Herb gardening has become a popular way to obtain herbs. Fresh herbs are better for cooking, and it is less expensive to grow your own herbs than it is to go out and buy them. But having a great herb garden means allowing herbs to grow in an environment similar to that in which they would be found naturally.

Soil for Your Herb Garden

The soil for your herb garden needs to include a large portion of organic matter in order for your plants to thrive. Sand, silt and clay should make up the remainder of the soil content. It is also of utmost importance that the soil has a pH conducive to herbal growth.

The ideal pH for an herb garden’s soil is 6.5, which is slightly acidic. You can find a garden pH testing kit online or in the gardening departments of many hardware stores. A good testing kit is well worth the money paid for it, because it will give more accurate results than an inexpensive one.

It is also important to make sure that your soil’s composition is good. If it has too much sand in it, your herbs won’t get the nutrients they need. Too much clay will keep the soil from draining properly and may inhibit root growth.

Electronic testers are available that will test pH, fertility, and many other things that will affect your herb garden’s success. If you are serious about herb gardening, one of these may be well worth the investment.

How to Plant Herbs

Starting out your plants indoors is one of the best ways to ensure your herb garden’s success. Doing this on your own will ensure that the plants are not exposed to chemicals like starter plants purchased from a nursery might have been. The best time to start plants indoors is about a month before the first day of spring. Some herbs do not transplant well, however, so be sure to study up on the particular herbs you want to grow before you plant.

In most cases, the larger the seed, the deeper it needs to be planted. Herbs should be planted about six inches apart. If the plant is large when fully grown or tends to spread, more space may be necessary.

Harvesting and Drying Herbs

There are no set dates to harvest most herbs. The plants are ready for harvest when the flower buds appear, but before they are completely open. The time of day is a very important consideration when harvesting. The best time to harvest is early morning, after the dew has evaporated but before the sun is too hot.

The best way to dry herbs, especially those used for cooking, is by air drying them. They should first be washed in cold running water and drained thoroughly. Short-stemmed herbs can be dried in a tray in a dark, warm place. Those with longer stems or branches should be bundled at the ends, placed in a paper bag with the stems sticking out, and hung up. The larger herbs can take 2 to 4 weeks to dry.

Herbs can also be dried with heat or in silica sand. Cooking herbs should not be dried using the silica sand method, and may lose some of their flavor and oils if dried using heat.

Herb gardening comes with a bit of a learning curve, but it’s not much more complicated than flower gardening. And when the time comes to harvest your herbs, all of the work it took to get them to that point will be well worth it.

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