COMMON HERB GARDENING MISTAKES | ABONO
Common Herb gardening mistakes are easy to make, and maintaining your herbs healthy and flavorful is more difficult than it appears. They are given the impression that they do not require as much nutrition as other plants, however, this is not true. Several elements could be affecting the overall look and taste of your herbs, including their positioning, position in a pot, and watering routine (or lack thereof).
You may also save money by growing your herbs, which is a relatively simple process. However, like with anything that appears simple, there are drawbacks to be aware of. Here are some of the most common gardening mistakes people make, as well as how to avoid them.
- Starting with Herbs That Require a Lot of Upkeep:
Herbs are generally simple to plant, although some require more maintenance than others. Beginner-friendly herbs include basil, oregano, chives, mint, sage, and dill. These herbs require little effort to grow and are difficult to kill. Basil, in particular, is frequently used as a trainer herb because of its hardiness and speed of growth. On the other hand, lavender, coriander, and lemongrass require more attention. If you have no prior gardening experience, these are not the ideal option.
2. Season for Growing:
While herbs are available all year, just like vegetables and fruits, there are specific seasons when they thrive best. Cilantro, for example, prefers mild temperatures, so spring or fall rather than summer; when the weather warms up, cilantro flowers and goes to seed (coriander), which means there are no more tender leaves to pick. Basil thrives in warm conditions and will perish in colder climates. Parsley, on the other hand, is a hardy plant that can survive the winter in most climates. It’s critical to plant your herbs at the proper time of year.
3. Cutting Regularly:
Cutting the herbs regularly supports healthy growth and prevents them from becoming leggy, flowerless, and finally leafless. ‘As the herbs grow larger, cut them just below the leaf node and place them in water.’ For example, you may place six basil stems in a jam jar of water and they will produce roots. You may place the roots in soil once they’ve grown larger, and you’ll have a new plant for free.
4. Starting from Seeds:
While starting herbs from seeds may seem natural and cost-effective, many herbs are difficult to grow from seed, making transplants — small starter plants available at grocery stores, nurseries, and farmers’ markets — a far better option. “Growing any plant from seed necessitates paying close attention to watering, soil, and light requirements, but herbs are much more sensitive about germinating and thriving than vegetables,”
5. Mature Leaves:
During a harvest, large, older leaves appear to be the greatest, but bigger isn’t always better. For one thing, the larger, more mature leaves aid in the quickening of your herbs’ growth. They’d flop over because they were too top-heavy. New growths are more flavorful than mature leaves.
6. Letting them flower:
Allowing the herbs to bloom will change their flavor! Cut down the herbs before they flower, unless you’re producing edible flowers. Sweet basil, for example, will become bitter as it matures into blossoms. That’s why it’s crucial to keep the herbs trimmed regularly; you want them to concentrate on growing leaves rather than blooms.
7. Mixing different Herbs:
For some herbs, variety isn’t always a good thing. It’s critical to evaluate which herbs grow well with other herbs if you wish to try companion planting. For example, fennel and cilantro do not grow well together. They can cause chaos on each other’s roots and stunt their growth. Dill and lavender don’t combine because their soil pH needs to be different. If you mix herbs with different water requirements, you risk drowning part of the plants.
