Here’s the secret to fresh tasting dishes! Fresh homegrown herbs! Fresh herbs are readily available from farmer’s market or grocery stores, but you know how a fresh tomato from your own garden has that homegrown taste? Same with home grown herbs.
It’s easy and economical to grow herbs at home. A lot of herbs are fairly hardy and will produce over half the year (late March – December in New Jersey) and longer in milder climates. Keeping the pots close to the house/heated structure will extend the growing season too. Some of the easiest herbs to grow are: parsley, oregano, basil, tarragon, chives and rosemary
Best time to start a patio herb garden is in early Spring, when plants are widely available at farmer’s markets, nurseries or home improvement stores.
Self watering pots work well, so as not to be running out to your deck twice a day to water a bunch of pots. Most super stores and home improvement stores carry reasonably priced pots. Antique containers such as tin buckets and oil cans work well too. Be sure whatever it is that is at least 10-12” deep for good water retention.
A good soil is key to growing herbs. Stick to a natural or close as you can get, with some sort of fertilizer. It’s not necessary to use all new soil every year. If reusing soil, be sure to mix some new soil or fertilize for optimum growth and healthy plants.
Planting is easy! Gently turn the pot upside down without damaging fragile new herb plants, give a tap or put pressure on the bottom and the plant with soil should pop out of the container. Loosen the soil up around the roots and place in a hole big enough to accommodate the plant. Be sure not to plant too deep, potting soil should just barely cover the original soil. With light pressure, use your hands to firm soil around planting and add more soil to level out.
Keep soil moist and harvest often to promote new growth.
