Herb Gardening Tips That Will Give Anyone A Green Thumb

Written by Lee Dobbins

Tuesday, 22 July 2008

by LeeDobbins

Herbs are a wonderful start for a novice gardener because they do well even in poor soil, require little or no fertilizer, and tend to be quite forgiving of a beginner's mistakes. Many herbs are resistant to insect infestations, and do not require heavy maintenance such as pruning. Here are some basic herb gardening tips that will get you off to a good start:

Having the right tools once you plan what types of herbs you will grow is very important. Many times a small shovel or spade will do just fine. Cuttings from herbs do not require a large hole, and seeds should be kept near the surface. New seeds using compacted soil can take just a fork or spike to aerate. Soil with good drainage is a must as most herbs do not like soil that is too wet.

If you do not have a pair of nice pruning shears then you should invest in a pair for your herb garden. Ordinary scissors are not an alternative for pruning shears. Occasionally, herbs need to be pruned and pruning shears are the only thing that can cut through thick stems.

A fine watering can may prove indispensable to your herb garden depending on your arrangements. Some prefer to pour water out a one inch opening which is just right for some plants. But for herbs, which require less water, one of the most basic herb gardening tips is that you can avoid the most common mistake of over watering by using sprinklers, the type of watering can punched with a number of small holes designed to easily control the amount of water to be given.

For a container garden a watering can is adequate, but if you possess a larger plot of earth it is a good idea to purchase some kind of watering system, preferably an automatic one. A simple drip or soaker system is relatively inexpensive, although your climate may require replacement occasionally, and is easy to set up and maintain.

Soaker hoses are a convenient tool that can be spread across even larger areas (say 20' x 30') in under an hour; simply create an arrangement snug to the plants and anchor it to the ground with plastic or metal spikes. When winter arrives, be sure to store your hoses. Harsh cold weather elements will clog and rot hoses after just a few seasons.

A wheelbarrow is one of the most useful accessories to your garden; it is handy for transporting weeds and moving garden cuttings from place to place as you carry out maintenance tasks- that way everything is in one place when it comes to bagging cuttings at the end of the day.

In order to help reduce the need for weeding, as well as improve the soil composition of your garden, place a 3-4 inch layer of much after planting. Any or all of the following combined will make a suitable mulch: wood chips, bark, gravel, or shredded newspaper. When spreading the mulch, be sure to allow approximately one inch of open space around the base of the plant. This will assure that too much moisture and heat do not build up, as these factors can can harm plants.

It is not hard to follow these basic herb gardening tips. All you need are a few quality tools, some seed packets, and a plot of ground with good soil to create an excellent herb garden.

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To get more basic herb gardening tips including tips on growing herbs in containers and drying herbs, please visit http://basicherbgardeningtips.com/

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