How to Grow a Chinese Herb Garden

Chinese herbs can soothe common ailments and diseases such as hypertension, digestive problems and infections. Growing a Chinese herb garden isn't as difficult as you may think. It requires rich soil that drains well. It's also wise to have access in your garden to both sun and shade.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Seeds for Chinese herbs
• Gardening tools
• Rich soil
• Sunlight and shade

1. Include Astragalus or Huang Qi in your garden, a Chinese herb that helps your immune system. Make sure there's adequate drainage and plenty of sunshine for this perennial.

2. Plant ginger for stomach problems. Make sure you've got rich soil that drains well and a place of indirect sunlight in your garden.

3. Make room in your garden for a gingko tree. It can grow up to 125 feet and withstands insects, diseases and pollution. You'll see the leaves turn gold in the fall.

4. Plant licorice or Gan Cao in rich soil where you can water it easily until it's grown in. Then let the heat of summer sweeten it and use it to make bitter medicinal herbs go down easier.

5. Use Baikal skullcap or Huang qin to decorate your garden. It's a perennial that treats a host of common ailments like diarrhea, urinary tract infections and hypertension.

6. Include Fo-Ti in your Chinese herb garden for liver and kidney health and good blood functioning. It's a hardy plant but prefers moist soil and some sun.

7. Set up a shady place for the Ginseng in your garden. This perennial can help you get your energy back.

Tips & Warnings

• Take care when using Ginseng and limit use to 3 weeks at a stretch to avoid headaches, restlessness and high blood pressure.
• Dong Quai isn't an easy plant to grow in a Chinese herb garden because it requires just the right amount of moisture.