GARDENING : Getting to the Bottom of Proper Herb Planting

For the homeowner who is developing an interest in herbs, the most satisfying and direct route to learning about these plants is to start a culinary herb garden.

The bulk of the work in having an herb garden comes in preparing the soil and planting the herbs. Give some thought to the location of your garden. The best spot for herbs is one that gets at least six hours of full sunlight each day, is sheltered from strong winds and has moderately good soil. If you have a location that fulfills the first two requirements, the soil can be conditioned to provide a suitable medium.

The primary requirement for the soil is good drainage. Based on a sample layout of 35 square feet, if your soil has a high clay content, add one or two wheelbarrow loads of sand to the bed to help promote drainage. Herbs generally require extremely rich soil, but a moderate amount (a wheelbarrow load) of organic matter--either compost, humus or composted manure--dug into the soil will supply all the required nutrients for the plants.

For the beginning gardener, it is easiest to purchase seedlings at a garden supply store, rather than to start the plants from seed. Look for healthy plant stock--strong plants have rich, green foliage with no yellowing leaves. And, as a general rule, it’s better to use plants that have already been successfully transplanted into pots, rather than to use plants that are still in starter flats. No matter what you choose, just make sure the plants appear full and strong, not wilted.

Before planting, test the soil for proper drainage by spraying the bed with water. If the water pools and does not appear to drain well, add sand and compost, then turn the soil over, loosening the soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches. Rake out the garden bed, removing any rocks or roots that come to the surface.

Position the pots in their planned locations in the garden. Space the plants with the mature size of each plant in mind. While you want to achieve a full, lush appearance in your garden, planting too close will inhibit the growth of each plant and leave them competing for moisture, sunlight and nutrients.

When you are satisfied with the arrangement of your herbs, place the plants into the garden so that they are at the same depth as they were in their pots. Water the garden thoroughly.

With some herbs it is useful to sink a large pot into the garden and plant the herbs in the pot, rather than directly in the bed.

Rosemary, for example, is a tender perennial that may need to come inside during the winter months. To reduce transplant shock, you can merely dig up the pot and bring it inside.

Mint is another herb that works well with this treatment. Members of the mint family are rather aggressive plants and will spread underground, taking over a garden if not controlled. By planting the herb in a sunken pot, the roots are limited and will not spread.

Once the plants are well established, you can judiciously begin to use the leaves for cooking. Picking a leaf here and there will not damage even a young plant--just don’t be too aggressive.