Planting Guide for Herbs

Propagation Method

• First, know how your herbs are propagated. While most herbs are grown from the seed, herbs such as spearmint and tarragon are propagated using leaf cuttings or plant divisions. While cuttings may seem easier and less expensive, they may require specialized fertilizers, called plant hormone, to stimulate growth.

Timing

• Timing is crucial when planting herbs. While herbs such as basil or cilantro are planted anytime after the last frost in the beginning of spring, chives must be planted three to four weeks before the last frost. This is because, with herbs such as chives and lemon balm, the last freeze sends a cue to their development systems and allows them to start growing. Other plants such as the summer savory and the fennel cannot tolerate frost and must be planted after the last frost has gone.

Indoor, Outdoor

• While many herbs are grown indoors, some are best left outside. Cilantro, dill and borage are plants that require the outdoors to thrive. Plants such as basil, parsley, sage and Sweet Cicely adapt well to indoor gardens.

Bloom Seasons

• Knowing when a plant is going to bloom helps you when tending to your plant and also serves as an indicator when something is wrong. Plants such as basil, which blooms in midsummer, should have their blooms pruned off to divert energy to the proliferation of their leaves. If chives do not bloom in the early summer, they may require fertilizer to boost their nutrition level.

Soil

• While many herbs grow in variable soil conditions in the wild, most grow the best in rich, moist soil that drains well and contains a large amount of bio-matter, such as compost. Notable exceptions include oregano (which takes very little nutrients from the soil and prefers poor-quality soil) and cilantro (which requires sandier soil that does not retain water).

Sun

• Sun requirements are especially important in joined-container herb gardens, since herbs are likely to get the same amount of sun. Most herbs require at least six hours of sun per day to thrive. Exceptions include parsley, spearmint and chervil, which can weaken if it remains too long in the sun.

Water

• Annual-growing herbs such as basil and dill prefer a constantly moist soil throughout their growth period. Sage and common thyme are perennials and prefer frequent watering during initial planting, with the schedule gradually tapering off to occasional sprinklings to wet the topsoil.