Beginner’s Tips for Planning a Herb Garden

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Whether you have a black thumb or you have done some gardening, but not with herbs, these beginner tips are going to be helpful. You will learn how to find the right spot, water instructions, harvesting, and some basics of what to do with your herbs.

Space the Herbs Out Properly

If you are planning on growing fresh herbs outside in your own garden, make sure you have chosen an area with plenty of direct sunlight and soil that is in good condition and has good drainage.

Once you have done that, you will need to start planting the herbs. If you are starting from seeds, they must be planted with enough space between them.

For dill, parsley, cilantro, and chives, aim for about a foot between each plant. Basil, tarragon, and thyme need approximately 2 feet, while you want 3-4 feet with mint, oregano, sage, and rosemary.

Choose Herbs That Are Good For Beginners

You might want herbs like mint and marjoram, but these aren’t the best when you are brand new to growing herbs. However, there is a long list of herbs to use for cooking and health purposes that are really easy to grow, many of which you can even grow in containers or in the shade.

Some herbs that are good for cooking and easy for beginners are basil, dill, sage, tarragon, and oregano. Other herbs to consider are rosemary, lavender, thyme, chives, and parsley.

Choose Plants You Use Often

Another good tip for starting a herbal garden is to start with just a few herbs that you use the most often. You might end up being surprised by how large herb plants sometimes grow, and that they remain in your garden for a long time.

So if you want to decrease the amount of wasted work you do, try to go with herbs you will use almost constantly. This often includes cooking herbs you love to use, such as basil and rosemary.

Or you can go with the highly aromatic ones if you just want your garden to smell good, such as mint and sage. Gradually add more herbs to the garden when you feel more comfortable with the process.

Keep Up With Watering

Far too many people forget to water their herbs on a regular basis because it is a little tricky to determine when they need to be watered. Instead of just watering at the same time each week or every couple weeks, you need to check the soil often to determine when you need to water them. When the soil feels dry even a couple inches below the surface, you know it is time to water.

If you are growing herbs from seed, then read the seed packet to get solid information on how often the water those types of herbs at their different stages.  Remember, wet soils can cause the seeds to rot before they sprout while not enough moisture will stint them.  So getting the herb seeds in the right conditions is crucial.

Avoid These Mistakes in Your Herb Garden

Starting an herbal garden is not a difficult task once you learn the basics, but it might not be something you understand right away. There are also some mistakes beginners tend to make, which can severely affect the quality of your herbs. Make sure you are avoiding these common herbal garden mistakes.

Not Choosing the Right Plant

There are two ways to grow herbs; you can start them as a seed or get a herb plant and grow it that way. If you are a beginner, you probably went with the latter option.

While this is definitely easier than growing from a seed, you still need to make sure you have chosen a quality, healthy plant to start with. Just choosing any herb plant, regardless of its foliage or colour, is a very common mistake people make when they are new to herbal gardening. This plant can make or break the success of your herbs.

Also, understand the difference between perennial herbs and annual herb plants.  One will come back each year while the other is designed to grow in your herb garden for just one year before being replaced.  Both medicinal herbs and culinary herbs come in both types.

Placing All the Herbs in One Location

Here is another mistake you need to be careful of. Most herbs will grow good in sunlight, but not all of them grow good indoors, in containers, or in the shade.  Some need a certain number of hours of sunlight to be healthy while others can tolerate partial shade with some sun.

If your only option is to grow your herbs in containers on the patio where there is more shade than direct sunlight, then you should only be going with herbs that are good in the shade. This includes parsley, thyme, chives, and mint.

Then there are some herbs that grow best in dry soil, like rosemary, so don’t try to plant them in a moist area of the yard.

Failing to Trim the Herbs

Herbs can be left in your yard for quite a long time, but that doesn’t mean you just leave them alone and let them grow. Herbs need to be kept pruned and trimmed on a regular basis, so check them every few days to see the growth.

Pruning herbs is simply removing the overgrowth and getting rid of dead or diseased stems and leaves. Sometimes, you will prune just by removing leaves that you intend to use for cooking or medicinal purposes, leaving the rest on the plant.

If you don’t need them for a while, trim the herbs and dry them so you can preserve them in jars.

Using Insecticides

You should never, under any circumstances, use chemicals on herbs intended for cooking! Many herbs are used to cook or bake with, top salads and soups, and even mix into smoothies or juice. If it is something you intend to ingest, never use any type of insecticide or chemicals on the plants.

Best beginners tips for your herb garden

Whether you plan on a full scale herb garden or just a small patch with a few type of herbs in it, these herb gardening tips will see you in a good place to start.  You can learn more about the requirements of an outdoor herb patch or even try growing herbs on a kitchen windowsill if this proves a better option.  Just be sure to understand your herbs and your conditions for the best results.