Find out how to grow each herb on your allotment plot or in your kitchen garden. Click the herb below, that you would like to learn more about and discover all the information you need to grow a successful crop this season.
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If you are interested in starting your own kitchen garden or allotment growing, then the best place to start is by growing herbs. Growing herbs indoors or outdoors is often much easier than growing fruits and vegetables.
Herb plants are low maintenance, they can be harvested within a few days or weeks, don’t require a lot of nutrients, and can grow in a limited space. Moreover, the taste of homegrown herbs is much stronger and fresher and ultimately better than store-bought herbs. At Allotment Online, we are always here to encourage you to grow and nurture your home herb garden.
Are you looking to grow your own herbs? We are here to help you with all the resources you need, from choosing the best herbs to grow to the sowing and harvesting tips.
Growing herbs can provide innumerable benefits to not just your taste buds but also to your other plants in the allotment.
Herbs are known to enhance the flavours of your salads, soups, marinades, baked dishes, dips, and garnishes. You can use both fresh and dried herbs for cooking. There is nothing better than adding some freshly picked, coriander or basil from your home herb garden to your cooking.
You should consider growing herbs not just to add flavour to your food but also for the many medicinal benefits. Some of the best herbs to grow for medicinal benefits include sage, oregano, thyme, basil, and fenugreek, among others. Herbs can have many great properties and health benefits, including:
Growing herbs in your allotment garden works as a great companion for other plants. Herbs attract pollinating insects and keep away the harmful pests. Planting herbs in your allotment can act as a cover crop helping to retain moisture. The strong roots of some herbs can break up soil particles and also help to store carbon and produce nutrients that are needed by other plants.
To start your home herb garden, begin by first getting seeds or saplings from your local nursery. The best time for growing herbs is in the spring after the frost and cold weather have passed. One important tip is to not get carried away and plant a large variety of herb seeds. Choose only those herbs that you consume regularly.
To understand which herbs to plant, you need to understand the two different types of herbs - annual and perennial.
Annual Herbs: These herbs are sown and harvested within the same year, and once they flower and produce seed, the plant dies. For example: basil, coriander and parsley.
Perennial Herbs: These herbs grow for several years without needing any replanting. These herbs are more hardy than their annual counterparts and can self-seed. For example: sage, rosemary and chives.
To grow herbs, you will need a well-drained, loamy soil. Add compost and horticulture sand to enrich and drain the soil. When choosing the allotment patch for growing herbs, ensure that it receives sunlight for a minimum of six hours.
It is best to mature your seed or the seedling brought from the nursery in small soil-filled containers. Once the root starts appearing, it is ready to be planted in the soil. Ensure that the hole in the soil is large enough to accommodate the root ball of the herb plant. Regularly water the plants during the dry season.
The best time to harvest herbs is during the early morning. You must always harvest herbs before they start flowering, to preserve the flavour. To harvest leafy herbs, break the leaves from the tips of the stems.
For longer-stemmed herbs, cut near the base of the branch. While in the case of perennial herbs, harvest the stem in sprigs.
You can either use fresh herbs or dry them in a microwave oven or air drying. You can also freeze herbs by placing them in a freezer and storing them in a zip-lock pouch.
The best part of growing herbs is that you don’t need a large area of land; you can grow them in small pots and keep them indoors. To create your indoor herb garden follow these steps:
Growing herbs is probably one of the easiest things to do. However, at Allotment Online, we like to prepare our gardening enthusiasts with all the necessary resources. Whether you have an outdoor or indoor herb garden, these are some common problems you should be aware of:
At Allotment Online, we are a budding group of new and experienced allotment growers. We love sharing our experiences and resources to help you grow your own herbs. Whether you need tips for growing basil or fennel, you’ll find every bit of information on our platform.
Register today and share your home herb garden journey here!
Allotment Online has the solution for all your growing needs. Learn about all the best herbs to grow and their unique needs from our experts. Whether you are wondering how to grow tomatoes, nuts, raspberries or anything else, we will help you out!