13 Mistakes to Avoid When Growing Aromatic Herbs at Home.
Having a small planter with aromatic herbs near the kitchen is great!
You can use it whenever you need it for all your little dishes!
Even if they are plants that do not need maintenance ...
... there are mistakes to avoid when growing beautiful aromatic herbs at home.
here is 13 mistakes to avoid in order to grow beautiful aromatic plants. Look :
Mistake n ° 1: buying aromatic herbs at the supermarket
The first mistake to avoid is buying fresh aromatic herbs at the supermarket!
Why ? Not only because they are sold quite expensive, but also because they are often in poor condition ...
Not to mention the fact that you have to buy a whole bunch when you only need a few sprigs.
Fortunately, it is easy to find beautiful, already mature plants in markets or garden centers.
It is much cheaper and in addition they are often better quality plants.
Mistake # 2: growing aromatics too far from the kitchen
If the plants are too far from the kitchen, you will never move, in the middle of the recipe, to go and cut a few leaves ...
Yes, laziness is a big factor to take into account when cooking at home!
My stove top advice is to plant them on the kitchen window sill.
That way, you always have them on hand! And then, they grow perfectly in pots.
To discover : How To Grow Aromatic Plants In A Pot At Home.
Mistake n ° 3: sow aromatic herbs yourself
It is possible to sow aromatic seedlings, but long and delicate ...
Trust me, you already have to have good notions of gardening to get there!
Why ? Because it takes a long time to grow them. For example, parsley takes 3 weeks to germinate ...
And in addition, you have to watch them seriously for weeks! Long and tedious ...
As I told you above, it is easy to find already mature plants in markets or in garden centers.
It's much simpler that way and you have no chance to miss it!
Mistake # 4: growing herbs in a land they don't like
Aromatic plants can be separated into 2 groups.
Basically there are the Mediterranean plants (thyme, rosemary, sage, bay leaf, oregano and marjoram) and all the rest.
Their culture is not the same at all!
Mediterranean plants need poor, well-drained soil and lots of sun.
Why ? Because they don't like stagnant humidity.
For drainage, they need a handful of gravel (or pebbles) at the bottom of the pot.
It is also necessary to remember to space the waterings so that they are not too soaked.
If your soil is clayey and heavy, plant the aromatics on a mound and add a little sand so that the water does not stagnate.
Mistake # 5: Believing Aromatic Herbs All Come From Hot Regions
This is the reverse of the previous mistake!
There are quite a few aromatic plants that are grown in the same way as most vegetables in the garden.
They need a rich soil, always a little humid and a semi-shaded place.
What are these aromatic herbs? Dill, chives, basil, chervil, cilantro, tarragon, mint and parsley.
They need more frequent watering and a little nitrogen fertilizer once a month such as nettle manure.
My advice: in any case, avoid growing both types of plants in the same place, because they do not have the same needs.
Mistake # 6: confusing annual grasses with perennials
Do you know what perennial aromatics are?
These are the small, slow growing shrubs that need to sit in place for years.
It is therefore essential not to put them in the middle of the vegetable garden!
Instead, plant them on a border to be quiet.
This is the case of chives, tarragon, mint, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf sauce, sage, oregano and marjoram.
All other plants are annuals. What does it mean ?
They die at the end of the season and you have to replant them or buy plants every year.
This is the case with basil, dill, chervil, green anise and cilantro.
Mistake n ° 7: overwatering aromatic herbs
Mediterranean aromatics and others do not have the same water requirements.
The former do not need a lot of water, except the first year for the roots.
Others need deep watering at least once a week.
You can even add one or two sprays of water a week if the weather is very hot.
To find out if the plant needs water, stick your finger in the soil.
If you feel moisture a few inches below the surface, no need to water!
Be careful, too much water kills the plant!
If your planter rains regularly, remember to empty it to avoid water stagnation ...
Mistake # 8: not cutting your plants often enough
Aromatic plants need to be cut and we often tend to forget this.
We even tend not to dare to cut them when the plants are still very small.
But in fact, it's the opposite of what to do!
Small, regular cuts strengthen the plant and allow it to make new branches or twigs.
Basil is the best example to train when you are starting out.
When you cut a stem just above 2 leaves, the basil grows back creating two new "V" branches.
So remember to prune your plants several times during the season, even if you don't need them for cooking.
And freeze your aromatics, you will even have them in winter!
My advice: always cut above the leaves (and not below), and always leave the large branches at the base.
They are the ones with the largest leaves, which capture the best light and nitrogen to feed the plant well.
Mistake # 9: letting plants bloom
When a plant flowers, the edible leaves stop growing!
But it is the leaves that interest us to eat them.
Fortunately, there is a trick to delay flowering and thus continue harvesting the leaves for a few more days.
The trick is to simply cut off the buds of the flowers that are growing.
But be aware that some plants flower from the first months, and often in the season.
But that's not necessarily a problem. Why ?
Because dill and chive flowers, for example, are edible.
It is also excellent on a salad or in a pasta dish.
To discover : 24 Easy to Recognize Edible Plants.
Mistake # 10: falling into a routine
The first year, it's easier to stick to classic aromatics like thyme, parsley, mint and basil.
But when you get used to it, why not try some new strains?
It would be a shame to limit yourself given the number of different aromatic herbs that exist!
You can for example try verbena or lemon balm which are very robust.
But also angelica, savory, saffron, juniper, marjoram, borage, wild thyme ...
Or one of 40 varieties of thyme or 10 varieties of basil: lemon, purple basil, or licorice basil.
One of the 30 varieties of mint such as: peppermint, calixte, bergamot or Chinese.
You will surely find what you are looking for on the Kokpelli website here.
Mistake # 11: not touching the leaves to choose them
Before choosing a new variety, it is important to touch its leaves. Why ?
Because they will deposit their scent on your fingers and you will know whether or not you like this new aromatic herb.
You can also bite into a leaf to taste it.
For example, I hate cinnamon basil!
As for mint, I prefer Moroccan mint to peppermint which as the name suggests ... is peppery!
Everyone has their own tastes, but it is important to test before you start and realize that you don't like this plant.
Mistake # 12: not paying attention to invasive aromatic plants
If they feel good, some aromatic plants tend to take up all the space and invade the available space ...
Mint is one of the worst of its kind!
If you plant it in the ground, expect it to take up space in the vegetable garden very quickly ...
To avoid this, plant it in a large terracotta pot that you will then bury in the ground.
Thus, its roots will be limited in space and it will not be able to invade the whole garden!
As for oregano and sage, they must be pruned regularly, otherwise they will spread everywhere.
Mistake n ° 13: not thinking about saving your aromatics for the winter
In summer, aromatic plants give a lot of leaves.
Result, we do not necessarily manage to consume all the herbs ...
Pity ! Fortunately, there are effective storage methods for keeping them.
Very practical to have it even in winter!
To keep them, you have 2 simple and effective methods.
You can dry the aromatic herbs.
It works great for thyme, rosemary, savory, bay leaf and oregano.
The second method is freezing.
This solution works great for chives, basil, mint, or dill.
Besides, you can freeze them easily by following this tip.
Your turn...
Have you tried these tips for growing your aromatic herbs well? Tell us in the comments if it worked for you. We can't wait to hear from you!
Do you like this trick ? Share it with your friends on Facebook.
Also to discover:
Herbs: 18 Clever Ways to Grow Them Indoors.
12 Herbs You Can Grow All Year Long JUST IN WATER.
