If you’ve ever browsed Pinterest, which I know most of us have, then chances are you’ve noticed that Herb Gardens are the hottest DIY gardening trend — and for good reason! These petite gardens are practical, convenient and not to mention incredibly adorable (one might say Pinterest-worthy.)
However, don’t let these seemingly-easy herb gardens fool you. They actual require some planning and a bit of sweat! There’s a few things you’ll want to consider before getting started on your own. Fortunately, I’ve assembled my top five tricks for starting an at-home herb garden:
1.Plenty of sunshine (real or artificial)
Something that should be obvious is that plants thrive with light, and the more light you can provide for them, the better. In fact, if a light is more intense, it can actually affect the flavor of an herb. Crazy right? Providing your herbs with 6-8 hours of sunlight can produce a delicious outcome. For indoor gardens, the Burpee Two Tier Lighting Cart is a simple sun replacement. Just plant your herbs in it’s two pots, turn on the light daily, and watch them grow!
2. Temperature
Alongside lighting, temperature is another vital part of successful herb growth. The experts say that the perfect temperature for herbs is generally between 60-70 degrees, which is usually around most home environments. However, to be sure that your herbs are thriving in an optimal temp, this La Crosse Technology thermometer to place next to the plants is ideal.
3. Individual Herb Pots
When growing herbs indoors, it’s best to keep each herb in it’s own container. Although it’s fine to grow them by each other outside, the indoors brings different circumstances. Sometimes, an herb may be overcome by a fruit fly, or may be suffering because you forgot to water it. By keeping it in it’s own pot, you can tend to an individual herb’s needs. To follow this rule, the Herb Garden Starter kit comes with individual pots to give you optimal control!
4.Feed your herbs a fishy fertilizer
This tip is definitely the strangest, but it’s one of the most important! Fertilizing your herbs is important, but fertilizing them with a fish-based product is even more crucial. These have a higher nitrogen concentration that promotes strong, leafy growth. These can be tricky to find at your everyday store, but this Neptune’s Harvest Seaweed Fertilizer is readily available online.
5. Water infrequently and slowly
Last, but certainly not least, we need to cover watering the herbs — more specifically the frequency of watering them. Believe it or not, your herbs don’t need to be blasted with water at the same time every day. In fact, they grow better with more infrequent watering at a slower pace. This promotes a stronger root system. If you’re having a hard time finding a sleek, smaller watering can, this stainless steel option is perfect for the indoors!