SMALL- SCALE HERB FARMING
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The wooden ladder frame can be supported by a couple of layers of bricks to allow for soil depth (soil requirements vary from herb to herb). And since the natural barriers (ladder rungs) are already present, it's a piece of cake to vary the soil composition from one section to the next.
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Most culinary herbs - especially basil, dill, chives and sage - produce more and better foliage when they are frequently trimmed back. If you make drastic cuts to a plant, however, remember to mix some compost or fish emulsion in with your next watering. This will help to spur new growth.
Some folks have discovered that a small herb garden just outside the kitchen door is both useful and convenient. It need not be the product of any extensive landscaping, just a system of informal plantings where space permits. You may want to take some steps early on to assure the little herb garden will be attractive year-round. The best way to do this is to mingle evergreen herbs such as lavender and lavender cotton amidst the basic culinary herbs. That way your little garden area never has that "died out" or dormant look.
Seed, Soil and Sunlight
An herb garden begins with site selection and soil preparation. If at all possible, you want to locate the garden in an area that receives at least five hours of sunlight each day. If not, your plants will grow slowly. Some herbs such as borage, chervil, mint, parsley and sweet woodruff do tolerate partial shade, but the rest are pretty demanding of the sun.
Good drainage is the next most important consideration. Planting on a natural slope can help, but if none are available it's a snap to create your own gentle mini-hillside.
In preparing the soil, dig deep and aerate well. If the soil has a high percentage of clay, lighten it with some peat moss and improve its drainage qualities by adding some coarse sand. You will more than likely need to add some organic matter such as compost, well-rotted manure or leaf mold. Soil pH should be slightly alkaline (approximately 7.5). Check the soil with a testing kit, which you can usually buy from a gardening center. If it tends to be acidic (6.5 or below), add some lime.
The most economical way to grow herbs is from seed, but this, of course, also takes the most time. For slow-growing herbs such as thyme, marjoram, parsley. mint and chives, you'll want to start seeds in early fall and cultivate indoors throughout the winter. Faster-growing herbs should be planted no more than four weeks before you expect to put them outdoors.
Some herbs - including tarragon and oregano - are best started as cuttings from established plants. Look to buy small plants from a nursery or herbal farm and cultivate them with care until you are ready to transfer them to the outdoor garden.
