10 Steps for Creating the Easiest Outdoor Herb Garden

Herbs are the spice of life (oh, come on and laugh; that was a good one!) and everyone should have one. Not only is it a great way to keep your budget intact, it’s healthy. Herbs are used in so much of our cooking, yet we spend so much money on something that we end up wasting. We want fresh herbs, but some are only fresh for a minute before you realized you just spent money on something you aren’t going to use since you didn’t use it in the car on the way home. It happens, and we all hate it. An herb garden is going to give you a little something savory and a little something fun to take care of. It’s also going to make your cooking that much more enjoyable, and we can help you  make the most of your herb garden by giving you the tips you need to create one that’s just as wonderful as you imagine Martha Stewart’s probably looks.

Be Safe

The most important thing to remember when growing an outdoor herb garden is to make sure it’s safe. This is not going to be a concern for people who have a backyard of their own but anyone in an apartment or condo might need to take this into consideration. If you live in an apartment and your only outdoor space is a fire escape, understand that it’s usually illegal to have a garden on the escape. It’s not safe and it’s dangerous. So you might need to find a way to grow out there so that you don’t violate any rules or safety regulations.

Find the Right Location

Depending on where you live and what you want to grow, you have to find the right location. Does your garden need a lot of light from the sun? Is moderate sunlight the deal? Is little sunlight the deal? Not everyone can grow the herb garden they want to grow if they don’t have the right lighting. You’ll need to do some research based on what you have as far as space and lighting and then choose what to plant from there.

Get the Right Stuff

You will need pots with plenty of drainage, the right soil and dirt, the right tools, the right cutters and probably some gloves. You can find out more about what you need by talking to a nursery expert and by reading up on the specific type of herbs you want to grow. We can’t get too specific since there are so many different herbs and so many different things you might need to grow what you want, but we can tell you to make sure you know what you need to grow what you want, or it won’t work out for you.

Use Already Grown Herbs

All gardening experts recommend that you not grow your herb garden from seedlings. Instead, buy stuff that’s already been planted and already growing. It’s much easier and it’s much less stressful this way. This gives you the opportunity to see what you’re creating and cultivating, and it gives you the opportunity to make sure that this is a project you really want to keep up with.

Start Simple

Basil is the easiest herb to grow and that’s what people recommend for beginners. It’s delicious and can be added to just about any meal, so that’s a bonus. Buy basil that’s already growing to help you start your garden. Additionally, don’t go too crazy buying dozens of different items that require you to keep up with too much all at once. Start simple and go from there. It’s the best advice for just about any aspect of life, really.

Plant what You Use

If you don’t eat basil, don’t plant it. There’s no point. The best advice we can offer to create your own backyard herb garden is to plant what you will use. It’s wasteful and pointless to plant a bunch of stuff you do not like or eat. Additionally, try growing things that work well together for creating meals. Think about what you like to eat, what flavors you enjoy most and then choose items that work well with those things. It’s really very simple.

Water your Herbs Correctly

You shouldn’t water your herbs like houseplants. They require a different method. Each herb will come with its own instruction and till give you recommended watering times and frequencies, but experts often recommend that you water them a bit daily to keep the soil moist and the plants healthy. This is something you’re going to eat, so you do want to make sure it’s good.

Cut your Herbs Correctly

Always cut your herbs the right way. Most of them require that you cut from the top. Others don’t. It all depends on what you are growing and what you want to thrive. Ask for professional advice or take the advice from someone you know with a successful herb garden so that you can ensure you are getting the most from your garden when it comes to growing herbs to assist you with delicious cooking.

Know When to Take Herbs

This is another one of those tricky questions we can’t exactly answer but can provide assistance with. Depending on how your herbs are growing, how big they are and how healthy they are, you will need to know when to cut them and use them. It really does depend on all of what we just mentioned. Not everything is going to need to be taken on the same day, but you should check every day and trim when necessary. Read up on what you’ve planted to see when it’s ready for you.

Don’t Toss Sick Plants

Not all sick plants are useless. You can see what’s wrong with your plants and see if they have a chance of being nursed back to health. It might be a simple project, and it might be one that’s difficult to deal with. We don’t know. All we know is that many plants with some form of sickness are very easily salvaged so go ahead and see what you can do. If you see that a pest is the cause of your sick plants, call experts like Sustainable Pest Systems for pest control and termite extermination. A spider infestation can also have a general effect on the ecosystem around your plants, creating a need for a spider removal service to intervene.

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