Read about the Secrets of Growing Herbs that Only Experienced Gardeners Know in the given post, and have a fresh harvest in your kitchen.
This post will help you discover the amazing Secrets of Growing Herbs in your home and garden. Harvest fragrant herbs to make your food more tasty.
Secrets of Growing Herbs
1. Purchase Starter Plants
Starting herbs from seed requires a specific environment for germination and hardening off before planting. Instead of buying seeds, invest in purchasing starter plants for herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, English lavender, and parsley.
2. Stick to That You Will Use
Buy herbs according to your needs and taste. There are 600 mint varieties available, but what you need matters the most. Confirm you are choosing the right variety. Herbs belong to the same family, but their tastes differ. Before purchasing herbs, spend some time deciding on the purpose. This will limit your choices and help you choose the right herbs for your needs.
3. Purchase Starter Plants
Starting herbs from seed requires a certain environment for germination and hardening off before planting. Instead of buying seeds, invest in purchasing starter plants for herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, English lavender, and parsley.
4. Avoid Using Rich Soil
Most herbs are not finicky about soil, though the only condition is the soil needs to be well-draining. The herbs dislike rich soil; if you use clay soil, amend it with some compost or organic material so it drains well.
5. Pruning is a Must
Trimming off healthy growth can be a difficult task for any gardener, mainly when you are not cutting them for cooking. Though pruning herbs promotes growth. When herbs grow, they produce flowers, and when it happens, new leaves do not emerge from that stem. Prune herbs to make them bushy and fuller and boost the growth of new leaves.
If you don’t want to throw pruned cuttings in the trash can or compost, dry them and use them off-season, or arrange them in the floral bouquet as greenery stuffing. Pruning is essential for a healthy plant, but let them bloom as well because flowers attract pollinators.
6. Propagate From Stem Cuttings
Newbie gardeners have to propagate herbs through stem cutting instead of seeds. You can plant herbs quickly through stems rather than buying starter plants at the nursery. The simplest method is to take 3-4 inches-long cuttings from non-flowering stems. Remove the bottom foliage up to two inches. Put the cuttings in a glass of water. Place them on a windowsill that receives sufficient sunlight. The roots will appear in just two to four weeks. When roots develop, move the cuttings to a separate planter or in garden soil.
7. Provide Plenty of Sunlight
Keep the potted herbs on a south-facing sunny window for homegrown plants. Many herb varieties grow fast with compact shapes when they get at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.