The start of the summer means saying hello to farmers markets, delicious produce, and lots of light, herby meals. If you wish you had more herbs lying around your home to cook with, we are going to give you the best tips on how to start your own herb garden. This way, you don’t have to wait until Saturday or Sunday each week to visit your local farmers market. You can learn to grow your favorite herbs in the comfort of your own home whether you live in an apartment, townhouse, or home with a backyard.
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How do you start an herb garden?
Starting an herb garden sounds scary, especially if you’ve never really grown fresh plants or herbs before. But as long as you follow the simple needs of plants and get the right gardening equipment, it won’t be hard to grow your own little garden. You should be motivated to start an herb garden because you will have to put in some work up front and then check in on your plants periodically. Everything will fall into place once you have all supplies.
Steps for starting an herb garden
Supplies:
- Herb seeds of your choice.
- Pots or containers
- Protective liners
- Potting soil
- Trowel
Steps:
- If you are planting outside, look for a sunny area
- Pick out the herbs you want
- Grab your pots and place protective liners inside
- Grab half a cup of soil and put it in the pot to fill up only half away.
- Grab your seeds and place them in the soil in the middle
- Grab more soil to fill the pot up to the liner
- Go outside where you will be planting the herbs and grab your trowel to dig a hole the size of the pot
- Once you have dug a deep enough hole that fits the pot, place the pot inside the whole
- Put back the dirt around the pot inside the hole until you can’t see the pot
- Ensure to water your herbs by following or looking up the directions listed on the herbs packet
- Prune regularly (take off any stems or buds that are not needed)
- Once your herb garden has grown, you can cut off small pieces to use in your home cooking
When should you start an herb garden?
If you want to learn how to start your own herb garden, look into the difference between cool and warm weather herbs. The Gradenuity Blog explains how each herb can have a different climate that is best for growth. For cool weather herbs, the best time is September through February. Examples of cool weather herbs include mint and chives. On the other hand, as you might expect, warm weather herbs are best grown in February through September. Warm weather herbs include basil, dill, and cilantro.
What is the easiest herb to grow?
The easiest herb to grow is sage because the plant doesn’t demand much care. It is one of the few herbs that won’t lose flavor even after flowering. It has a long growing season, which makes it easy to use over time. Plus, sage does have a complex flavor that is worth adding to your food to make it more flavorful.
What 3 herbs grow well together?
The best three herbs to grow together are cilantro, tarragon, and basil. According to The Gardening Channel, certain herbs pair well with each other based on how they grow. These three herbs can be planted next to each other because they all require sun and lots of moisture. As long as you water them at the same time, you will have amazing herbs at the end of the season.
How to start your own herb garden in an apartment vs. house
When you are looking into how to start your own herb garden, the first thing to look at is your space. There is no real restriction as long as you have a window sill that gets sunlight every day. However, there are a few factors to consider when gardening in an apartment as opposed to a house. First off, which herbs grow best in each space?
| Apartment | House |
| Basil Chives Mint Oregano Rosemary | Can grow any herbs depending on season |
Other factors to consider include indoor or outdoor access and clean up. Specifically, when in an apartment, see if there is a potential shared outdoor area where you can plant your bigger, potentially messy herbs. If not, find a window sill or spot on the counter that still gets exposure to light and keep your herbs in a small, contained area. If you live in a house with a backyard, you’re probably better off planting outside. However, that does mean you have to pay attention to seasonal changes and animals that might try to eat your herbs. However, you won’t have a limitation as to how many herbs you grow.
How to grow an herb garden in your apartment?
The easiest way to grow an herb garden in your apartment is to develop them in a water-based system.
Supplies:
- Herb seeds of your choice.
- Pots or containers
- Protective liners
- Potting soil
- A grow light for an apartment if natural light is lacking.
Steps:
- Pick out the herbs you want
- Grab your pots and place protective liners inside
- Grab half a cup of soil and put it in the pot to fill up only half away
- Grab your seeds and place them in the soil in the middle
- Grab more soil to fill the pot up to the liner
- Place the planets near a window with lots of natural light in your apartment. If you don’t have a place like that, it is ok because you can get Planet Growing Lamp from Amazon that will work as well as natural light
- Water is regularly based on the instructions for your herbs on the packet
- Watch them for pests that may get in there from time to time
- Prune regularly, which is taking off any stems or buds that are not needed
Is it cheaper to grow or buy herbs?
It is cheaper to grow your herbs than to buy them. When you buy herbs from the store, they tend to go bad faster, which leads you to go back to the store to purchase more. When you grow your own herbs, you don’t have to worry about that because as long as you take care of your plant and keep it from dying, you will always have fresh herbs at your disposal.
Do herbs grow better in pots or the ground?
Most herbs grow better in pots or containers. Specifically, a mint herb should be grown in a pot because it will become invasive if you grow them in the garden. Some herbs can be grown outdoors and are beneficial because they produce a much larger yield when planted in a bigger space. If you need to produce many herbs, your best bet would be planting a bunch outside in the ground.
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What are the benefits of growing your own herbs?
One of the benefits of learning how to start your own herb garden is learning your way around plants. Herbs are easy to start with because it takes minimal effort to do and keep up with. Herbs are also very good for you and can be great additions to healthy meals. You’ll save money by growing your own and no longer have to throw away bad herbs. It’s less stressful to plan out your meals when you know you have an herb garden to select from at any point. It makes for one less trip to the grocery store.
Overall, we hope everything we have provided on starting your herb garden helps you get started. It is a great hobby to pick up, especially if you love to cook. When you have fresh herbs on hand at all times, you never have to worry about dressing up your next meal.