Culinary Herb Garden: Special Tips for A Successful Harvest
There are nothing like fresh herbs for delicious cuisine. Gourmet cooks often prefer a culinary herb garden. Planting an herb garden in full sun and near the kitchen produces both hardy plants and convenience. Adjustments may need to be made in hotter, dryer climates such as the desert. Some shade may have to be provided. Keeping herb plants separate from other plants will serve well for frequent pruning. This will also prevent herbs from getting trimmed as if they were waste or weeds. It takes patience to grow herbs. To lose them to a mistake with the grass trimmers would be disastrous.
Deciding on the herbs to plant can be a challenge. If space is not an issue then start a list of all herbs that are used in the home. For a culinary herb garden the herbs will be for cooking. Some people prefer to plant herbs in pots instead of in the ground. Either way is fine while proper drainage is provided. Preparing the pot or ground is essential for healthy herb growth. Soil pH levels may need to be tested to determine if the soil is conducive to healthy growth. The use of compost can bring soil to the correct pH level.
Compost may serve best for starting herb plants. Work into the soil and keep the soil loose. If the soil tends to stick like clay or crumble like sand then there is a pH issue. Until this balance is perfected, herbs will not grow well. Healthy soil will provide the air and water balance for a successful culinary herb garden. Compost or mulch makes a nutritious ground cover to help growth without the use of chemicals. Be sure to plant herbs with similar growth needs close together. This makes the care easier.
Before purchasing herb plants, consider using seeds. Some herbs do best with planting directly in the culinary herb garden. Others do well with starting indoors and transplanting. Due to the delicate nature of seeds, it is best to spray them with water. Saturating the soil may cause the seeds to come up. Some herbs such as lavender grow from cuttings. Pest control is not a big problem with herbs. Some herbs are natural repellents. Garlic is sometimes planted by roses, to repel pests. Aphids and red spider mites are the worse culprits. Spraying with a mixture of Castile soap and water prevent this problem.
Growing a culinary herb garden offers beauty, fragrance and functional use. Enjoying the taste difference keeps many herb gardeners motivated.
