Home Herb Garden Advice

If you are looking information on Herb container Gardening, I would assume by now you have already decided on growing herbs in your home. You must be debating where to grow herbs in pots, containers or in your backyard. What place to use backyard, balcony, patio or use hanging herb baskets to grow herbs? All these questions are valid and useful to think in advance before drafting plan for herb container gardening.

The first point is to set your garden size, regardless if you are growing indoor or outdoor. In case you are using indoor space such as close to kitchen or in your balcony etc. Note down dimensions of your area to be used for growing herbs. Divide marked area into manageable containers size. The popular containers used in indoor herb garden are 5-10 inches deep containers or 6″ cup for individual herb plant. In case you want to differentiate between herbs grow them in cluster in separate containers such as mint in one container and parsley in another container. You can also label your individual plant cups for easy identification.

The 10 or 12″ can accommodate up to 4 herbs. You can grow 4 herbs of same type or variety in one container. Depending upon the size of the area you are using for herb garden you can add more containers. Ensure proper drainage is there in containers and are placed close to sunshine area. They need few hours of sunshine to survive.

The real result of growing herbs will depend upon how well you design herb garden, what size of containers you use, how well you use potting soil and how well plants are given water and sunshine. Also not all herb plants can be grown in container, some plants are grow tall such as “Dill”, you don’t want small trees in your kitchen. All these factors are important in growing herbs in container. One of the reasons why herbs containers are placed close to kitchen is that you will see them when you are cooking. This will ensure their use in your daily cooking.

The best practice is to first seed the herbs in individual plant cups, usually 6″ inch long. Wait for few days to week to let baby plant come out. Keep container ready with soil and make right depth for plant transplant from plant cup to container. Peel outer layer of plant cup without disturbing plant root and place it in herb container. Place soil around the plant in container. Ensure right amount of water is given to planted herb. Too much or little water can destroy the plant. Once all plant precautions are taken results will be in front of you in form of healthy herb plants.

Author: Sanjay Kak
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Coriandrum sativum (Umbelliferae)

Appearance:

The entire plant makes a decorative addition to the herb border– it may also be cultivated in pots quite successfully – and will reach a height of 45 cms (1.5 ft). The lower leaves are fan-like (similar to flat-leafed parsley), upper leaves are filigreed and the tiny flowers in high summer are a pinkish mauve.

Description:

Coriander has developed into 2 distinct categories – the seeds and the leaves. Despite the seeds being cultivated and used for over 3000 years, the leaves were virtually unknown in the West as a culinary entity up until the mid 20th century; coriander leaves are now reputed to be in the top 5 most popular herbs worldwide. Once seldom listed in herb garden information brochures, fresh coriander has come into it’s own at last.

Known variously as silantro, coriander and dhania – depending on your country of residence – the leaves of coriander have taken the world by storm. Before the seed ripens the entire plant can be distinctly odorous, but on maturity the rich aroma develops.

Usage:

For the best flavour, seed should be freshly ground shortly before use. In Indian cooking the seed is roasted before being ground for use and the leaves are used either in a curry or as a garnish – or even both. Seeds are often added to a potpourri mix.

History:

The rounded beige seeds of coriander are best known as a flavouring for pickles and curries in both Europe and America. But in India and the Far East green coriander seed – or the fresh foliage – accounts for one of the distinctive curry flavours. This foliage version is happily becoming a must-have item in western supermarkets.

A native of southern Europe and the Middle East, coriander used to be a popular herb in England up to Tudor times. The early settlers in America included coriander seed among the beloved items they took to the New World, as did the Spaniards in Mexico. Today, coriander enjoys a wide popularity. However, among certain groups it still has mythical associations – the Chinese believe it to be endowed with the power of immortality and Jews include it in the bitter herbs prepared for the Feast of Passover.

Cultivation:

Coriander grows best in a dry atmosphere – in fact it is difficult to grow in damp or humid areas, and needs a good dry summer at the very least if a reasonable crop is to be obtained. Choose a sunny place and sow seed in situ once all danger of frost has passed. Alternatively, sow into decorative containers and continue to cultivate as a container plant on an apartment balcony, sunny patio or yard. The stems are weak – either add a stake or give it a companion to lean against. Coriander makes a good Winter crop, depending on local climate. Where I live, a dry warm Winter gives good results and we indulge in many hot curries with coriander garnishing.

Harvesting:

Sprigs can be frozen or preserved in salt and oil; fresh leaf coriander does not dry successfully. The best flavour is obtained by using leaves soon after picking.

Author: Pete Steel
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Cultivating an organic home herb garden has many benefits and the best part about it is that its really easy to accomplish! Herbs serve many purposes in our lives and are predominantly known for their culinary and medicinal value. Specific herbs can help to treat colds, help to relax aching muscles and add flavor to some of your favorite dishes.

An herb in short is defined as a flowering plant. Herbs contain vitamins and minerals and are high quality food that has been on the planet earth since the beginning of times. Herbs are an absolute staple in many household that are aware of their powerful benefits. In some cultures herbs were valued so much that they were used as currency. Long ago our ancestors used herbs in special sacred ceremonies and these customs are still being carried out today amongst many cultures worldwide.

An organic herb garden can be grown both inside and outside. There are pros and cons to each which we will discuss here. When cultivating an herb garden indoors some advantages are that there is no weeding, your herbs can be grown all year round, and you will have easy access to your herbs right at fingertips. Some of the disadvantages of growing your herbs indoors are that your herbs can sometimes be less flavorful, not as much space and you will have lower yields.

Now we will discuss the advantages of growing your herbs outdoors. First, you will have higher yields, you will have more space to grow and your herbs will be more flavorful. The disadvantage to this approach is that weeding is required, you will have seasonal growing and having to deal with winterizing, and you will too have to go outside to access your herbs.

You can choose to grown your herbs in containers and have the best of both worlds. This will allow your herbs to spend time growing outdoors and when the temperature changes and gets cold you can transport your herbs indoors. When growing your herbs outdoors you need ensure that your herbs are in a good area to where they can receive a healthy amount of sunlight (at least four hours). When growing indoors you want to make sure the same principle applies and place your herbs in a widow sill or a very bright area so that they can perform at their best.

Although most herbs enjoy well-drained soil some do not and cannot tolerate it so be mindful of this when starting your garden and pay special attention to each herbs specific needs.

The amount of water your plant will need is determined by many things. To know if your herb plant needs water the simplest practice to adopt is to stick your finger in the soil and if it is moist your okay if not you need to water your plant. You may also use a soil moisture meter for more accuracy in determining when to water your plants.

If you over-water your plants they are not going to like it and you are going to have a problem on your hands. Over watering can cause root rot and mold. So, following the guidelines above will keep you safe and your plants happy.

Wishing you all the best!

Author: Janet Suzalski
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When it comes to choosing herb garden plants, we often classify them in terms of use, for instance for cooking, flavoring and other culinary uses; for scent in cosmetics or in the home; or for medicinal purposes. Then we plant the different types of herbs together, depending on how we plan to use them.

However there are many herbs that have multiple uses, so these categories are not that cut and dried. In addition to use or function, we can classify herbs in terms of their growing habits, or the way they grow. These range from ground covers and creeping herbs to trees. For example pennyroyal, thyme, oregano and sweet marjoram are all ground creeping herbs. Then there are many shrubs and a few trees, the bay (Laurus nobilis) for example. And other herbs that are bulbs, including garlic, onions and the various chives.

On top of this, we also classify herbs in the normal plant categories, as being either:

• annuals, which are plants that complete their life cycle in a single year,
• biennials, which are plants that complete their life cycle in two years, usually growing in the first year and flowering in the second, or
• perennials, that last for longer than two years, often for many years.

We either grow annuals from seed or plant them as larger seedlings. Since they only last a season, there is not much point in planting established plants, unless you want an immediate harvest. Popular annuals include:

• Chervil, a particularly hardy annual used to flavor savory dishes, and eaten to aid digestion,
• Coriander, a popular flavoring in Indian and Thai food,
• Dill, which has fine threadlike leaves and develops umbels of yellow flowers, followed by aromatic seeds that we use for cooking and pickling,
• Rocket, popular in sandwiches and salads, and
• Sweet Basil, used for cooking, as well as raw in salads and in pesto, and also for medicinal and antiseptic purposes

Popular biennial herbs include:

• Angelica, that will grow more than 6 feet tall, and which is used mainly for cake decoration or to flavor stewed fruit,
• Borage (Borago officinalis), which if harvested when the leaves are young, is good in salad, although the flowers are probably more popular in salads and drinks,
• Burdock, which may be used for making beer (the leaves) or for skin and scalp problems (the root),
• wild Celery which is often used in soups, but also has valuable medicinal properties, and
• all species of parsley.

Popular perennial herbs include:

• Caraway, which grows like carrots, and may be cooked like carrots, although the seeds are more commonly used for flavoring food,
• the Curry plant, which is a half-hardy perennial with more smell than taste,
• Echinacea, a hardy, herbaceous perennial that is widely used for medicinal purposes,
• Fennel, which tastes a bit like dill and produces similar umbel-type flowers, but is a lot more hardy than dill,
• Horseradish, which is delicious in sauces and good for digestion,
• Juniper, a scrubby evergreen perennial usually grown for its berries,
• Lavender, another shrubby evergreen perennial that has multiple uses from flavoring and scent to medicinal uses,
• Marsh Mallow, that grows in marshy ground (hence its name) and is mostly used for medicinal purposes, and
• most of the Origanum species, which includes O. Majorana, also known as sweet marjoram, although marjoram is normally planted as an annual.

Author: Henry Thomas
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I grew up around plants. My mother has always gardened (on a rather large scale), and my grandmother owned and operated a greenhouse. As an adult, I have planted a lot of herbs, vines and trees. I may have a postage stamp of a lawn, but I still grow plenty of my own food and medicinal plants. Here are five easy to grow plants that will help keep you healthy.

Chamomile: This plant does better if it can be outside. If you have a balcony or hanging basket, it would be perfect. It loves being in the ground as well, and it needs full sun. It’s a member of the aster family, so the flowers look like tiny daisies.

The flowers are the part used, and they give off a faint apple smell. It’s used as a calmative, though it can also cause drowsiness. It is generally regarded as safe and can be given to children six and over. Ask your pediatrician before giving it to younger children.

Marjoram: Aside from its culinary uses, marjoram can have a healing effect on the body. It may help deal with insomnia and is also used as a decongestant. Most commonly, it is used as a digestive herb. One side benefit of this plant is that eating it on a regular basis can make your sweat spicy, which discourages bugs from biting. It does well in container gardening.

Mint: There are a lot of varieties of mint, though the most common are spearmint and peppermint. The latter is stronger, but both can be used in similar ways. They are gently stimulating and can settle an upset stomach. Sore throats and coughs can be eased either by mint hard candies ore a cup of mint tea.

This is one species I don’t recommend putting in the ground. If you decide to do so, be sure to use a root barrier, though even that may not work. Mint will send runners underground and you’ll soon find it growing in unexpected places. Usually this not a pleasant surprise, especially for the neighbors.

Parsley: While parsley is good at easing an upset stomach, it’s main use is as a diuretic. Parsley can help get rid of water weight. It is often put on the plate as a garnish, and the reason for that is that it can freshen breath. It’s also occasionally used for tardy periods.

Parsley is a biennial. It will produce leaves only the first year and go to seed at the end of the second. You may want to have two pots going at a time, one year apart and replaces as needed. Parsley is also good in container gardens.

Sage: Fair warning, under the right circumstances, this plant can be huge. I had one that could have reached six feet tall and spread out four feet long and two feet wide. We kept it trimmed back as that was more than we bargained for. It can be grown in a container, but would prefer being outdoors.

Sage is often used by herbalists to help wean children of breast feeding mothers. The sage acts as an antihydrotic, drying the milk up. It is also used for people suffering from IBS. For that, I usually simmer it in broth as sage tea by itself tastes nasty.

Author: Mary Bodel
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Believe it or not, planet earth is blessed with infinite number of herb garden plants with their magnificent set of miracle uses. In all probability, your head may reel from the very thought of choosing few herb garden plants for your herb gardens. This article is an effort to clear the clog by stating the factors that need to be considered for finalizing the finest herb garden plants.

Season Selections and Climate Considerations

Herbs thrive in tropical climates under lots of sun. Ensure that the climatic conditions are suitable for healthy growth of the herb plants. Most of the herbs have to be planted around spring and do not take kindly to frost but they thrive in summer. Keep in mind these factors while choosing the top picks of herb garden plants.

Location, Soil, and Ease of Growth

Sunlight is significant for the garden herbs to thrive and hence has to be seriously considered while choosing the best herb garden plants. Herb plants in general require 6 hours of sunlight everyday. Few herbs do not mind partial shade. Herbs can be grown indoors in pots or containers under constant conditions and need well drained soil to grow in. Most of the herbs are easy to grow while herbs like parsley and dill need more time and care.

Herb’s Raison d’etre

There should be a reason why the choicest of herb plants are occupying valuable space in your herb gardens. Basil, parsley, oregano, sage and chives add flavor to the food preparations and can be grown for their culinary uses while dill, caraway, and anise are known for their medicinal uses. Lavender, rosemary, and thyme add a dash of vibrant color, waft of scent to their surroundings, and can be used as perfumes and for ornamentation. Select those herb garden plants that are useful for you and your family in the long run.

There is a multitude of herb plants to choose from and almost all of them have lots of goodness in them to offer and each of them enrich our lives in some way or the other. Choose those that best suit your needs.

Author: Adam Johnsen
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Although parsley dresses up dinner plates and serving platters as a colorful crisp garnish, this herb is versatile in its use….and….not just for making a pretty presentation on the plate. Cultivated in gardens and growing wild around the Mediterranean region, parsley’s roots can be traced back as early as the 8th century BC, giving the parsley herb a long and varied history.

Although we currently use parsley as an herb in culinary and medicinal applications, ancient Greeks and Romans used parsley for everything but cooking and eating. The ancient Greeks would weave wreaths of parsley to crown the heads of athletic victors and used parsley in burial rituals to decorate tombs with bouquets of curly green. The ancient Romans chewed on the leaves of parsley to cleanse their breath, but feed the herb to their horses.

Parsley (petroselinum crispum) is the most commonly grown herb. There are three common types of parsley; curly leaf, Italian flat leaf and Hamburg. Most often used as a garnish, the curly leaf parsley tops the sales of parsley , even though it does not have the depth of flavor that flat leaf parsley will add to cooking. Both curly leaf and flat leaf are used frequently in soups, stews, potato dishes and sauces. Paired with chives, the parsley herb will enhance the flavor of scrambled eggs and omelets. The third type of parsley herb, Hamburg, is primarily harvested for its root. Add the Hamburg root to stews in the same manner as one would carrots and the cooked roots will classify as a vegetable, infusing a celery flavor to the dish.

Most often the parsley garnish is left behind on the plate in a restaurant, uneaten; because diners are unaware parsley herb sprigs have a purpose besides presentation. The parsley herb aids in digestion, helping to alleviate formation of flatulence. Parsley also cleanses breath when chewed after a meal and contains high quantities of vitamin A and C, plus iron and other minerals. So don’t leave the Parsley herb garnish behind, eat it up!

Author: Sandra Miracle
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There are a number of herbs that do quite well growing inside a home and there are a number of them that really do much better being grown outdoors. So in this article we will examine the characteristics of the best herbs for growing indoors. That way you’ll have a better understanding of what you want to grow before you head to the nursery or home center.

Herbs for growing in your home must meet a few basic criteria. First, they should be plants that you can easily control their size. For instance, Rosemary tends to become a large bush quite quickly, so unless you have a substantial amount of space and a large pot, it might over take your kitchen in a hurry. Other plants like sage and thyme do quite well in pots and are easy to keep trimmed back to a manageable size.

Next, herbs for growing inside your home should be those that don’t require full sunlight. Plants that require partial shade can do well inside homes. If you have a window sill or growing window where you can set your pots, these plants should do well. However, if you don’t it doesn’t mean that you can’t grow herbs in your home. It just means that you need to supplement your plants light with a grow light. While some grow lights can be very expensive, a halogen light bulb will do just as well and is available for a low cost at most discount stores and home centers.

When planting herbs for growing inside your home, you need to be sure that they are planted in high quality potting soil. This is not the time to skimp on a cheap soil. The soil should drain well to avoid drowning your tender herbs. Many of the premium brands of soil contain plant food, fertilizer and other beneficial ingredients to help plants grow well and maintain the ideal pH.

Planting herbs for growing in pots in your home should be done with careful thought toward their planting and watering conditions. Some plants such as Marjoram, Oregano and Thyme need to become completely dry between watering to avoid over watering them. These herbs do best in a Mediterranean climate, so somewhere warmer and dryer is better for them. In the same respect, herbs like Mint and Rosemary like moister conditions and shouldn’t be allowed to dry out.

So what are the best herbs for growing inside your home? Well the answer is ANY herbs can be grown inside as long as you take care to give your plants all the essential things that they need. Herb plants do a great job of not only livening up your home and providing cleaner air, as all plants do, they do double duty of adding great fragrance and flavor to meals as well. So before you think it’s too much work to grow herbs indoors, take some of these conditions into account and then choose a few herbs to give it a try. You won’t be sorry.

Author: Patrick E McTigue
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Are you wondering about the best way to grow your herb garden? The benefits of growing herbs in pots are many. Growing herbs can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Read on to find out the easiest way to grow your herbs to perfection.

Because many herbs like to grow in warm secluded areas, planting your herbs in pots creates easy mobility for you to be able to accomplish their desired location. A lot of restaurants and hotels have their own potted herb garden in secluded areas where they can make sure that they have herbs constantly on demand. And it’s just as possible for you to do the same! You will need to make a little bit of an initial investment, but the process of growing your own herbs in pots is well worth the time and effort spent. Your culinary masterpieces will be infinitely more tasty with fresh, home grown herbs adding flavor and spice. Follow the helpful tips below to make progress on your path to creating a healthy herb garden:

Choose an area where you will find really great sunlight. Find out how much sunlight your herb plants will need. You have to remember that most herbs will prefer to have certain amounts of sunlight and water on them. There are herbs like basil and rosemary that will grow very easily in the least amount of sunlight possible.

Water your plants with the proper amount of water for each herb. Some like dryer soil and some more moist. So do some more research on the herbs that you are choosing to plant.

If you are really determined to grow herbs and live in a climate that doesn’t have adequate sunlight, you can also purchase supplemental lighting in the form of fluorescent lighting that can help to ensure that you have a healthy growing plants.

The type of soil that you are planting your herbs into is also important. Please remember that most of these plants are placed in sandy and well drained soil that just ensures that their roots do not rot. You can also easily use sandy soil with grouting along the base to make sure that your pot is well drained and kept clear of all water accumulation, because water accumulation can be quite devastating.

The top 3 herbs that are easy to grow in pots are:

Basil, used to flavor most Italian dishes, does well in pots because it requires an adequate amount of sunlight. This can be accomplished even indoors with the mobility abilities of being planted in a pot.

Sage, used to flavor soups and for roasts that use pork meat, is an easy to grow herb. Because it’s important to not over water sage, this herb does well in pots where the chances of water accumulation are lowered.

Cilantro, used in many Mexican dishes, is a flavorful herb that is prone to leaf damage if not properly cared for. By having the plant visible, indoors, in a pot, the plucking of its leaves can be done on a regular basis to prevent it from seeding and flowering.

We hope these simple tips have helped you to find the right plants for growing in your potted herb garden. If you are not really sure of how to go about it, then keep in mind that you can get all the information that you want by searching on the internet or by asking the local gardeners. You may make mistakes at first, and that’s okay. Another benefit of growing herbs in pots is having them indoors and visible so that you know as soon as the condition of your plant is not doing favorably. A quick fix of proper sunlight or water or leaf plucking will have you on the right garden path in no time!

Author: Arthur McLay
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These days it is just as easy to grow herbs indoors as it is to grow them outside and with the variety of different pots available these days there is no reason why you shouldn’t be growing herbs in pots, in fact the requirements for growing indoor herb gardens is very similar to that of the outdoor garden.

Sun, soil and water. These are the three main things all plants need to survive and herb gardens are no different. A south facing window is always the best for indoor plants in general as they will almost certainly get the 4 or more hours a day sunshine even in the winter months that they need to grow well. Where there is insufficient light then an external source such as grow lamps or fluorescent lighting can be used to great effect.

Most herbs also need a well drained soil in which to grow that is not too rich. For herbs grown in containers a good mixture is 2 parts of sterilized potting soil mixed with 1 part of coarse sand or perlite mixture, a layer of gravel about an inch is sufficient in the bottom of the container to aid drainage. Some indoor herbs that are grown in pots can also have lime added to “sweeten” the soil up for them and about a teaspoon of lime is sufficient for this per pot.

Watering your herbs in pots is another area that needs care as over-watering can lead to root rot but remember that herbs grown indoors in pots do need more water than those grown outside, by misting the plants or moistening the pebbles if they have them you will help to keep the humidity up in the immediate area surrounding the herb plant.

One of the best things when growing herbs in pots or containers is that you can move the pots around as you wish and this includes outdoors as well as indoors but remembering that annual herbs such as Aloe Vera, Basil, Coriander, Dill and Chervil can spend all of the time indoors but the perennials such as Bay, Chicory, Chives, Lavender, Lemon Balm to name but a few seem to do better when they are put outside in the summer. A point to remember though is to bring all of your herbs indoors before the first frosts of the winter arrive otherwise there is a risk of loss of foliage to the herb plant.

With herbs such as mint, chives and tarragon this is not necessary as they go into a state of rest during frosty periods and this has the effect of forming firmer and fresher growth when they start their growth period again.

It is true that all herbs can be grown in pots or containers but it is also true that some do much better than others, herbs like mint do really need to be in a pot so that they don’t spread to cover the rest of the ground near it, it is also far easier to maintain if it is in a pot. Having herbs indoors in pots also makes it easier to reach them when you need them for cooking or medication ( Aloe Vera for example) Remembering that they need periodic feeding and also annual re-potting to get the maximum benefit from your herbs, moving the perennials back outside when they need it. It is well known that pruning plants does encourage the plant to grow better and this is the same for herbs so don’t forget to prune them to encourage fuller growth and a better harvest from the herb plants, make sure you fully use them in your cooking or better still give some away to your friends. This way you will enjoy your herb gardening and can involve the kids in it too and enjoy their participation too.

Author: George Faulkner
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