature. A small planter’s box would suffice; place it in your greenhouse alongside other plants. Now, remember that herbs do not require lots of soil to grow well. The smaller the seeds, the shallower the soil must be.
Now, apart from the light, airy soil, it is also important to remember that fertilizers are not a strict requirement for herbs. If you can add natural organic matter like dried manure or compost material that would be fine. You can consult with your horticulturist for special advice if you think your soil’s per hydrogen (pH) level is too alkaline or too acidic.
During the springtime is time to bring out your plants. To prevent transplant shock, you can choose to acclimatize your plants first before leaving them completely outside. Acclimatizing plants for transplant shock prevention can be done by leaving the plants outside until early evening and bringing them back again. However, there are some plants like dill and anise that need to be planted directly unto the garden soil. Check the instructions and care guide at the back of the seed packet to check if this is the case with your own herbs.
What we have given you is just the tip of the iceberg; to become really successful in organic, herbal gardening, you need more practical know-how (and some technical knowledge). Your voyage to the world of herbal gardening starts here; we wish you the best of luck!
