How to Take Care of an Herb Garden

Technically an herb is any soft-stemmed plant that dies after flowering, but for herbalists and gardeners, herbs have come to represent a wide range of plants grown for their culinary, medicinal or aromatic properties. Grown in specially prepared beds, often located near the entrance of the home, herb gardens provide easy access to fresh herbs and create a striking display of color, texture and scent. Once established, they are easy to care for.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Garden tools
• Mulch
• All-purpose fertilizer
• 1 gallon can

1. Provide adequate water. Although many herbs are drought tolerant and do not require regular watering, all plants need water to survive. Water when the soil dries or you observe signs of wilting. The amount water required varies. Always refer to the watering needs of the species you are growing.

2. Weed the bed regularly to prevent weeds from overtaking the bed. Weeds are aggressive and rapid growers that can quickly overshadow your herbs, robbing them of nutrients and moisture. Pull them from the roots when they are small to avoid disturbing the roots of herbs.

3. Mulch around herbs to maintain even moisture and to reduce weeds. Not only does this improve the appearance of your herb garden it improves the health too. Mulching may not be practical around herbs that you want to spread to larger areas. To maintain the size and shape of the garden mulching is a great option, ut if you prefer a more carefree and natural look, forgo the mulch.

4. Provide a barrier for aggressive herbs, like mints and oregano. Remove the ends from a 1 gallon can and insert it into the soil so the top rim is level with the surface of the soil. Plant the herb inside the can to prevent roots from spreading and new plants from emerging in other areas of your garden.

5. Trim or pinch back the center leaves of plants that have grown tall and spindly. This encourages branching and creates a bushy plant. Begin when the plant is 4 inches high and repeat as necessary to maintain the preferred size and shape.

6. Pinch out blooms if you desire to use herbs for medicinal or culinary needs. The oils in the herb weaken when it is in bloom. Blooming herbs attract bees and butterflies, and often make excellent fillers in cut flowers. The desired use of the herb determines whether you should let it bloom.

7. Fertilize lightly with all-purpose fertilizer if growth is slow or weak, but avoid fertilizing on a regular schedule. Most herbs prefer poor soil and produce more pungent soils if grown in poor dry soil. Fertilizer may provide a boost in growth and may produce more foliage, but the tradeoff is that oils will be less concentrated. Only you can decide which better meets your needs.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant herbs in a sunny location. Always follow growing instructions located on the plant identification tag or the seed packet. Not all herbs require the same care.