How to Grow Micro Herbs Basil and Cilantro

Flower, vegetable and herb gardens start in spring and grow through summer and into fall. Herb gardens need the same temperatures, soils and care as their larger fruit and vegetable cousins, but grow with some different considerations. These "micro greens" mature quickly and harvest young, before they bloom and go to seed. Prepare an herb plot in your vegetable garden for spring herbs like basil and cilantro, harvest the plants early and focus on staggered plantings for continued harvest.

Garden fork/hand fork
Organic compost
Scissors/pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Plant basil and cilantro in spring, after the frost rises. These sensitive plants don't tolerate frost or cold temperatures. Time your planting with other sensitive vegetable plants like tomatoes, peppers and beans.
- 2
  Set the herb plot in a location with full sunshine and good air movement. Cilantro and basil are sun-loving annuals and grow their lushes, bushiest growth with bright sunshine. They rot in still air and standing water.
- 3
  Prepare the soil ahead of your planting. Herbs grow in a range of soils, but produce their best harvests with crumbly, nutritious soil. Turn 4 inches of organic compost or peat moss into the top 4 inches of soil to build this base.
- 4
  Scatter cilantro seeds across a 2-foot-square area and cover them with a fine dusting of soil to grow at will. Plant basil seeds 1/2 inch deep every 3 to 4 inches in the row, in an equally large plot.
- 5
  Water the herb plot with 2 inches of water every week, with the hose set on a light spray function. Herbs require consistently moist soil for germination and growth.
- 6
  Replant new herb plots every two to three weeks to maintain a summer-long harvest. Cut cilantro and basil before they go to bloom to secure a tender, flavorful harvest. Gather the stems in your hand and cut them off at soil level.

How to Keep Catnip Growing Inside

How to Drain & Tone Herbs

Growing Herbs