Apr
2008
Lifestyle across the world is changing fast and organic food is gaining popularity and acceptance among people. This enhances a need of growing them even bigger. With the changing trends people are now adapting to new gardening methods and like to grow organic foods in their home gardens as well.
Organic food is a wide term and involves almost everything like fruits, vegetables, edible flowers, and various types of herbs. It is really interesting to find that while growing every other organic food in gardens is slightly complicated the herbs’ growing is much more easily.
One doesn’t have to be an expert gardener for growing herbs. It is just a decision away. Place and space also have no issues when it comes to growing herbs. A small yard or even pots in homes would be also being quite suitable for herbs plants growing.
Before going ahead for having an herbs gardening it is always better to have some background information about herbs. Now days the info is readily available on internet and many other books are also available in the markets.
The basic research and background would be helpful in deciding the herbs that could be grown in homes with no complexities. A wise research based selection of herbs would further reduce the problems in gardening. It is important and therefore must be taken seriously. At the same time the selection should involve a variety of herbs so the garden has easy-to-grow herbs varieties.
Selection of herbs is purely an individual’s own choice. For a pizza lover having “basil” in garden would add flavors to the dish. Italian food lovers would more probably go for “parsley”, in their gardens. Mexican and Indian cuisine lovers would prefer to have “cilantro” in their herb gardens. It all depends what a person likes.
One the selection is finalized one should begin with the initial steps of herb gardening. Learning few basic steps for herb gardening will help in long run. A systematic and planned herb gardening would certainly result in to better outputs.
Start with Right Search
It starts with beginning the search for right gardening resources at right place. The list could contain several items including seeds, seedlings, herb plants, and others. Locating the source comes next to this stage. Visiting a local garden store would be a good idea. A nursery situated in nearby area would also be a right place to visit.
Seeds, seedlings, and herb plants of your choice would be available at these places easily. One would generally find several varieties of one particular herb. Careful pre-study and discussion with the expert sellers or gardening experts available at these stores or nurseries would definitely lead to final selection of beneficial herbs suitable for gardening.
A research conducted for seeds, seedlings, and herbs and their various varieties would always be more advantageous. All these background information’s ultimately add to right decision making.
Pre-treating With Moisture
Once the right seeds have been procured they need to be treated with moisture first before sowing. Direct sowing without treating the seeds is never advisable. It is always better to keep the procured seeds soaked in to water for a sufficient time.
If it becomes slightly difficult then alternatively the seeds could also be kept wrapped in a wet paper towel or cotton cloth. This wrapping could then be place inside of a plastic bag for at least four hours. After this treatment with moisture the seeds would be ready to meet the soil and sowing.
Grounding with Potting Soil
The post-moisture treatment would be sowing the herb seeds in to the soil. This becomes very important that have most suitable and well prepared potting soil. It must be enriched with perlite and peat moss.
A nicely and proportionately perlite and peat moss mixed soil will provide better growing environment to the herbs seeds. This mixture will also facilitate good draining as well. Herbs growing require well drained soil.
Give Herbs Suitable Place to Grow
Ensure that you purchase or find the suitable pots or boxes for growing herbs. You may also find containers around your home itself and these can easily be converted in to pots. It is recommended that you better purchase clay pots as they are the most suitable for providing enough air circulation to the roots. Alternatively, you may also like to purchase suitable plastic, metal, or ceramic pots in case you are not able to water the herbs regularly.
Herbs require more water to grow and therefore provision of drainage in the pots would be required. A hole in the pot base would help the moisture escape suitably.
Ensure Enough Sunlight
Sunlight is very essential for herbs growing. Insufficient sunlight would affect the growth of herb plants adversely. In and around homes sufficient sunlight must be ensured. Normally direct sunlight for about five to six hours every day would be sufficient.
Herb gardening experts also recommend that herb plants should never be placed at unfavorable spots. A pot having herbs seeds sowed should better be placed on the top of a refrigerator as it will keep the warmth helpful for seeds sprouting. Later after the germination of seeds the pots can be moved to a better sunny place.
Maintaining pH Balanced Soil
Ideally a pH of 6.5 would be one of the best and most appropriate pH values for a soil. A soil having this pH value would be slightly acidic in nature.
Knowing the right pH value of soil suitable for herbs is extremely important. Technological advancements have made it so easy and manageable that any person can easily measure the pH value with the help of specific handy instruments. There are small handy instruments available which make this complex and complicated process as an easiest process. Several types of carry easy-to-use pH and fertility testing kits are also available at the hardware stores.
Instruments have their own variations depending upon the skill and level of capability of user. Beginners will find a beginner’s set exclusively designed for them and expert gardeners will have their advanced models of these kits and instruments.
Herbs would make your food more healthy and tasty and would also add many flavors to it. Herbs have several types of medicinal and aromatherapy advantages. Growing herbs in homes or in garden is definitely a beneficial proposal.
