Learning How To Build An Herb Garden

by: LeeDobbins
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Herb gardening is a simple and easy skill to learn. Compared to things like roses and orchids, herbs are easy to care for. They do well in poor soil, hardly any fertilizing and little watering. Compare that to many other garden plants, learning how to build an herb garden is a breeze.

However, this does not mean that you can enter into it unprepared and you must have some basic herb garden plans before carelessly tossing seeds around.

First of all, herbs can grow even in poor conditions that other plants can not tolerate. This makes it very easy for them to become overgrown. For example, both Lavender and Yarrow have been known to spread and overtake amazingly large areas. Even Chives can grow at a surprising rate. Keep this in mind when planning your garden making sure to allocate plenty of space for the herbs you are going to grow.

Herbs will flourish if there is a space of about a foot for each major growing section so your herb garden plans should include enough space for the herbs you want to grow. Chives grow well in bunches. However, their roots still need space so that they can get the water and nutrients that they need without competing with other herbs in your garden.

Soil is a must for growing herbs, although extensive soil preparation is unnecessary when learning how to build an herb garden. If you intend to grow a wide array of herbs, try to use a good compost or combination of sandy loam and clay. Herbs do well in soil that is rocky and somewhat dry because of their Mediterranean roots. Their background of growing in areas with enough drainage makes this a must. Make sure the soil stays moist as herbs do need some water, but do not drown them in soaking wet soil.

For example, Lavender and Sage are two herbs that are very drought resistant. For these two herbs, normal rainfall will probably be enough. Some herbs, like Peppermint, need more water. An automatic drip system is a good way for the conservation minded person to provide the extra needed water for these plants.

Landscape fabric is a great way to keep weeds from growing in your garden, ruining the beauty of your garden and choking out your precious herbs. Digging up weeds later can be tiring and frustrating, while using herbicides might kill your herbs since they have a similar makeup. You also do not want to spray poison on your future food supply.

Despite herbs natural resistance to insects, you may want to consider adding a few sacrificial plants to your herb garden plans in order to save the ones you want the most. Dill plants can serve as a 'trap crop' that bugs will enjoy over your ripening tomatoes you have waited so long for. If you are hoping to use the produce of your dill plants for eating, try to use as little insecticide as possible to save them.

One thing about learning how to build an herb garden is knowing when to plant. Plan when you are going to plant which herbs by judging how well they will do at the beginning of the year and at various times throughout the year. There are herbs that can be sown anytime, others that can be planted at intervals of four weeks, and as early as possible after the snow melts.