Starting an organic herb garden

Do you love to cook and flavor your food with lots of spices and herbs? If you do, starting an organic herb garden may just be the perfect activity for you. You can grow herbs and spices and get fresh anytime you need them, free of charge.

What herbs should you plant?

If you're deciding on the variety of herbs to plant, choose among the Italian or Thai culinary herbs. Be sure to check your recipes to determine which herbs you frequently use and include them in your organic herb garden. The most common herbs are bay leaves, basil, chives, marjoram, dill, parsley and oregano.

Should you add the aromatic mint to your organic herb garden, keep in mind that mint tends to spread if left unchecked. It can also be invasive and like a weed, it can choke your other herbs. Be sure to contain its growth; plant your mint in a pot.

Getting started

Unless you have sources of fully grown organic herbs ready for transplanting, you'll have to start your garden from scratch. Buy the seeds of herbs that you want and read the instructions thoroughly before opening the packets.

Note which of the herb seeds you can sow directly and which need to be grown in seedbeds.

Organic herb gardening is just the same as organic farming. The same principles apply and the same techniques are used. The first requirement is identifying the best site for your organic herb garden. It must receive enough sunlight with adequate drainage. Check the pH level (acidity or alkalinity) of the soil to determine which herbs are suitable for your garden.

The most difficult part is preparing the soil until planting. Afterwards, work is comparably easier as it involves mainly daily checking on the progress of the plants. Make your own compost so you can apply organic fertilizer to feed your plants.

Growing herbs indoors

Other than your outdoor organic herb garden, you can also grow herbs indoors for easier access when you're cooking in the kitchen. Plant your herbs in organic containers. You cab use containers made from plastic, wood or clay as long as there is provision for drainage and air circulation.

If you're growing your organic herbs in pots, it is best not to use soil. The better choice is a mixture of vermiculite, peat and perlite. You will need to water the potting medium regularly to keep it moist but not drenched. Your potted herbs also need sunlight.

You can put them outside to catch the sun but be sure to take them back in when the temperature drops. You can also position the potted herbs by the windows at the south or west.

Pest and weed control

Whether you are growing your herbs outdoors or indoors, pests and weeds remain to be your problems. You can remove them manually or enlist the help of other insects such as ladybugs.

Or, you can apply mulching materials such as wood chips or grass clippings. A mulch layer of three to four inches will be helpful to prevent the growth of weeds.

The benefits

Creating and maintaining an herb garden can bring many benefits. The usefulness of herbs is not limited to just cooking purposes. Herbs also have various cosmetic, household, craft and medicinal applications. In more ways than one, organic herb gardening might be exactly what you need.