How to Plant an Outdoor Herb Garden
Vegetable gardens give summer-long harvests for the kitchen. They rarely grow alone, though. Annual and perennial herbs require the same sun, temperature and soil conditions as summertime fruit and vegetable plants, and grow as valuable companions to the larger garden. Many herbs repel insects and pests, to keep larger vegetable plants safe. Measure out a second herb garden to start when the frost lifts and night time temperatures reach 65 degrees F in the spring. Annual herbs are frost sensitive and require warm growing seasons. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Measure out 10 to 20 square feet of space for the herb garden. Select a site with full sun exposure and good air circulation. Most herbs need at least six hours of full sun every day to grow and produce their tasty leaves.
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Amend the soil throughout the herb garden. Turn over the top 10 inches of soil, remove rocks and weeds, and even out high and low spots. Herbs need quick drainage and good air movement to grow. Mix 3 to 4 inches of organic compost into the tilled soil to give herbs rich, loose and moist soil. Don't add fertilizer; herb flavor grows weak with too much rich nutrition.
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Plant common annual herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, mint, rosemary, anise, parsley, dill and chives, and choose your individual kitchen favorites. Plant each herb at cultivar-specific spacing, and keep in mind that some herbs do better as seeds. Plant two to three seeds or seedlings of each variety for a consistent harvest through the summer.
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Water the herb garden with 2 inches of water every week to keep soil consistently moist. Lay 1 inch of organic mulch over the soil to protect the herbs from weeds and drying.
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Tips & Warnings
Harvest herbs through the season. Cut pieces of foliage off, but leave the plants to continue growing.
Most herbs fail in frost and grow only as annuals.
References
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