Growing tips and uses for herbs
 (Read 250+ times)
By Rex Trulove
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Growing your own herbs doesn't need to be a major chore, and it can have decided advantages over buying herbs, especially in the quality of the product and the amount of money you can save by growing your own.
Let's face it, store bought dried herbs are not only extremely expensive, but they are often not very fresh. You have probably already determined the reasons for growing the herbs; otherwise you might not be reading this.
The first consideration when contemplating the herb garden is the use to which the herbs are going to be put. This is helpful especially for choosing which herbs you wish to grow.
The main ways that herbs are used are in cooking, medicinally, for the aroma, and in crafts.
Each will have a direct bearing on which herbs are grown, and even on which varieties of herbs are grown. Some varieties may be better for cooking but won't be especially high in medicinal qualities, while others may have more aroma, and so on.
The next important consideration is where you are going to grow the herbs. If you don't have much room, you may need to plant in containers. However, some herbs don't do really well in containers. Likewise, it is helpful to know particulars regarding how much light and water, and what kind of soil a particular species of herb does best in.
Some herbs grow best in partial shade while others need as much sunshine as possible, some do best if the soil is fairly dry, others do better if it is damp, many herbs love rich garden soil, but some do better is poor soil. It doesn't hurt to do just a little research into the types of herbs you've chosen to grow. Doing this is far better and easier than trying to figure out, halfway through the growing season, why the herbs aren't doing well.
A last major consideration is the weather in your area. There are many herbs such as oregano and sage that are quite hardy and can withstand even very cold or snowy areas, producing growth year around. Others, like basil may grow well in the summertime but don't tolerate the snow and cold very well and will need to be planted yearly in colder areas, if they aren't growing in pots.
As you grow your herbs, you will learn many other things about the herbs you have, like what parts are the best for your purpose, when to gather them, when to dry them (if you are going to preserve them), and how the herb subtly changes flavor through the year. These are things that you really don't need tips for, as you will learn through observation.
You are well on your way to having a nice herb garden suited for your purposes, and in the process, you will save yourself money and end up with something a lot better than you can buy in the store. Enjoy your herbs!
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Author Bio Box: Rex Trulove
http://www.helium.com/tm/876181/growing-herbs-doesnt-major
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