Tips For Growing Herbs In An Indoor Or Outdoor Garden
Almost everyone uses herbs of some kind in their cooking, but fresh herbs are sometimes difficult to find so many people end up using dried herbs. Growing herbs yourself is easy to do and has numerous benefits such as the cost of growing them is less than buying dried, they do require a lot of care and they provide a great aroma during the growing process.
Most herbs require a fair amount of sunshine to help the grow, however, an herb garden can be grown anywhere, from a few small containers in the kitchen window to a large outdoor herb garden, wherever there is sunshine.
The majority of herbs will thrive better in dry and sunny areas, the hotter the growing site, the better the herb will taste. When herbs get a lot of sun and heat, they will produce a greater concentration of the essential oils found in the herb. Herbs can be grown in rich, moist soil and this type of growing will accelerate the growth, but the flavor will be milder.
Growing Herbs Outdoors
Herbs that are grown in an outdoor garden can be planted along with vegetables in the same garden. The preparation for the soil and the seedbed is the same process as for planting a vegetable garden. If seedlings are preferred, they also can be planted in the outdoor garden, after they have been “sprouted” indoors.
For herbs such as basil or coriander, they will become more hardy when started indoors and then planted in the outdoor garden. When planting herbs in an outdoor garden, the area must have good sunlight and they must be tended to occasionally such as removing the flower heads from mint.
Mint is typically grown indoors because it spreads very quickly, if not tended to. The majority of herbs can be started from seed, such as basil which does better from seed than from plants, however, lavender grows better when planted as a small plant as opposed to from seed. When herbs are grown in an outdoor garden they should have adequate sun, water and fertilizer.
There are a variety of pros to growing herbs in an outdoor garden such as they can be planted in the same bed as vegetables, they will receive a large amount of sun, the care is very minimal and you can plant a larger amount of several different herbs than what can be grown indoors. Herbs can also be grown outdoors in pots or containers. The most important process of growing them in pots outdoors, is to make sure the soil does not dry out. A raised bed is great for herb growing because of the excellent drainage they provide.
Growing Herbs Indoors
A kitchen garden or an indoor herb garden will produce a good quantity of excellent tasting herbs, when they are grown in an area that receives plenty of sun. One of the best benefits from having an indoor herb garden, is you can use the kitchen waste can be converted to organic fertilizer.
Having herbs grown in the kitchen makes it very convenient when cooking and they produce a fantastic aroma and pretty colored flowers while growing. If you decide to grow herbs indoors, the first step is to decide the type of herbs your family would get the most enjoyment from. The herbs that grow best indoors are chives, basil, parsley, mint, sweet marjoram and rosemary.
Other herbs will grow indoors, however, these will thrive the best and produce a larger and better quality of herb. Planting indoors is similar to growing a house plant, in that you simply need to provide the plants with adequate water, sun and fertilizer. If you make frequent small clippings of the herb as opposed to one large clipping, they will produce a larger concentration of the oils and provide more new growth.
Growing Herbs from Seeds and Seedlings
There are benefits to using both seeds and seedlings for your herb garden. Planting seeds will take longer for them to sprout a seedling and if you are using seeds, you either need to start the germination process prior to planting, if you live in a cooler climate or wait until late spring to plant the seeds outdoors.
The soil must be kept moist or the seeds will not sprout. Seeds are typically less expensive than seedlings, however, the growth rate takes longer. Seedlings can be planted indoors or outdoors and you do not have to wait for the seed to become a seedling. Seedlings also often produce a hardier plant than seeds do.
A hydroponic system uses water to dissolve nutrients and prevents soil-borne diseases and pests because there is no soil used in the growing process. When using a hydroponic system for growing herbs, the herbs respond very well to being grown with a hydroponic system and they can be grown either indoors or outdoors with the system.
If you want to begin growing plants during the colder months, they should be started indoors. A hydroponic system provides the herbs with all of the moisture they need for healthy growth, so if they are used in an environment with excessive moisture, the plants could become over saturating and die.
When you grow herbs with a hydroponic system it eliminates the worry about the condition of the soil and you will not have to worry about pests invading your herb garden. Once you have harvested the first growth of herbs grown with a hydroponic system, it is recommended that they be re-grown under a natural growing method. The hydroponic system helps the herbs develop a great deal of essential oils which will improve the taste.