One of my all-time favorite ways to make anything taste better is by adding herbs (and lemon, but let's stick with herbs here for a second). Though dried will work in a pinch, fresh herbs give you the pop of flavor and the freshness and can brighten up just about any dish in no time. Soup that's sort of flat-tasting? Pasta that could use a little gussying up? Lemonade that needs a little something extra to make it special? All of these very common (LOL...) conundrums can be solved by the addition of parsley, dill, mint, basil, rosemary.
But herbs sold at the grocery store can be expensive and (sometimes) hard to find, and you almost always end up buying way more than you need, right? So what's a girl to do? Easy (or, at least, relatively easy). You grow them yourself at home. That way, you have them within easy reach whenever you want to whip up a pesto or sprinkle them into a salad. Plus, you can trim just the amount that you need no more tossing out old rotten herbs that had gotten lost in the depths of the refrigerator or you had no idea what to do with.
You've decided-an herb garden it is. Now you need to know where' to start. There are so many different things to consider, from the amount of space you have, to how you want to grow your garden. Here's what you need to know:
If you're growing herbs inside:
First things first: you might think that an apartment-based herb garden is pretty much an impossibility, especially if you don't have access to much (or any!) outdoor space, but that's just not true.
Where to start
If you have a space that gets about six to eight hours of sunlight on a sunny day, according to Better Homes & Gardens, you can grow herbs. Make sure that you have that sunny spot picked out, as well as the right tools you'll need for the job: pots with good drainage, plants or seeds, the right soil, maybe a bit of fertilizer (always read and follow directions carefully), a tray to catch any excess water, and a small trowel. All of these supplies are readily available where'ver you're getting your plants, don't worry.
What to grow
If this is all new to you, stick to heartier herbs that aren't quite so fussy, like rosemary, oregano, thyme, and mint, as per Apartment Therapy. That way, you can get a feel for taking care of herbs and branch out from there as you start to feel more confident. Think of those as "starter herbs." Other great ones to try? Chives, basil, parsley, and cilantro are all good herbs for beginners, as gardening expert Charlie Nardozzi told EatingWell.
My personal recommendation is to stick to herbs (as much as you can) that you like to eat, unless your only goal is to have plants around, in which case, you may just want to opt for other house plants that are easier to care for. You don't like sage? That's one that you don't need to grow then. If you're growing herbs you often (or could often!) use while cooking, they won't go to Easy enough, right?
Seeds or plants?
You may find that it's more economical to grow your garden from seeds, rather than buying up small plants to care for, as the University of Illinois Extension noted. But it also requires a bit more patience and planning. Plant seeds about twice the thickness of the seed under the soil, as Nancy Kreith, the horticulture educator at the University of Illinois Extension, told the U of I Extension website
If you'd rather opt for starting from plants, you can purchase them from grocery stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and The Fresh Market, home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, and local nurseries. Depending on what you're buying, they may already come in a small pot or container. When it's time to transfer them to something roomier, make sure you're using the right soil (more on that in a minute) and break up the compact soil and roots a bit so that the roots will have room to stretch out in their new home.
Yes, the type of soil matters
if you're creating an indoor garden, making sure that you're using the right soil is even more key. Potting mix, rather than the kind of soil that you'd use if planting outside, is a better choice because it allows for better drainage in the pot, according to The Spruce.
Watering
There's also a careful balance needed when it comes to watering. You'll likely need to water your herbs daily-if the soil dries out, the herbs may not do well (though some, like thyme and sage, should be allowed to dry out a bit, according to the Penn State Extension) but you also want to ensure that you're not flooding your plants or you could end up with root rot.
Fertilizer
Whatever you do, make sure you're not fertilizing your indoor herbs too often. According to the Penn State Extension, fertilizing more than once every two weeks or so can negatively impact herbs' flavor, which is definitely not what you want right before you toss a handful of basil into your pasta sauce.
Above all, just take it slow, be flexible and open to changing things up, and learn as you go. Just like anything else, caring for plants (including herbs!) gets easier as you learn more.
If you're growing herbs outside:
Where to start
Growing herbe outside is, of course, moch like growing herbs inside. After all you can even grow them anthely in pots outdoors. just in you would inside Yes, you can expand your garden a bit, but the promise is generally the same. That being said, you're hoping to start your little garden on e fre escape, make sure that's something thur's OK Is not in New York City due to fire codes, eccording to BuzzFeed So first pick your spot. Make sure it's getting good san remember, about six to eight hours worth and that there's plenty of room for what you want to plant
What to grow
If you're a novice, stick to starter herbs like chives, mint, oregano, and the the until your buld up your confidence and experience, Once you do that, move on to things that are a bit more chatenging you can do i
Seeds or plants?
One way in which growing hertis autdoors may be different is if you're hoping to begin with seeds. You'll likely choose to start your seeds in pots indoors and then later transfer them to your garden outside. That requires same plenning. If you live in or neer Hinois. for example, U of L recommends planting your seeds in March. Many new growers for poor planners, in my case) won't start thinking about which herbs they may want to grow un later. That doesn't necessity mean that you have to sit the season out but it does mean that you may not want to tramder them to the ground
If you are translerting them, the same depth rules apply as if youre planting in a poe make sure you're sowing seeds at depth of it twice the thickness of the see
If you're using plants, you can likewise start them inside before transfering them to your yard. Make sure that you consider the ground that they'll be going into, however Some herbs don't like maist know so as The Spruce noted, so if you're hoping to cultivate these, keep them in their pots
Once you're ready to transfer your little plants to the garden, make sure that you keep spacing in minc Plants placed 100 close together will crowd each other potentially causing problems with the root systems. The Spruce noted. The Penn State Extension site recommends following specific spacing guidance that's printed on the plant containers or seed packages
Watering
When it comes to watering, your plants outsico planted in your garden will kely need less frequent waterings than herbs plented in pots and containers. Martha Stewart told TODAY that you should be sure to water your herbs in the motring rather than in the evening and to make sure to not over-water
Fertilizer
Martha told TODAY that fertilizer actually isn't necessary for growing herbs, but if you are going to choose to fertilize your plants, make sure to remember not to over-fertilize. Again, (in case you skipped right down to the relevant planting outside part of this article-I'd do the same!) anything more frequently than once every two weeks or so can potentially alter- the taste of your herbs. Not exactly what you wanted from your domestic goddess in the garden moment.
