It's Hot to Grow Herbs at Home

As any cook can tell you, fresh is best...and nothing is fresher than herbs that you grow yourself. It's not hard to learn, making it hot to grow herbs at home. Just follow these steps for indoor herb growing or outdoors as well.

Know your tastes, grow your tastes. The first step is deciding what to grow. This should be determined by your cooking preferences and tastes. A great way to get ideas is to open your cookbooks. What recipes do you and your family enjoy, what do you make the most? Check the ingredients, the herbs you use most often are there. Another idea starter is to check the spice shelf at your local grocery. If you still aren't sure, a good bet is to go with some of the more popular herbs. Parsley probably tops the list. Used mostly as a garnish, it has a mild flavor and can be used in almost any dish. The best herbs for starters are chives, thyme, sage, mint, marjoram, basil, cilantro, and savory.

Seeds or seedlings?

You can buy herbs two ways. If you prefer to start from scratch and have the patience, seeds may be purchased. For a quicker start, seedlings may be purchased.

Site selection.

Herbs can be grown no matter where you live. No need to worry whether it is too cold or hot to grow herbs at home. You can plant a garden outdoors, or on a baker's rack in pots, or for a nice effect, in flower boxes or small containers indoors. Drainage is an important consideration in site selection, whether you grow herbs outdoors or grow herbs indoor. Herbs will not grow in wet soils. You want the soil to be moist, but over-saturation is harmful to the plants. If planting outdoors in the ground, you will want to dig about a foot into the soil. Layer the bottom with crushed stone or pottery shards. Then mix some sand or compost before filling back with the removed soil. This will improve drainage. For indoors, make sure you have a sunny location. In winter, or for lack of sunlight, "grow lamps" are helpful. For drainage, place small pebbles at the bottom of the planter then fill with potting soil, mixed with a little sand. Make sure you have a container under the planter to catch the runoff water. Most herbs grow best in full sunlight, so find a spot that will allow for at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, whether indoors or out.

Care for your herbs.

Water every few days, or enough to keep the soil moist. Bring plants indoors when frost is expected, or cover with a sheet. Don't drench the soil since this will make the roots soggy and stunt the growth. For outdoor gardens, make sure to weed as they appear. You may use a fertilizer every couple of weeks if you wish, but it is not necessary. If you are growing indoors, you may want to move your plants to a garden outside in spring for best results.

The easy way to get started.

If this all sounds like too much work, you can find starter kits with all the necessities to get started. Once you get started, have fun...if you do, you'll learn why it is hot to grow herbs at home!