Starting an herb garden is a great way to add flavor to your foods or decoration to your garden or home. If you are looking to set up a garden and never have before, then an herb garden is a great place to start because it’s fairly simple.
Before you get started, though, here are a few common mistakes people make when starting an herb garden that you should avoid.
Starting from Seed – Starting herbs from seeds can come with some unknown complications. There are plenty of starter plants that can be found at gardening stores that will bring better luck and less stress to your herb garden, especially if you are new to herb gardening.
Picking Unhealthy Plants – When looking for starter plants, find ones that are bright in color, have plenty of foliage and no signs of bugs or eggs.
Too Much Variety – Starting an herb garden can be quite exciting with all the options available, but it is best to start small. This way you are not too overwhelmed and can learn what each variety of herb likes as they grow. For example, some herbs like cilantro are sensitive to drought and can die easily if not watered properly.
Incorrect Planting – When you are first starting an herb garden, it is best to keep the different types separate and not overcrowd. Be sure to do your research on what herbs to grow well together as well. Herbs like mint will take over pretty much any space you put them in.
Not Enough Water – It is easy to confuse herbs with houseplants when it comes to watering. They are small and seem delicate, so less water seems right, but most herbs actually prefer daily watering. Make sure the water mostly touches the soil and not the leaves.
Using Bad Soil – Most soil on the ground lacks the proper nutrients to allow an herb garden to flourish. Use organic soil or potting soil with organic compost for best results.
Not Pruning Soon Enough – Pruning your herbs is an important step because it encourages even and fast growth. Skipping this step prevents the herb from regrowing and producing more herbs. Cut the herb down to just about a set of growing leaves and always cut from the top, not the bottom.
Wrong Environment – Not enough sun, too much sun, too cold outside or too hot outside… these factors all play a role in how well your herbs grow. Most herbs need about six hours of proper sunlight but prefer an environment at around 65 to 75 degrees F.
If you keep these common mistakes in mind when starting your own herb garden, you will have a fun and great time gardening. And if you do make mistakes, it’s OK – just keep learning and keep growing.
