Soil preparation 

Some herbs grow well in almost any soil, but for best results it helps to do a little ‘ground work’ by doing some preparation before you plant.

First, remove any sod from the area you intend to make into an herb garden by slipping a spade underneath the grass at a depth of about an inch and pushing forward.

You can actually ‘peel’ the sod off of the earth this way, and although it is physically demanding, it goes fairly quickly.

If you have a mulch pile you can throw the sod upside down on top of it to decompose.

If you have another spot in your yard where you will be planting soon you can throw the sod upside down on that spot to kill the grass there while you prepare your herb bed.

The best soil for growing herbs is rich, fertile loam. If the soil is dark brown to black and holds together slightly when you squeeze it you are in good shape, but even sandy or clay soil is fine for most herbs if the spot gets plenty of water.

Enrich your sandy or clay soil by adding one part peat and one part sterile compost or manure to two parts soil.

Dig down at least a foot and loosen the earth well before adding the compost and the peat.

Don’t become obsessive about insects and weeds. You don’t need to apply weed killers or insecticides to your plot, just pull any deeply rooted weeds and keep doing that as they appear.

<< Previous    [1]  2    Next >>