Herb Garden Information

This article will let you in on some practical herb garden information.  Herbs can be traced back into the times of the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Chinese.  Medieval documents and stories in the Bible show that herbs were used by most households during those times.

Growing herbs in an herb garden is something that is very beneficial to gardeners for several different purposes.  Herbs may be used for medical purposes, for potpourri, to flavor food, tea and to control pests in the garden.

Herb gardens can be specialized towards one of these specific areas or a mixture of a few different purposes.  They can also be planted with other species of plants in an outdoor garden or in containers indoors.  Herb gardens can be grown in different ways such as an indoor herb garden in the kitchen or a small plot in the garden.  A four feet by six feet size of plot is enough to support a small family.

Aside from being popularly used for cooking, culinary herbs are also grown for their flavor and for the beauty of their flowers.  They can be used fresh or dried.  Some herbs are used as garnish for plates or salads while other types of herbs can be used to perk up the flavor of a dish.

Herbs grow as annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees just like any other plants.  You can use well-drained soil when growing herbs in an herb garden.  You can add organic matter to the soil if you find that it is heavy or compacted.  Fertilizers are not necessary either.  Most herbs prefer a sunny location although a few prefer full shade.  Afternoon shade is perfect for many herbs to grow well.

It is unbelievable that herbs are attacked by very few insects or diseases.  Red spider mites can be found in low-growing plants, and aphids attack dill, caraway, anise and fennel during the hot, dry weather.  Mint is also affected by rust.

Seeds can be used to grow herbs or a young herb plant can be bought and grown into a home herb garden.  There is great honor and indescribable joy in seeing a plant grow from a single seed.  You will nurture every step of the process from planting to reaping.  It is very much rewarding to grow an herb from a seed because herbs are very useful.

One single seed can be used to grow herbs.  Seeds should be placed in a shallow pot or box in the late winter.  Use a light, well-drained soil to grow your seeds in.

Since herbs do not have a deep root base, make sure not to cover the seeds too much with the soil.  They should be planted shallow.  Follow the rule: the finer the seed, the shallower it should be sown.

You can transplant the seedlings to the outdoors in the spring.  Some herbs do not transplant well even if most of them are grown  from seeds.  You should plant herbs like dill, fennel, anise and coriander directly into the herb garden.

Although growing herbs in a home herb garden is extremely easy and worthwhile, there is a lot of information you need to know and understand about herbs.  You’ve started with the tips in this article, so now you should complete your knowledge with more detailed information.  And you can find all of the information you need right here! Good luck!