Container Herb Garden Plan – The Key to Growing Herbs
If you’re among the many herb garden enthusiasts out there, you will benefit greatly from a container herb garden plan. Herbs have many uses especially in cooking. Fresh herbs can definitely add a lot of flavor to your dishes. There are herbs that are suitable for container gardening so it doesn’t really matter if you don’t have large plots on your garden.
With the right plan in your hands, you will be able to identify the right site for the container pots as well as the right soil to use. The site should have plenty of sunshine throughout the day because herbs need at least 6-8 hours of sunshine. If you are living in the northern states, afternoon sunshine is best for your herbal garden but if you’re from the southern part, morning sunshine is best since in the afternoon, it can get really hot.
What if your house gets little of sun? This should not hinder you in maintaining your own herb garden. Some herbs are suitable for this kind of setting and you simply have to pick the right varieties for your garden. Most herbs require well drained soil or a somewhat sandy soil. A container herb garden plan can help you out in picking the appropriate soil.
It’s easy to identify a well drained soil. Try picking up dirt and see if it breaks apart easily. If it does, you have the right soil but if the soil stays clumped, it means that the soil has clay. Since you will be planting in containers, you will need to use commercial soil which is obtainable from garden centers.
To ensure proper drainage, the bottom of the container should be lined with rocks or gravel. Once you’ve picked the site of the container garden and the soil to use, the container herb garden plan can help you in picking the plants. This is more of a personal decision since the herb preferences differ among individuals. You can start by planting at least two varieties of herb.
Stick to the basic herbs first that are usually used for culinary purposes like chives, basil, mint, cilantro, rosemary, oregano, sage, and thyme. With so many herbs to choose from, starting out with the most basic ones is an ideal decision. You will benefit greatly if you have a copy of the step by step instructions on how to plant herbs and the container herb garden plan is just what you need.
If you have a large container, you can plant thyme, sage, and basil. It’s quite easy to get these herbs from harden centers or local nurseries. You can grow the herbs from seeds or from seedlings. If you prefer seeds, the best choices of herbs are thyme, sage, parsley, oregano, dill, chives, and basil. Since lavender and rosemary are slow growing, you must obtain seedlings.
Large containers can hold several herb varieties. It would be wise to plant the tall herbs at the center and the container herb garden plan can show you how to do it. The smaller herbs can be placed around the taller ones and cascading hers like thyme and oregano are best planted at the edges of the container. Regions with warmer climates will usually produce larger herbs.
As the gardener, you can control the height of the herbs and this will depend on how frequently you harvest. Try to grow several plants of one herb so that when it’s time to harvest, you don’t have to pick all the leaves of one plant. Harvest partially from every plant and with a container herb garden plan, you will know the perfect time to do the harvest.
Herbs are not only used for culinary purposes but you can also use it for medicinal purposes. An herbalist can help you out on how to use herbs for certain illnesses. Having herbs ready for harvest at any time of the year is the dream of every herb garden enthusiast. You don’t have to be an experienced gardener to grow herbs.
With a container herb garden plan, you can go along way. All you have to know about herb gardening is already contained in the plan. All you have to do is read it and apply it properly.
