The Best Ways to Take Care of a Potted Herb Garden

Light

• Herbs need plenty of sunlight, be it natural or artificial. A sunny window is perfect, but if there is no access to sunlight at all use a grow light purchased in a garden supply store. Provide your herbs with at least 4 to 6 hours of sunshine each day. If your window does not offer enough sun, try moving the pots onto a sunny porch or patio to get the full 4 to 6 hours. If using a grow light, manually turn the light on for 4 to 6 hours, or put the light on a timer so that it turns itself on and off at the proper intervals.

Water

• Research the herbs you plant in your container garden. Different herbs require different moisture levels; some need daily watering while others only need water when their soil dries out. When watering herbs that prefer dry soil, stick your finger 1 inch into the soil. If the soil feels dry, it is time to water your plant. If you place your container herbs outdoors, all of these plants require more water than they would indoors.

Fertlization

• Herbs are easy when it comes to fertilizer -- they do not need it. Work a little natural fertilizer such as compost or peat moss into the herb's potting soil before planting and that's it. Chemical or diluted fertilizers often tend to burn the foliage of an herb plant and herbs grow just as well without additional fertilization. Another reason not to fertilize is that herbs actually taste better when you skip using it.

Pruning

• Certain herbs grow into very large plants. While they adapt to life in containers, measures must be taken to keep them compact enough for container gardens. Pruning is the act of clipping away bits of the plant to encourage further growth, keep the plants smaller and prevent the plants from going to seed and dying out. Occasionally pinch or clip off new growth on the plants. Harvest your herbs regularly as a method of pruning, just remember not to harvest more than 1/3 of the plant to keep your herbs healthy.