While growing and using herbs need not be stressful, some people get frustrated when cultivating these plants because it does not come out as they hope. To keep things simple, here are some facts that you need to be always aware of.
The first is that growing and using herbs can, and will be a much easier task if you just keep it to a few species in the beginning. You may be tempted to fill your yard with various types of mint, rosemary, Passion Flower, mint, Valerian, oregano etc. However, planting too many at the same time can lead to frustration.
Aside from having to water, layer and cut down every single one, you also have to keep note of which ones are about to bloom and when they are best to harvest. Another problem with having too many herbs is that you could end up buying a lot of pots, potting mixes, etc. You might think that you are spending a lot of money without seeing any results.
Success in growing and using herbs will also depend on your knowledge about the plants and the techniques used by gardeners. The basics –getting good soil, sunlight, watering- are a given, but you should invest some time checking out the new types of containers coming out, or the new insecticides being used. Also keep yourself updated on which herbs are becoming popular or used frequently in recipes or medicine.
Growing and using herbs does not mean that you should spend hours reading up on every kind of development that takes place, but if you intend to use the herbs as a source of alternative medicine, you will need to allocate some time checking the properties of the plant as well as the latest findings. With the info on the Net, getting the facts will not be hard.
Aside from starting with only a few, another thing you should know about growing and using herbs is that they may be planted according to certain groupings. You can cluster them by perennials, annuals and biennials. This will make it easier for new gardeners to see at a glance which are ripe for harvesting and which are just blooming.
Growing and using herbs can be a hobby or business venture, but regardless of the reason that you got into it, by always keeping the above mentioned facts in mind, you can be certain of having satisfying garnishing and seasoning all through the year.
Originally posted 2009-07-12 12:06:28.