Fresh herbs are the ultimate when it comes to cooking and many people today want them. What better way to enjoy fresh herbs in your kitchen than the ones that take just a few minutes. There are no deep, dark secrets when it comes to growing herbs. In fact, herbs are actually very easy to grow and you don’t need a huge space to grow them either. Most herbs can be grown in an area no larger than a window box. Actually, a planter box would be an ideal place to grow a kitchen herb garden. There is enough space to grow parsley, basil, sage or cilantro and it can all be in a compact container just outside the kitchen door.
Many herbs can even be grown on a sunny window sill in the house. The trick is to keep the weeds collected and start new ones before the plants start to get too woody. Basil is an excellent window plant. When growing herbs indoors or out, remember two things: First, herbs don’t like a lot of fertilizer, and most herbs like moist soil, but it needs to dry out quickly.
How about an herb garden in a strawberry jar? Plant the top with a tall herb like dill, then fill in the side with creeping plants like oregano, creeping thyme, or creeping rosemary. They will grow out the sides and hang down. just remember to keep trailing plants trimmed back to keep producing new leaves. You can substitute the plant on top with something else, like sage, if you like.
When planting herbs like cilantro and basil, it’s good to do successive plantings about 3 weeks apart so you’ll have fresh leaves during the growing season. Cilantro and basil will set seeds quickly if they are not picked frequently and the flowers removed.
The main thing that most herbs have in common is that they don’t like wet feet and don’t really need fertilizer as I mentioned above. The fertilizer will change the growth habits of the herbs and affect their strength and flavor. Good soil will provide all the necessary nutrients to grow a productive herb garden. Also be careful what you plant as some weeds can get quite aggressive and take over the entire area impacting everything else. Mint is a perfect example. Mint is very invasive so if you want to grow it I suggest growing it in a container and never in the ground.
A good herb garden will pay big dividends as your family and friends will enjoy the great flavor coming out of your kitchen. You’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re using fresh, homegrown herbs to feed them.