There's not enough space here to be all-inclusive, but the tips below will give you a basic idea of what will be involved. As always, jot down questions and take them to your library, extension agent or trusted gardening expert.
Once you've selected your herbs and designed your garden, it's time to grow your garden! Don't start planting just yet though. While herbs are very easy to grow, they do require good drainage. Here is one way to test the drainage of your soil:
- Dig a hole the size of a gallon milk jug (in your target site).
- Fill with water, allow to drain, and immediately refill.
- If the water takes more than 8 hours to drain, the soil's drainage needs improvement. Here's one way you can do that:
Remove the soil to a depth of about 2 feet or so. Line the excavation with a
3-inch layer of crushed stone or similar material. Add to the soil you removed, either compost or sphagnum peat and sand. Refill the beds (a bit higher to allow for settling).
Another drainage problem solution is create raised beds for your herbs, using lumber, bricks or such. Railroad ties and other treated wood may leach creosote into your plants.
While most biennials are sown directly in the ground in late spring, after danger of frost has passed, most of the other herbs can be started indoors in seedling trays about 6 weeks before planting time. Once seedlings develop two pairs of true leaves, they are transplanted to individual containers and placed in a cold frame or protected area to allow for acclimation to the cooler temperatures.
When you transplant, dig the hole, loosen any roots on the plant that are tightly wound, and set the plant into the hole so that the plant is at the same level as it was in the pot. The soil should just reach the crown of the plant, the area between the roots and the stem. Firm the soil around the plant and water thoroughly.
Invasive herbs such as mints will take over your garden given half the chance. To contain these, plant them in large coffee can that have several punched into them just above their bottom rims. Clay pots also work. Sink these into the ground, and your other plants should be safe for several years.
Remember to mulch so that you don't have to spend much time weeding.
Go very easy on the fertilizer. Too much weakens the herbs' oils that provide the flavor, fragrance and other desirable qualities.
If the rainfall is insufficient, water with soaker hose or drip irrigation so that the water goes to the roots rather than encouraging the roots to stay near the surface. In general, herbs require only about 1 inch of water per week
As your herbs grow, various sizes of stakes will be needed. Choose colors that blend into the garden. Bamboo and small branches can be used. The least conspicuous support is a metal ring with a grid inside, supported by three stakes because the plant eventually covers this.
After two or three years, the perennials can be propagated by dividing large clumps and replanting. However, they can be also propagated by layering any time of the growing season. To layer, bend a young, low-growing stem to the ground, anchoring it there. Once new roots develop, cut the new plant from its parent. There are other layering methods too you can learn about through research. Propagating the herbs in your garden will save lots of money on new seeds or new plants.
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