SPRING HERB TIPS
Divide any larger clumps of your perennial herbs such as
lovage, catnip, mint, chives, thyme, sage, lemon balm,
winter savory or oregano. Give them away if you don't
have room for another plant or leave one in the ground
and try one in a pot that you can bring in later.
Remember that some herbs like the mints and horseradish
can be invasive, so grow them in very large containers that
are buried in the ground if you need them to be contained.
I've grown many of the mints without a problem, but one year
I planted pineapple mint and didn't pay attention to it. It took
over the herb bed! Chocolate mint starts out fairly tame and
then wanders every which way, so don't be fooled by mints
that start out slowly. You can bury other "dividers" such as
pieces of tin or other metal around the mint to contain it too.
Horseradish roots are hard to dig up because they are so
long, so use the buried pot method to contain it. By the way,
if you want the horseradish a little milder, try digging the root
in the spring instead of waiting til later in the summer or fall.
Once the frost has passed there are many herbs you can
direct sow. Herbs that are fairly easy to grow from seed are:
dill, chives, calendula, basil, fennel (grow away from dill),
salad burnet, sweet cicely, nasturtium, borage, cilantro,
and cress are a few. Always pick the rocks and large clumps
out of the soil where you direct seeds.
If you are just beginning with herb gardening, remember that
Mediterranean herbs such as oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme
and lavender prefer a dry, very well drained soil in a hot, sunny
location. Other herbs like mint, basil, parsley, lemon balm like
the soil fertile and are not as drought tolerant. Group together
herbs that like the same type of environment when planning out
your garden.
MORE: Tips on including herbs within your flower beds!
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/herbgarden3.html |
