Guest Post: Tara on 9 Tips for Growing a Kitchen Herb Garden

Good morning lovelies!

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a woman named Tara. She wanted to guest post and I said, heck, why not? Anyone who wants to engage over food makes me a happy lady. So when she proposed the topic of her post, I was all over that.

And now without further ago, here she is!....

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I didn’t inherit my mother’s green thumb, so when I started a trio of potted herbs on my apartment balcony two years ago, I made a lot of mistakes. I can’t count how many times I’ve been the demise of plants that others have told me are the easiest varieties to grow. I mean, aloe is supposedly indestructible, but I’ve killed four (which technically makes me serial).

Babying herbs that respond with new, daily growth, however, is addictive and incredibly satisfying. Whether you start from seeds or grab a humble tray of starters from your local farmers’ market, every kitchen invested in fresh food needs an herb garden. Here are 9 things I wish I’d known when I started my garden.

1. What to plant? Here are the staples:

• Basil
• Sage
• Organo
• Thyme
• Marjoram
• Rosemary
• Parsley

But these make great additions to any garden, too:

• Chives
• Cilantro
• Green onions
• Lavender
• Nettles
• Mint
• Yarrow

Lavender can be used in cooking, but you can also make them into potpourri, tinctures, and room freshener. You can regrow green onions easily by saving the white roots and putting the bottom half in a cup of water; the roots and green portions will grow within days, ready for planting. (The same goes for a healthy sprig of basil, but definitely not parsley.) Nettles, peppermint, and yarrow make a wonderful tea to ease seasonal allergies, calm the stomach, and cleanse the liver.

2. Indoor or outdoor? Is there space for a few clay or ceramic pots by your kitchen window? Does it get at least 6 hours of sunlight? Small, potted herbs you use most frequently look darling in these little nooks, but the rest should be in a more spacious area close to the kitchen.
3. Potted or planted? As a renter, I pot my plants so I don’t have to dig my herb-babies out of the ground when we move. Homeowners would benefit from planting herbs directly in the ground—or in raised beds—so the herbs can grow more freely.
4. Use organic soil and compost. Even if you live in red mud territory (like yours truly), you can dig up the surveyed planting ground and mix generously with organic soil and compost. We invested in a compost bin a few months ago and haven’t looked back.
5. Read about them. I’m serious. Read the back of those seed packets that tell you how to plant them and take care of them when they grow. Some plants—like aloe—need little to no water daily, while others—like mint—are thirsty. Put the ones that don’t need as much water in the back of the garden along with taller plants.
6. Save water by collecting it in jugs or buckets when you’re waiting for the shower to get warm. Give them to your plants. There’s no need to turn on, detangle, and re-tangle the hose.
7. Give them friends. Companion planting is based on the symbiotic relationships plants have in the garden—and even the palate. For example, planting marigolds near tomatoes help repel pests.
8. No identity crises. Even if you know what each herb is, help out your guests, kids, and partners by labeling your plants. You can even make a project of it by painting potted plants with chalkboard paint and writing the names in chalk.
9. Harvest mature herbs. Letting some plants—like parsley or basil—grow wild will actually hurt its growth. Chop from the top of mature plants as you need, but never more than a third of the plant at a time. Keep in mind that herbs taste best in the morning before the sunlight dries them out.
   
   

Tara Spenser is currently the resident writer for workingcapital.org, where she researches small business working capital and getting a small business loan. In her spare time, she enjoys blogging, swimming and being a mom.