Growing Herbs Organically
submitted: Jun 11th 2008 |
by: Admin |
Total views: 179 |
Word Count: 560 |
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It can be pretty simple to grow herbs organically, so long as you supply them with good soil. You have plenty of options working with herbs, too--indoors or outdoors, in containers or in a garden, even in landscaping. It's very versatile, and so very easy.
You need to begin with good potting soil. Select a soil that drains well and is quite rich in the organic material a growing plant needs. An organic compost mix can be a great start for your growing herbs if they're in containers. Otherwise, you can mix that in with your existing soil to improve the conditions for your herbs.
The health of your soil determines the health of your herbs: the better the soil, the better your plants can defend against diseases and insects. Having quality soil is essential and you should never cut costs in that area, whether you're gardening organically or not.
Your next decision is the location you'll be planting in. Most herbs prefer full sunlight, but some are alright with light shade--and some others actually prefer the shade. It's important to know where your particular herbs will grow best.
You need to make sure that you choose herbs which will grow in your hardiness zone. You should find out which zone you live in and ensure that you pick only the types which are hardy in your zone. If you don't, you'll probably find yourself wasting time with dying herbs.
If you opt to purchase your herb plants, only choose seedlings of the highest quality. If you opt to start your own seedlings, make sure that they don't all choke each other by thinning them carefully. Your seedlings ought to be dark and thick--not pale and spindly.
Using mulch helps to control weeds. Just spread high-quality organic mulch over the topsoil to stop weeds breaking through. It also helps to keep the soil moisturized and at an even temperature.
Controlling insects organically can be done either with organic pesticides or with the practice of companion planting. Lots of plants work well together in deterring common pests--marigolds and garlic, for example, usually make a great pair when planted with others to discourage pests.
You may also find a number of organic pesticides which are available to help you control insect problems. Some repel insects by making your garden inhospitable and others directly kill the insects. You also ought to select kinds of herbs which are naturally resistant to pests and diseases, if you can.
While these plants may still be beset by insects or diseases, they rarely have so many troubles as the standard varieties of those herbs. This is very important if you want to avoid chemical treatments to your garden.
You should rotate the plantings in your garden every year. Move the whole garden to different places in your yard, if at all possible. Rotating the kinds of the herbs you plant can be beneficial, too--if you grow some Thai basil your first year, then grow some purple basil in your second.
This rotation helps to deter and to prevent pests from finding your garden and the tastiest plants in it--by changing its location every year, they cannot simply return to the same location to find the same foods. This will discourage some of your pest problems.
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