How to Grow Your Own Herbs

Grow your own herbs to save money on grocery store purchases while also benefiting from freshness. Select the herbs that will be planted and ensure that the soil has excellent drainage. When it comes time to harvest the herbs, it is important to wait at least several months before removing any leaves. This will ensure that the plant will continue to produce healthily for many years. The most important details are that to use homegrown herbs in cooking, they must be dried out by baking them at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-4 hours on a cookie sheet, consult a cookbook for instructions on how to use them to flavor a dish, and store them in a plastic or glass container for later use.

If moisture remains from the first drying process, mildew will grow, so it is important to remove and re-dry all of the herbs to prevent mildew. If you like herbs, gardening, or both, you should start a herb garden and set it up for optimal drainage and choose which herbs to grow.

If you don't want to spend your time managing an elaborate fruit or vegetable garden, you could consider planting and maintaining a herb garden. While the product may not appear to be as significant, you will still benefit from the constant availability of fresh, delicious herbs to flavor your meals.

First, select the herbs that will be planted. Because of the wide variety of herbs available, this may be difficult. However, the best way to choose is to do as I did and simply look at what you have in your kitchen. By growing your own collection of these herbs, you can save money on grocery store purchases while also benefiting from freshness. Herbs to begin with include rosemary, sage, basil, dill, mint, chives, and parsley, among others.

When deciding where to plant your herb garden, keep in mind that the soil should have excellent drainage. If the soil is watered and remains completely saturated, you will never be able to grow a healthy plant. One of the best ways to solve the drainage problem is to dig a foot into the soil and lay down a layer of crushed rocks before replacing all of the soil. This allows all of the water to escape, saving your plants.

When you're ready to start planting herbs, you may be tempted to purchase more expensive plants from the store. Herbs, on the other hand, are much easier to grow from seed than other plants. By sticking with seed packets, you can save a lot of money. Some herbs grow at an alarmingly fast rate. For example, if you plant a mint plant in an open area, it will quickly take over your entire garden.

The best way to avoid this issue is to grow the more aggressive plants in pots (with holes in the bottom to allow drainage, of course).

When it comes time to harvest the herbs you've worked so hard for, taking too much can be fatal to your plant. It is not healthy to take any leaves from your plant if it is not well established, even if it appears to be not using them. You should wait at least several months after your plant has been well established before removing any leaves. This wait will be well worth it because your plant will continue to produce healthily for many years.

You'll want to use your delicious homegrown herbs in cooking once you've harvested them. Why else would you have cultivated them? To begin the process, they must be dried out. This is easily accomplished by baking them at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 4 hours on a cookie sheet. After they've dried sufficiently to be used in cooking, consult your nearest cookbook for instructions on how to use them to effectively flavor a dish.

If you want to keep your herbs for later use, put them in a plastic or glass container. Paper or cardboard will absorb the flavor of the herbs and will not work. During the first few days of storage, you should check the container on a regular basis to see if any moisture has accumulated. If it has, you must remove and re-dry all of the herbs. If moisture remains from the first drying process, mildew will grow while your herbs are stored. Nobody enjoys mildew.

So, if you like herbs, gardening, or both, you should think about starting a herb garden. It may take some effort at first to set it up for optimal drainage and choose which herbs to grow. After that, it's just a matter of harvesting and drying all of your favorite herbs.