Herb Garden Care

Locate

• Choose a sunny, well-drained area. A Southern exposure is optimum, but any site that provides the plants with five hours of sunlight a day will work. Consider building raised beds to encourage drainage, as no type of herb will thrive under wet conditions. Another way to drain the garden is by putting a layer of gravel or stone where you want to plant, then covering it with soil.

Propagate

• Herb seeds can be started indoors and then transplanted outside, or you can buy herb plants at nurseries or most home improvement stores. If you decide to propagate your plants from seed, plants the seeds in small containers like egg cartons, small terra-cotta or peat pots. Fill the container almost to the top with dampened, not wet, potting soil and place the seed on top. Cover it with a small amount of soil. To encourage germination, cover each container with plastic wrap or place them in plastic bags. Put them in a sunny window and check periodically to be sure they are still moist. When the seedlings are visible, remove them from the bag or take off the plastic wrap. Water sparingly, keeping the soil moist but not wet. With the proper care, the seedlings will be ready to transplant in about six weeks.

Tend

• Plant your herbs outside after the last frost. Herbs grow best in soil with a pH reading between 6.5 and 7. For optimum growth, mix the soil with organic matter like compost or peat moss. Overfertilizing will result in herbs that are less flavorful with too much foliage. Water your herbs regularly but don't overwater. Pull weeds as soon as they are visible or they will overrun your garden, smothering the herbs and hindering their growth. Keep your herb bed neat, and avoid having your herbs go to seed with regular pruning. This also helps keep invasive varieties like mint in check.

Harvest

• In the fall, before the first frost, transplant herbs you wish to overwinter in the house into pots. You may need to divide the plants first by splitting them from the top down and through the root ball, resulting in two separate plants. Cut herbs you wish to dry for use in crafts. Annual herbs, like basil, will die off with the frost, so pull out the dead plants. Protect perennial herbs with a layer of organic material, like pine needles or straw, between 3 and 6 inches deep.