Kitchen Herb Garden

Everyone loves the way fresh herbs taste, but they are quite expensive when purchased in the grocery store. Many people decide to start their own kitchen herb garden so they can have the freshest herbs possible at an affordable price. A small herb garden is easy to maintain and the fragrant scent of the herbs makes the kitchen smell fantastic. Fresh herbs taste wonderful and can be included in many sauces and meals.

People often choose to grow Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, Sage, Oregano, Marjoram, Parsley and Chives. These popular herbs have compact root systems and grow well in kitchen size containers. Someone who is new to the process of growing herbs should learn what items are needed in order to grow a successful kitchen herb garden. High quality soil, proper drainage and plenty of sunlight and water are essential for herb health.

Herbs grow well in small individual planters, and different types of herbs can be grown together in one large planter. Oregano, Marjoram, Chives and Parsley can be grown together in the same container because they have similar gardening requirements. Sage, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary and Basil all do well when grown together because the group of herb plants also have similar gardening needs. A variety of kitchen herb garden planters are available at local garden centers or online. Some people choose to grow their herbs in empty plastic margarine or yogurt containers to save money.

When starting their kitchen herb garden, people can choose to plant herb seeds or young herb plants. Most people prefer to purchase small herb plants because it is the fastest way to start an herb garden. It is important that a good plant growth stimulant be added to the soil when the seeds or herb garden plants are being planted. Without the powered plant growth mix the herbs may not grow. The planting containers should have holes for water drainage and a layer of gravel in the bottom. The containers should be filled with a nutrient rich soil like Miracle-Grow. Lukewarm water should be added to the soil so it is damp when the seeds or herbs are planted.

To begin planting, someone should make a fairly deep hole to insert the seeds or starter plants in. They should then cover the seeds with soil or fill in the hole around plant, so it is stable. There needs to be an inch of space between the soil and the top of the container for watering purposes. Kitchen herb garden plants need plenty of sunlight each day and should be kept near a sunny window. The herb garden should be placed in a well ventilated area, but should not be placed in drafty areas of the home, especially during the winter season. Once the seeds or plants are planted, they need to be watered every day for the first ten days. Once they begin to grow well they can be watered as needed.

If the soil is dry or the herb plant begins to droop it means that the plant needs watering. Small containers tend to become dry faster than larger planters and will need to be watered more frequently. It does not take long to plant herbs, and kitchen herb garden maintenance is usually very simple. Watering and pruning only takes a few minutes each week.

Herb plants are ready for use soon after being planted. To keep the plant healthy, someone should pick the largest leaves and never use more than one third of the plant. Most people love to use fresh herbs from their very own kitchen herb garden because they taste fantastic in a variety of dishes. The fresh herbs are a healthy addition to many recipes. There is no need to pay for expensive organic herbs when they are readily available when needed. Fresh herbs smell wonderful while they are cooking and dinner guests are sure to be impressed by the addition of the home grown herbs in their meal.