Vegetable Planting

Organic herb gardens are a joy to the senses. They look beautiful, smell intoxicating and their produce lends a flavorsome note to home cooking. The main constituents of any herb garden are perfect for a novice to try as they are virtually indestructible and do not require much watering. These are rosemary, thyme, parsley, mint and chives. Once these core herbs are established, they will spread slowly.

It can sometimes be tempting to protect and improve your garden with artificial products. After all, you work so hard on it, why not take a shortcut? But you can overcome some of the problems that gardeners encounter in organic herb gardens without resorting to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Pest control

It’s tempting to pack plants together tightly in herb gardens to give the impression of a space that is bursting with aromatic splendor. However, putting plants too close together allows disease to spread quickly. Leaving 18 inches between plants will give you a chance to remove infected specimens before they share their disease or pests with their neighbor.

Purchase some mini-beasts

Worms are natural helpers in organic herb gardens. They aerate and spread nutrients around the soil, so if you see any, be sure to leave them alone. Ladybugs are also your friends in the garden. They eat aphids and other pests, and their larvae can even be bought online so increase the population in your back yard.

Plants that work together

In nature you will rarely see a large area of the same types of herbs. Nature spreads plants out and mixes them with each other. Copying this garden design scheme with organic herb gardens is a good idea too to promote biodiversity and assist you with the war against pests. Why not plant some marigolds near your herbs, which will repel and deter aphids.

Mulching

Mulching in organic herb gardens has two benefits. First, it covers the free soil around your herbs which means that the earth does not dry out. The soil retains the moisture, so your herbs will have water for longer between rainfalls. Second, mulch itself is composed of nutritionally rich organic matter which will be released and broken down over time. This is an excellent way of feeding the soil organically with a natural product. However, be vigilant about exactly what your mulch contains. Sometimes it can provide a habitat for the very pests that you are trying to avoid, which could cause you problems.