Instead of planting a big outdoor herb garden consider planting one indoors. Many smaller varieties and dwarf varieties of herbs grow quite well in small pots that can be placed on a kitchen window sill. Now when you are cooking you do not have to run to your outside garden to pick a few herbs to add to your cooking. You can just simply turnaround and grab a few leaves!
Growing your own indoor herb garden is easy. Many kits are available that have everything that you need to get started. Look for the chia herb garden which is a fun way to get the kids involved too. With an indoor herb garden you can enjoy the same benefits that you would outside but with a few distinct advantages.
Advantages Of An Indoor Herb Garden
Monitoring your plants with an indoor herb garden is easy. If they need any maintenance you will notice quickly. If they need a quick misting you can accomplish the task with little effort. Outdoor gardens are more frequently overlooked. You will not have issues with bugs eating the leaves of your herbs indoors. You will not have to contend with trying to find a safe chemical that can be used to treat your herbs to keep bugs away.
You can do it within the comfort of your own home when it is time to harvest all of your fresh herbs. You will not have to deal with mosquitoes or other bugs while you are trying to garden.
When you plant an indoor herb garden you can bring in the wonderful fragrance that they provide. Now your kitchen will smell delicious like fresh basil or rosemary. Being surrounded by the fragrances of an indoor herb garden might even inspire your cooking. Any meals you do cook will now taste even better as you will be able to add fresh herbs instead of dried herbs that have been sitting in a cabinet.
Having an indoor herb garden will also protect any other plants that might be in your garden. Some species of herbs are known to be extremely invasive. Once they start growing they are hard to stop and before you know it your herb garden has taken over. By planting your herbs in small individual pots inside you can control its spreading.
Plants can make indoor spaces feel warm and cozy. Why not add a few practical plants to your kitchen to achieve the same result. You can generate an inviting atmosphere while growing herbs to use in your cooking.
American pioneers from the time of the Mayflower cultivated and used herbs for everything from seasoning to cures for illnesses to making perfumes. As time went on and dried herbs became more readily available, herb cultivation fell out of practice. Current medical technology doesn’t rely directly on treatment with specific herbs. The cosmetic and perfume industries manufacture most of the lotions, soaps and perfumes. However, In the last couple of decades ethnic foods have become fashionable and people are beginning to cultivate herbs again.
Successfully growing herbs depends on properly managing the following:
1) Location 2) Soil 3) Site preparation 4) Drainage 5) Pest Containment
The first step to successful herb gardening is deciding on the site. Size depends on the variety of herbs you wish to cultivate. A good size for a kitchen garden site should be about 4 feet by 20 feet. Diagram the area and label each segment for the herb you wish to grow. Be sure to separate the annual and perennial herbs.
When selecting a site, drainage is the most important feature. Herbs will not grow in wet soil. The soil need not be especially fertile. Very fertile soil will grow big plants without much flavor. The soil should be essentially neutral, neither heavy on the acid nor alkaline. If, however, the soil does not drain well, remove 15 to 18 inches of soil and put in a 3 inch layer of gravel and replace the soil. The soil will now drain more efficiently. A ph factor of around 6.5 produces excellent herbs.
Once the soil has been selected and proper drainage is ensured; it is time to prepare the soil. Remove 12 to 18 inches of the top soil. Make sure the sub soil is not hard or compacted. If it is, work in sphagnum peat or organic material to loosen it up. Mix the top soil with sphagnum peat and sand or composting material to make certain it is workable and will maintain moisture. Replace the top soil with a few inches more than was taken off to allow for the garden to settle once it is planted.
Be on the lookout for garden insects and or diseases. Aphids, spider mites, grass hoppers, caterpillars, and rust can come your way. Be sure to treat for these pests and diseases at the first sign of infection. Don’t allow any of them to get the upper hand and ruin you herb garden.
Herb gardening is easy as long as you follow a few directions and take the steps necessary to ensure success. Be sure to plan you garden first, then select the for location, size, and soil features. Once these tasks have been successfully accomplished, prepare the site by assuring proper drainage. Make certain the subsoil and top soil are prepared with adequate organic materials and control the pests and plant diseases.
Herb gardening is fun and provides a sense of accomplishment. Also, herb gardening provides you with fresh herbs for food preparation in your kitchen. No more of those dried herbs.
Both Jeff Glasser & Steve Buchanan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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