Where can I grow herbs?

Herbs can be grown just about anywhere from formal herb gardens to pots on a patio. The only limits are the amount of space and your imagination. Some people like a formal garden with neat little trimmed hedges with different sections for each type of herb. Other people like to mix their herbs in with the other flowers and vegetables they grow. Nowadays many people live in apartments; they can still grow herbs in pots on a patio or balcony.

Most herbs like 5 to 6 hours of sunlight daily, preferably morning sun. Some like basil, chives and the mints can tolerate partial shade. Average to fertile soil with a good organic matter content, and good drainage is perfect for herbs. If the soil is clay or sandy, adding organic matter will be beneficial. A soil pH of 6.5 to7.0 is prefect for herbs. If the pH of your soil is to low, adding lime will raise it, while adding sulfur will lower it.

There are three basic types of herbs, annuals, perennials and biennials. An annual reaches maturity and usually dies within one year, killed by the cold of winter. Some hardy annuals may survive in the warmer geographical areas. Some perennials are evergreen while others die back during the winter and come back in the spring. Perennials last many years. The life cycle of a biennial is two years.

Terry the Plant Man

Paula's Herbs and Plants