Top Tips For Growing Herbs

If you’re trying to get your little ones more excited about food and gardening, growing their own herbs is the perfect activity for both! Herbs are extremely easy to grow indoors, without worrying about too much (or not enough) rain, or damage from frost. The versatility of herbs also means you can use them while cooking, so little ones can help out in the kitchen without risking burnt fingers.

Water Well

A common problem with herbs like basil is that they are prone to being overwatered by excited young green thumbs. To avoid this problem, make a schedule with how often you should water them – every day will be far too much, and every week too little. The soil should be allowed to dry between being watered. Twice a week is ideal for most herbs including basil, parsley, oregano, and mint – so make a calendar of ‘watering days’. Kept within reach on a whiteboard or monthly sticker chart, your child can tick off when they’ve watered the plants on schedule, so they can feel proud and enjoy the fruits of their labours. Alternatively, you can consider purchasing small-sized clay watering pots crafted from porous clay formula which can save garden watering by up to 70%. All you have to bury the pot within the container alongside your plants. The plants will stretch their roots toward the pot with water and attach themselves to it, thereby drawing the precise amount of water they require. This method can effectively eliminate the concerns related to overwatering and underwatering. For more information regarding pots of similar build and function, refer to a gardening blog on the Web.

Direct Lighting

Windowsills are ideal for keeping potted herbs, but they’ll need a good 4-5 hours of light every day. Try to keep them on a south, west, or east-facing windowsill so they can get as much sunlight as possible. If this isn’t an option in your home, place them on a north-facing windowsill and invest in some LED grow lights. These come on a strip so you can fix some to the side of the window pane and guarantee some light for your plants – remember to rotate them so they grow evenly. If you’re worried about leaving it on all day, connect it to a timer plug so they automatically switch off. If you have a greenhouse and want to ensure a consistent supply of light, you may wish to look into a solution from somewhere like Scynce LED to give your plants the best chance of growing well.

Garden Design

When trying to grow a certain type of plant, it can significantly help if you organise your garden in a way that optimises their growth. You can add fences and create a cascading system of herbs to ensure that they catch the maximum amount of sunlight. The herbs can also be planted along the borders of fences, which would make your garden look aesthetically pleasing and also help the herbs grow well. To ensure that you are creating the best layout for your herb-growth, you can research the best ways to increase the efficacy of the space. Construction of the fence would require a professional, so you could call a handyman in Bloomfield (or one near you) to help you out. With your supervision, the herb garden could be efficient as well as aesthetic.

Pot Properly

Most supermarket potted herbs are kept in tiny pots which restrict growth, so the plant will die sooner no matter how well you water and light it. If you do use these as starters, replant them with some fresh soil once they’re home, using bigger pots. Be sure to allow adequate drainage to prevent them from drowning, so line the bottom of the pot with gravel or broken crockery before filling with soil. If you harvest regularly, taking no more than one-third of the leaves at any time, you should be able to avoid repotting your herbs for a long time, so keep any overexcited harvesters in check.