Herb Garden Basics

Herb Garden Basics

September 2021

Growing herbs is a rewarding way to garden. They thrive indoors and outdoors, are fairly pest free, and are low maintenance.

If you don’t have an herb garden, follow this link for steps to make a simple herb garden at home with the whole family.

Tips for Your Herb Garden:

• Herbs love sunlight. Put them by your sunniest window if indoors or in your sunniest location outside (often on the South-facing side of your building). Herbs prefer 6-8 hours of sunlight and 8 inches of well-drained soil.
• Cut back or prune your herbs regularly. Cut the longest stems with scissors regularly even if you don’t plan to use them right away. This will encourage the plant to grow more. Just be sure to leave at least one third of the plant intact at all times. Basil especially loves to be cut regularly! Live clippings can be put in a glass of water or in a ziplock in the fridge for a few days before adding them to a recipe.
• Water your herbs slowly each week. It is actually possible to water too much or too fast! If you water too quickly, the water can drain straight through the soil before roots can absorb enough. Herbs like for the soil to dry out some before the next watering. If you touch the soil and it is damp, wait a day or two. Water when the soil is dry to the touch.
• Feed your herbs with an organic fish or seaweed based fertilizer if they look alive but unhappy.