Herb Garden Grow Lights Produce Stronger Plants

Plants grown on even the sunniest windowsills tend to try to “reach” for the light. They will grow longer stems, leaning toward the glass to position their leaves to get as much light as possible. It is a natural plant habit known as phototropism. While normal, it results in leggy plants—ones with long stems and fewer leaves—that grow lopsided toward the light source. The long stems are weaker and the plant produces far fewer of the leaves that the herb gardener is growing them for

By placing an indoor herb garden under grow lights, the light source that the plant seeks out through phototropism is nearby, and directly overhead. The plants can grow straight up and strong, and the leaves are not starved for sunlight.

Herb Garden Grow Lights Promote Greener, More Flavorful Leaves

If an herb plant is not getting enough light, the leaves are thinner, making them more delicate and prone to damage. The leaves also tend to be longer and larger, as the plant seeks to maximize the area absorbing what light it gets. Without enough light, variegated varieties of herbs may lose the variegation that makes the variety appealing to gardeners.

When the plant’s leaves get all the light they need, they produce more of the essential oils that lend herbs their distinctive aromas and flavors, and in the case of medicinal herb, the active compounds. Under grow lights, herb gardens produce better quality herbs for culinary or medicinal use.

Herb Garden Grow Lights Encourage Plants to Bloom Herbs grown for flowers, such as chamomile and lavender, will not bloom in insufficient light. Flowering requires a large output of energy from the plant, and lower light levels do not allow the plants to accumulate enough energy to put up a flower stalk and bloom. The plants may produce lush foliage, but don’t take the next step of flowering, and setting seed on herbs grown for seed. If the herb plant does flower, the blooms will be smaller and less colorful. An herb garden grow light ensures that the plants can photosynthesize enough energy to produce the flowers the gardener wants.

Benefits To Growing Your Own Herb Garden

There are many benefits to growing your own herb garden. The first benefit is, of course, price. While the initial set up may be a little bit expensive, in the long run if you plant and grow your own herb garden you will pay pennies for the fresh herbs that you pay dollars for at the store. The second benefit is variety. Most stores only carry one or two different types of each herb. There are, however, dozens of categories of Basil, for example. You might find one or two in the store, but you can easily grow six or seven different types. You can use these unique herbs that you grew in your own herb garden to spice up a traditional dish. The third benefit to growing your own herb garden is that gardening of any sort is very relaxing. If you have high stress issues or high blood pressure, spending some time gardening might be a huge benefit to your health. So go ahead, plant your own herb garden and dig in!

How To Grow Your Own Herb Garden

You might be thinking that you do not have the space, time, or patience to grow your own herb garden. Think again! First of all, growing your own herb garden can be ridiculously easy. You do not need to spend money on items like an herb garden grow light or even the crazy contraptions for sale to grow your own herb garden in your kitchen. Instead, just get a couple of planters. You can grow your herb garden in your yard if you have the space, but if you do not, you can easily grow an herb garden in your house or on your porch. Make sure that the herbs you plant do well with whatever light source you have available, water the herbs on a regular basis, and be prepared to enjoy your food in a whole different way! Growing your own herb garden is not as difficult as you might think!

Tip One: Where To Plant

The first tip for how to grow an herb garden is to choose a great location. As with many things, location is the most important part of beginning to plant and learning how to grow an herb garden. There are quite a few different places you could plant an herb garden. First, you could plant some herbs in your vegetable garden. You will want to sanction off a specific section for your herbs so that the other vegetables do not choke them out. Second, you could plant some herbs in a planter. That way you can still have them in your yard where they can get optimal sunlight, but you do not have to have a large garden to do so. Third, you could plant the herbs in a small moveable planter that you can put on your porch or deck. Many people like this option because it allows them to move the garden inside when the frost comes.

Tip Two: What Types To Plant

When planting an herb garden, you have to think about what herbs you want to plant. This second tip for how to grow an herb garden is to choose the herbs that suit the environment that you have available. For example, if the herb garden you have is going to be directly exposed to sunlight, you need to find and plant herbs in your herb garden that do well with excess sunlight. If the herb garden is going to be primarily in the shade, then you need to find some herbs that flourish in the shade. Many herbs do well in a combination of shade and sunlight, so the best place for your herb garden is going to be in an area that is partially exposed to both sunlight and shade on a regular basis.

Tip Three: Amount Of Herbs

The third tip for how to grow an herb garden is choosing the right amount of plants. Some herbs do well with multiple plants in the same planter, but other herbs do not do well and end up choked off by the other plants. Make sure to do your research to find out exactly how many herb plants should be planted in what proximity.

Kitchen Herb Garden

One great way to grow an herb garden is to put it in your own kitchen. There are many different contraptions that include special lights to help you grow your own herbs in your kitchen. But you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on a contraption that is going to take up precious counter space. Instead, try making your own windowsill herb garden. You can grow this herb garden by simply potting a few herbs and putting them on your windowsill. Make sure that you check the amount of light that comes through that window. You will need to get herbs to plant that work well with the amount of light that you have available from the window. In addition, make sure that you follow the proper watering guidelines so that the herb garden flourishes as much as possible.

Porch Or Deck Herb Garden

Another great way to grow an herb garden if you have a small area to work with is to make a porch or deck herb garden. Growing an herb garden this way instead of on a windowsill will allow you to grow more herbs. All you need to get is a large pot. Fill it with potting soil and plant your favorite herbs. Like you would have to with a kitchen windowsill herb garden, when growing your herb garden on the porch or the deck, you need to make sure that the amount of sunlight you have available is what the specific herbs that you plant need. If it is too much or too little, the herbs could die.

Benefits To A Home Grown Herb Garden

There are countless benefits to having a home grown herb garden, whether it is in your kitchen or on your porch. You will always have variety when you grow yourself an herb garden. Instead of having to rely on whatever the store is selling this week, you can have fresh herbs whenever you want them. In addition, you can grow countless different varieties of herbs that are not even sold in stores. So go ahead and plant that herb garden you have always been dreaming of!

Nursery Tags

If you buy the herb plants, there is always the nursery tag to use as an herb garden plant marker. This has the advantage of putting all of the plant's care instructions right there next to the plant. Using nursery tags as herb garden plant markers is generally considered a faux pas among gardeners. Aside from the visual considerations, the ink used to print the tags tends to bleach out in the sunlight, and the plastic that the tags are made of does not hold up to the elements well for an entire growing season.

White plastic Plant Markers

Herb garden plant markers made of white plastic are inexpensive, functional, and readily available at garden centers. Shaped like popsicle sticks, these are a step up from the nursery tags, but they still give an impression of a tiny plant cemetery until the plants grow up around them. T-shaped plastic herb garden plant markers are also available, providing a larger writing area.

Seed Packet Tags

Some garden supply catalogs and outlet sell herb garden plant markers that the seed packet slips into. These can be useful for rows of plants in your herb garden, but they have the associated disadvantage of limiting you to one marker per seed packet. The seed packet plant tags should only be used with empty seed packets.

Metal plant tags

These are similar to the white plastic herb garden plant markers, but made of bronze or another metal, to be written on with grease pencil. Metal plant markers for herb gardens are more expensive, but blend in better with the soil and mulch. Metal plant tags might be worth the money for herb gardeners particularly concerned with aesthetics.

Do Not Use Popsicle Sticks As tempting as it may be to recycle used wooden popsicle sticks as herb garden plant markers, those do not hold up well for long. In a best case scenario, the writing fades and bleeds into the wood. More often, micro-organisms feed off the residual sugar on the stick and the whole thing turns into a moldy mess.

Natural light

Perched in a sunny window, most herbs will do fine without supplemental light. However, "sunny window" is not quite as easy as it seems. Examining the plant markers in herb gardens or nurseries, one finds most herbs are full sun plants. Moved indoors, plants requiring full sun need nothing less than a window with southern exposure and nothing outside to cast a shadow during the day. Moreover, light has to reach the plant leaves. Window treatments can block light to plants on the sunniest windowsill. If the plant is in a hanging planter, it needs to hang at a level where the incoming sunlight hits the leaves of the plant, not the bottom of the pot. If the herb plant is hanging in a window with a valance, make sure the curtains aren't blocking the light. Because of the difficulties with providing an indoor herb garden with the light the plant needs, some supplemental plant light is necessary for herb gardens inside.

Plant Grow Lights for an Herb Garden

Specially designed plant grow lights are available through most garden supply outlets. These are adjustable height lights using full-spectrum bulbs to provide optimal plant light conditions for a herb garden or other indoor plant. Most plant grow lights are designed for seed staring or hydroponic growing. Because most people do not start their seeds on the credenza or sideboard, the manufacturers pay less attention to the aesthetics of these grow lights and they can look somewhat industrial. If aesthetics as well as function is a concern in your indoor herb garden, these plant lights may not be the best option.

Lamps as Plant Lights for an Herb Garden

When aesthetics are a consideration, such as when the indoor herb garden is in the kitchen or living room, standard lamps can do double duty as plant lights for the herb garden. Drafting lamps, task lamps or desk lamps on arms with adjustable height and light direction make better herb garden plant lights. End table or decorative lamps yield unsatisfying results, as not enough light gets directed to the plants.

Whichever herb garden plant light fixture you choose, be sure to use a full spectrum bulb. Special grow light bulbs are available from garden supply outlets. Barring that, standard light bulbs with the broadest spectrum possible will make acceptable herb garden plant lights.

When to Plant an Herb Garden

Knowing when to plant an herb garden is the first step to successful crops. In the case of an indoor garden, you can tend to plants year round on a sunny windowsill. There are many herbs that can be grown through this method, from pungent basil to savory rosemary. Make sure you water your plants frequently, since containers dry out much more often than garden beds do. These herb gardens can be planted any time of the year so you can enjoy fresh herbs whenever you like.

If you are planting your herb seeds directly into the ground, it is important to read seed packets carefully to learn when to plant an herb garden. The packets will explain when to plant an herb garden directly into the ground, which is often after the danger of frost has passed. For gardeners who want to get a jump start on their plants, some seeds can be started earlier indoors. Again the seed packets will explain when to plant an herb garden through this method and when the plants can be transferred outdoors.

Where to Plant

Once you have determined when to plant an herb garden, you can move to the next step of selecting a location for your garden and beginning the soil preparation for your plants. When choosing a location, one of the key considerations is herb garden plant light, since most herbs need plenty of sun to thrive. Soil conditions are another concern for herbs, although most varieties are fairly forgiving of a variety of soil conditions. To ensure your plants get all of the nutrients they need, you can mix in a bit of compost prior to planting so that air and water can get to your plants' roots for the healthiest crops possible.

Planting an herb garden is not terribly difficult and it can reap many delightful rewards with fresh herbs for cooking and other purposes. By learning when to plant an herb garden and where to place your plants, you will be on the road to fresh herbs for your family in no time at all.

When to Plant an Herb Garden

The first step will be determining the right time of the year to plant a herb garden. While the summer growing season is usually peak time for outdoor herbs, plants can also thrive indoors on a sunny windowsill all year long. You can even transfer your indoor plants outdoors in the summer so they can thrive to their fullest potential. Many gardeners get a head start on their outdoor gardens by starting seeds indoors in the late winter months. Check seed packets to determine if the plants you choose can be successfully transplanted once the danger of frost has passed.

Where to Plant a Herb Garden

You can plant a herb garden in just about any sunny spot outdoors, from a traditional garden bed to a decorative rock garden. Herbs can be planted in tidy rows or in an ornamental pattern that is both fragrant and beautiful. Before you plant a herb garden, take a few days to observe the space to ensure that it receives adequate sun. You will also want to ensure that irrigation will not be a problem by placing the garden close to a water source. Finally, if you will plant a herb garden for culinary purposes, placing the garden close to the house will make it easy to step outside to clip a few sprigs for dinner.

What to Plant

There are many different types of herbs to choose from when you plant a herb garden, from culinary herbs like basil and oregano to medicinal herbs such as lavender and chamomile. The choice of plants is up to your individual preference and the types of herbs available in your area. Most herbs are fairly easy to grow and will thrive in nearly any climate zone. However, if you have questions about specific plants that will do well in your area, you can contact a local garden center or extension office for more information.

If you want to plant a herb garden, you will be pleased to know that you have a variety of plants to choose from that are easy to grow in just about any environment. Check out the choices in herb plants in your area and enjoy fresh herbs on your table all year long.

Basil

Basil is an herb garden plant that is extremely easy to grow indoors and out. This plant is equally comfortable on a sunny window sill as it is in a rock garden, and the fragrant leaves can be added to a variety of recipes. Basil is an annual herb garden plant, meaning it will need to be replanted every year. However, the plant is virtually care free and can grow in nearly any climate zone, making it an excellent choice for beginning gardeners.

Sage

While most cooks only think of using this herb garden plant to stuff the Thanksgiving turkey, the decorative nature of the plant makes it a popular choice for herbs gardens everywhere. The silvery leaves and cheerful blue flowers are a beautiful addition to potted plants, rock gardens and even borders. This plant is also a perennial, so you can plant once and enjoy its delightful blooms year after year.

Parsley

Parsley is an herb that goes with just about any dish and the easy of growing this herb garden plant makes it an excellent choice in any garden. Because there are many different types of parsley, gardeners can have fun growing a wide variety of this herb garden plant. Parsley is a biennial, meaning you can plant one season and enjoy for two.

Oregano

Gardeners often find that the hardest part of growing oregano is containing it to a single location, since oregano has roots that will spread throughout a garden area. Because it thrives with almost no care and comes back year after year, many beginning gardeners find this herb garden plant a true asset to any garden. Oregano is a delightful addition to many Hispanic and Italian dishes and comes in a range of varieties.

The truth about herbs is that nearly any herb garden plant is easy enough for even the beginning gardener to grow. The choices are limited only by your taste preferences and the varieties available in your area.

Choosing Your Herbs

When planning to create your herb garden in the kitchen, you should be aware that there are two basic types of herbs – perennial and annual. Annual herbs like dill, cilantro, chervil, basil, marjoram, chamomile and savory have one growing season and then die, although growing indoors is likely to extend that time table just a bit.

Perennials used to create your herb garden in the kitchen might include rosemary, sage, thyme, mint, lavender, chives and tarragon. These types of herbs produce new growth each year and the more you cut or pinch off to use for cooking, the healthier and bigger these herbs sometimes get. Both annuals and perennials are excellent for your kitchen herb garden and a great addition to any recipes.

Planting Your Herbs

Given that annuals and perennials have different growth patterns, it might be wise to create the herb garden in the kitchen using different pots for each kind. That way, when an annual herb eventually dies off or must be replaced, you would not be disturbing the health and growth of a perennial that can grow for years.

For beginners, it is a smart move to create your herb garden in the kitchen using plants or seedlings rather than starting them from seed. Some people find it a bit tricky to start from seed and become discouraged however, once they become seedlings or young plants, they are incredibly easy to maintain. You can mix and match several herbs in one large pot or use smaller individual pots and plant the herbs singly. It is totally up to your preference, although you should remember to try and pair annuals with other annuals and perennials with perennials.

The type of pots doesn't really matter as long as there is a drainage hole at the bottom to promote good soil drainage. Location of the pots does matter and you should have a windowsill or some other area to create your herb garden in the kitchen where the herbs can get plenty of sunlight. If you can provide the sunlight and some tender loving care, you will soon be cooking with fresh herbs and making your taste buds sing.