Tips On How To Build An Herb Garden
Author: LeeDobbins. Total views: 7 Word Count: 546
Herbs are very low maintenance compared to other plants. How often do you have to prune your orchids or spray your roses? Comparatively, herbs can thrive in poor soil, need very little fertilizer and only occasional watering. As long as they get plenty of sun and some water, they will thrive by themselves - that's why learning how to build an herb garden is easy!
That being said, you can't just throw some seeds in the ground and expect a great garden. You need to have some basic herb garden plans before you start planting.
Because herbs can grow well in poor conditions, it is easy for them to overgrow. Lavender and yarrow can grow like wildfire over large areas. Even chives can proliferate quickly. Be sure you have enough space in your pot or garden for the plants you wish to grow.
Herbs will thrive contentedly as long as they have a foot of space or so betwixt the main sections. For example, chives have a nice appearance and grow well together - but their roots need space for nutrition and water. Other plants nearby will provide competition for the nutrients so be sure to keep that in mind when making your herb garden plans.
Soil preparation for herbs is important when learning how to build an herb garden, but it is not difficult. A wide range of herbs will thrive on a mix of clay and sandy loam or a good compost. Be sure to provide sufficient drainage. A good amount of herbs originate from the Mediterranean, so they can thrive in somewhat dry and rocky soil. Their evolution occurred in areas with adequate drainage, but all herbs need watering. Be sure the soil is moist, but not soaking wet.
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.
It's better to prevent weeds from taking hold in the first place instead of trying to remove them later. One way to do this is to put down a barrier of landscape fabric. If you don't take this precaution, you'll just end up having to dig up weeds by hand, or worse yet, needing to use an herbicide product. This should be avoided as some herbs are biologically similar to weeds, so you might just end up killing off what you're trying to protect. You would also be putting chemicals into something you may want to eat.
Herbs have a good resistance to bugs. However, you might still want to include some "sacrifice" plants in your herb garden plans. For example Dill is an excellent "trap plant" that invites pests to it instead of your other plants.
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.
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