5 Best Herbs to Grow Year Round
One of the best things about herbs is that they can be grown outdoors or indoors. Moreover, herbs don’t usually take up a lot of space. If you want to ensure a good harvest of herbs throughout the year, check out our list of the 5 best herbs to grow year round.
1) Mint
First, this perennial herb is one of the most resilient ones out there. Mint can thrive even with just partial sunlight. It produces a soothing scent, small yet colorful flowers, and it has a good taste. Apart from using them for your meals, mint herbs can be used for medicinal purposes or as a ground cover.
Mints grow well in well-draining soil. Each plant should be 24 inches apart if you intend to plant them outdoors. Even just a couple of mints will quickly occupy a given area as they reach a height of around two feet. Apply a thin layer of mulch to provide enough moisture. If you intend to grow mints in containers, do add some compost every quarter.
2) Basil
A single basil plant can provide half a cup of the herb every single week if you conduct proper care. Similar to mint, basil will thrive if it’s planted in well-draining soil. The difference is that the containers of basil should be placed on a window facing the south — ensuring that the herb gets a lot of sunlight. Do irrigate these herbs if you notice that they’re drying when the temperature is warm.
If you will grow basil during spring, ensure that you do so six weeks before the last spring frost. While the seeds aren’t difficult to sow, basil can suffer a lot from extremely cold temperatures. It’s best to prepare a cover against the cold if you have to transplant or grow basil in the ground. These spring garden tips should keep your basil healthy.
3) Parsley
If you’d like to grow some parsley, you can pick between the two most popular types. The first is the flat-leaf parsley, which features flat leaves and a distinct flavor. Second is the curly-leaf parsley that’s mainly utilized for salads due to its flavor and texture. No matter which you pick, parsley should be grown in well-draining potting soil.
Parsley requires full sunlight, but you can still place the container in a window facing the west or the east. However, positioning the parsley here would slow down the evaporation process. Thus, you would have to change the watering frequency. The herb can be harvested after just two months. Simply cut the outermost stalks in the morning to get the most desirable flavor.
Here is a video of growing parsley:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jZxk1uq2qA
4) Chives
Chives are best grown indoors between February and May. They should then be transplanted once the soil warms up again during the late stage of spring — the temperature should be around 19 degrees Celsius to encourage germination. If you directly sow chives, ensure that they are half an inch below the soil surface. Every clump of chives should be separated by at least six inches from each other.
Water the herbs regularly and cut off any flower stems before they bloom. Doing so will encourage the plant to grow more leaves. During the harvest period, cut the chives down to just two inches from the soil surface. It’s up to you how many you will get, but use them while they fresh since the herb becomes dehydrated pretty quickly.
5) Rosemary
Finally, the rosemary herb can be grown using seeds and on the ground if there is no frost arriving. The herb will eventually become a healthy shrub if it grows in sandy and well-draining soil. Likewise, grow it in an area that receives at least six hours of sunlight.
However, don’t let the herb dry out if during the summer season. Rosemary does not require a lot of fertilizer, but an application in spring will help maintain its health. If the weather becomes cold, you can grow rosemary in terra cotta pots indoors.
In conclusion, there are many herbs that you can grow throughout the year. You can get a lot of fresh herbs as long as you know where and how to plant them. We hope that our guide helped you grow your own herbs. If you have any queries, do send us a comment.
If you are looking on tips on how to grow grass quickly stop by A Green Hand for some great tips!
Image Sources:
https://pixabay.com/en/moroccan-mint-teeminze-peppermint-2396530/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/basil-grow-herbs-plant-83694/
https://pixabay.com/en/parsley-peterle-kitchen-herb-2417475/
https://pixabay.com/en/chives-herb-natural-food-fresh-774192/
https://pixabay.com/en/herbs-french-bouq
Do you have a share button? Love this list! I couldn’t find a share at bottom? Might be my browser!xo laura
Hi Laura, thank you! When I redesigned my blog I forgot to add the share buttons. I’ll let you know when I have them back up, thanks for the reminder, have a great weekend!