Growing Herbs By Gail Roos
Herbs are fragrant, flavorful, and beautiful. They’ll grow happily in the yard, in garden beds, or in containers. Growing herbs isn’t difficult, but you have to determine what will make them perform well — what sun exposure, soil, pH, and water requirements. Group the herbs according to those requirements. How will you use your herbs? Do you want to cook with them? Popular herbs for kitchen gardens are rosemary, basil, oregano, and fennel. If you plan to make teas, you could plant chamomile and mint. If you want to use them as landscape plants, you might use rosemary, yarrow, and sage. Most herbs can be grown in pots in any combination you want, such as oregano, parsley, and chives, as long as the sun requirements for each are the same. First, find a location where your herbs will thrive. Most herbs need sun, sun, and more sun. They’ll need six hours of full sun a day. Next, prepare the soil. Good drainage is a must. Mix in lots of organic matter to a depth of at least 8 to 10 inches. Plus, if your bed has lots of clay, add some sand. Herbs do best with pH between 6 and 7.5. Planting your herbs in a raised bed will give better control of the soil mixture for good drainage. A soil test by your local cooperative extension office will tell you the recommendations for lime and fertilizer. When you plant, arrange the herbs by the height they’ll reach when full grown. Add about 2 inches of mulch to protect the roots from the sun and to keep the weeds down. Water in the evening at ground level using a soaker hose to keep water off the foliage and to avoid diseases that thrive on dampness. For growing herbs in containers, clay pots are best because they are porous. Fill the pot with a good, lightweight, well-drained artificial soil mix, but not a garden soil. Water frequently and fertilize regularly because nutrients get washed out. Give herbs a try! Gail Roos is a certified Master Gardener Extension Volunteer with Cherokee County Master Gardeners, part of the UGA Cooperative Extension. Contact the Cherokee County UGA Extension office for gardening assistance. 770-721-7803, CAES.UGA.edu/Extension/ Cherokee
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