Herbs are one of the easiest things to grow as they require minimal care. They are an excellent foray into gardening for novices and fresh herbs add depth of flavor to all of your culinary creations. A majority of herbs will grow well under a wide range of soil conditions, with the exception of extremely wet, poorly drained soils. You may want to consider planting in raised beds if this is your situation.

The soil you use should be loose and well-drained; purchase a packaged mix at any home and garden store. Plants in containers dry out much more quickly than those in the ground. You may need to water once or twice a day in the summer. When the soil is dry at a depth of one inch, apply water until a small amount comes out of the drainage holes. The herb plants prefer full sun, but will tolerate a little less.

Trimming herbs, or cutting back, is essential to the well-being of your plants. You'll want to give your herbs a good trim whenever they start to look spindly or if they begin to flower. This trimming encourages leaf production and will give you a full, lush plant. Using sharp scissors, simply snip (or even pinch) off a few inches of the stems and use, preserve, or discard the cuttings. Most herbs can handle being cut back to within 4-5 inches of ground level. As long as you leave the heart of the plant intact, it should grow back easily and with vigor. Resist the urge to merely snip off a few leaves, especially with basil, as doing so leaves the plant unable to take in sunlight and produce food for itself.

You should fertilize every few weeks with an all-purpose plant food. As you water the plants you'll be washing valuable nutrients out of the soil and they'll need to be replaced in order to maintain the health of the plants.

We hope you have found this brief guide to plant care helpful and that following it will give your herbs a long, healthy life. As always, if you have questions, please stop by any of our markets to ask!