Growing Herbs

My herb garden is growing wild! The fruit of my labor is certainly paying off now that we are in the full summer season with fall nipping at our heels. In April when most of us were worried about the world outside our door, I started thinking about my spring planting. I longed to see color instead of brown, twiggy branches in the barren woods and wanted to feel the warmth of the sun rather than the icy breeze we felt in the outside air. 

I am an amateur in growing potted herbs and never had the knack of producing a decent crop. There always seemed to be an issue with my plants that looked weak and unhealthy. This year, I took time to research, and now I have an abundant amount of beautiful, healthy herbs including basil, rosemary, lemon verbena, Italian and spicy oregano, lemon thyme, lavender, parsley, catnip, and mint. These are a few tips I learned this year that aided in my bountiful harvest:

–Buy and plant early, even if it’s a couple of weeks before the last frost date where you live. For at least three weeks, I hauled my young plants each morning into the sunshine and then back in the garage at night to avoid the cool, night temperature. By the time the plants were ready to stay outside full time, they were sturdy and flourishing. 

–Don’t overwater. After researching each individual plant, I realized that not all herbs need the same amount.  Some thrive on dry potting soil and others grow better in damp conditions. Even if the top of the soil looks dry, it may be soggy underneath so get your hands dirty and feel the soil below the surface. 

–Learn how to prune and harvest each variety of plant. Cutting them back too soon can be as detrimental as not pruning the herbs and letting them grow too big. Each plant is different and I was just doing it wrong.

– I was an overzealous herb mom. For years I failed my little green friends because I doted on them too much. Every morning I was checking on their progress, picking at their leaves and watering them too often, like they were my growing children. It was hard to be patient when you want to taste those fresh summer herbs! 

I like to think I am a green thumb in progress. This year, in particular, no matter what you planted, I hope you’re enjoying being outside!  Play in the dirt, feel the warm sunshine on your face and bask in the glory of these long summer days. Tell me how your plants are growing this year and please share any growing tips!