Herb Gardening – Inside or Outside

September 15th, 2007

Now that Fall is arriving, I’m going to miss all of the fresh vegetables and herbs that I have been enjoying from the garden this summer. But maybe it doesn’t really have to be that way.

You see, herb gardening has become a very creative outlet for people, and no longer has to be done totally outside, now that Aero Grows’ AeroGarden® Pro-100 has been invented (thank goodnes!)

Before you do anything with herb gardening, decide which herbs to grow. You should thoroughly enjoy the herbs you decide to plant, since most herb plants are easy to grow, require little maintenance, and will reward you with an abundance of herbs! 

Here are some of the herbs we suggest you start with for your herb garden (whether outside or as a container garden). 

• Strong Herbs – These consist of herbs like winter savory, rosemary and sage (best grown outside).
• Accent Herbs - like sweet basil, sweet marjoram, tarragon and thyme (OK for inside planting).
• Herbs for blending – Our favorites – chives, parsley and summer savory (make excellent inside plants).

You can always add a variety of herbs to your garden later on. When growing outside, you can have herbs growing with other vegetables or make a nice container garden with herbs.  You should keep annual and perennial herbs separate. And try adding a little color with attractive, and colorful, herbs like parsley and purple basil.

When you select the site for your herb garden, you should consider the type of soil used and the drainage system. None of the herbs will grow in wet soil; hence drainage becomes an important factor (this is one of the reasons the aerogrow has become so popular – it takes care of all of the drainage problems for you).

If gardening outside, improve the drainage by removing the soil up to a depth of about 15 to 18 inches. Next, place a 3 inch layer of crushed stone or similar material on the bottom of the excavated site. Before placing the soil in the bed area again, you should mix some compost or sphagnum peat and sand with it to lighten the texture. You should add fertilizer if needed.

This same process can be done in your container gardner, just use smaller amounts.  And, here’s a tip I just received from a friend of mine.

If you have a lot of wine corks collected and don’t know what to do with them, use them in the bottom of your container plant in the place of stones.  They make excellent drainage devices. 

Next you need to plant the herb seeds. If possible sow the seeds in shallow boxes in winter. If you want to transplant seedlings outdoors, sow in the spring.

A light, well drained soil is best for starting the seedlings indoors. The finer the seed, the shallower it should be sown.

You may find that you can cut and divide current herbs to re-propagate them.  Cuttings are the best choice when the seeds are slow to germinate. The fresh leaves on the herbs can be picked up as soon as the plant has enough foliage to maintain growth.

To ensure good oil content in your herbs, pick the seeds after the dew has disappeared, and before the sun becomes too hot.

 

Get our Free Gardening Book: “Your Guide to a Successful and Beautiful Garden” at http://www.squarefootgardeningtips.com

Tags

Container Gardening, Uncategorized

Entry Filed under: Container Gardening, Uncategorized