5 Easy to Grow Herbs

5 Easy to Grow Herbs

Growing a herb garden is the perfect place to start if you are new to gardening. You can plant several herb types with different purposes such as homemade skincare products [1], aromatherapy, teas, and majorly cooking. A touch of fresh rosemary or basil on your veggies, pasta, and roasted meat will take the flavor to another level and make your food taste better.

Herbs grow well indoors or outdoors; they require less maintenance and are cheap to grow. Before we consider 5 easy to grow herbs, here are a few basic tips to keep in mind in order to achieve success when growing any herb indoor or outdoor.

1. Choose a sunny spot

Herbs need about six to eight hours of bright sunlight to thrive. That is why you must grow your herbs in the area or spot that gains the highest amount of sunlight. Indoor gardeners that face sunlight challenges can use LED grow lights clamped into the side of the pot.

2. Get some pots

While choosing your pot and planters, you must consider the ones that have the best interest in mind for your herbs. Pots with drain holes are the best option that allow drainage. They can be kept in a planter without holes to protect indoor surfaces and prevent water-logging.

3. Choose your soil

A peat-free high in organic matter potting soil is great for growing herbs in pots. Experts recommend staying away from peat because it does not provide sustainable resources [2].

4. Choose your herbs

Now that you have your pot and the best soil, choosing your herbs is the next thing to do right. It is ideal to start by growing herbs that you use frequently. If you are always reaching out for parsley, grow parsley. If you crave the flavor from a fresh bay, grow bay. Remember, your indoor garden is a way of inspiring and augmenting your everyday cooking. You must not grow all the food you eat. Choose your herbs.

Below are 5 easy to grow herbs you can consider while starting up a herb garden.

1. Basil
   Basil is a sun and warmth-loving herb. A window facing South is ideal for placing a pot of basil herb. Grow basil from the seeds and when it’s time to harvest, do so from the middle of the plant, leaving large leaves at the bottom to aid plant growth.
2. Parsley
   This is another sun lover. It can be grown from seed and you can harvest it by cutting the stem halfway down, allowing new shoots to sprout from the base.
3. Rosemary
   Rosemary does not only add flavor to your food but also freshens the air thanks to its pungent scent. You can replant it by cutting and keeping its roots in a pot. Ensure that you keep the potting soil moist until you see new growth.
4. Bay
   This is a perennial herb and should be kept in a window facing east or west. It requires air circulation to stay healthy, so avoid crowding it.

5.Thyme
It likes full sun and spreads while growing, so you can either give it enough space or cut it back to the size of your choice. Its harvesting time is all year round and is done by cutting halfway down the stem and plucking out the leaves for use.

Growing herbs is not so difficult after all, and with what you have read so far, the only thing keeping you from having your own herb potted garden is you. Happy planting!

References

[1] Ferdoushi Jahan, et.al. Natural Herbs and Spices: A Great Resource for Skin Care Cosmetics. Journal of Plant Sciences. Vol. 7, No. 4, 2019, pp. 86-99. doi: 10.11648/j.jps.20190704.13.

[2] Paxia Syifa Rinaldi et al 2019 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 394 012037.