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Easy Herbs to Grow that Every Cook Needs

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Do you ever dream of having fresh herbs available anytime your inspired by a new recipe? If you love to garden and cook with fresh herbs, here is a collection of seven easy-to-grow herbs every culinary herb garden should have. Learn which herbs, growing hints, and more.

Easy Herbs to Grow that Every Cook Needs | 31Daily.com

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Love to cook? Here are easy herbs to grow that every cook needs.

Now is a great time to start if you’ve never grown herbs. If you love cooking, you may also love gardening. Especially herb gardening. We’ve compiled a list of easy herbs to grow, from planting to watering, feeding… and even using. Ready to get started?

Consider which herbs you most often use in cooking. And plant those.

How to Grow

It’s easier than you think. Begin with these 3.

1. Easy Herbs to Start With

Oregano, sage, and rosemary are the easiest and most common herbs to grow. They require minimal, basic care and are perennials, which means they come back year after year. Instead of starting from seed, purchase young plants from your local garden center.

2. What They Need

Herbs are easiest to grow outdoors unless you have a bright window. They require good drainage so if you’re growing them in containers, use quality potting soil and make sure they have drainage holes.

3. How to Feed and Water

The first few weeks after planting, keep the soil moist. Then let the soil go a little dry before watering. Too much water will cause roots to rot. Be careful with fertilizer. Experts advise against fertilizing more than once a year, saying it makes them grow too fast, lessening the concentration of aromatic oils that give them flavor.

An Easy Windowsill Herb Garden

YouTube video

Picking Your Herbs

Lorraine Melton, head grower at the herb farm Herbal Haven, says, “Firstly, make sure you pick your herbs regularly during the growing season, and make sure you pick them in the right way. Most importantly, don’t pick stems from the base of the plant. This encourages tall, lanky plants. Instead, pick off the tips of each stem – about the top inch or two (depending on the size of the herb), just above a pair of leaves. Two new shoots will grow from each stem, creating a fuller plant.”

Easy Herbs to Grow that Every Cook Needs | 31Daily.com

7 Favorite Herbs

I’ve chosen the following 7 herbs for their versatility in the kitchen and because they’re easy to grow.

1. Rosemary:

I love the flavor of rosemary in both fresh and dried forms. While I usually grow it in a raised garden bed, it’s easy to grow in a container. I can easily move indoors when the weather gets too cold.

2. Thyme:

It seems that I use thyme in almost everything I cook. It’s lovely in soups, stews, roasted meats, marinades, and more. It’s also wonderful as a garnish for almost anything. Thyme is a hardy, low-growing plant that is perfect for edging beds or placing in the front of a mixed container.

3. Chives:

Another easy perennial and an absolute favorite. While I love it in salads and dressings and on top of baked potatoes, I love to watch it bloom in my garden. A beautiful shade of purple that seems to welcome spring.

4. Sage:

Excellent in soups, stocks, meats, pasta, and more. They don’t like wet roots – so they grow in well-drained soil and not over-water. I love to add fragrant leaves to flower arrangements in the fall.

5. Parsley:

More than a simple garnish, parsley is a super herb with amazing amounts of vitamin C. Once established, this plant can often overwinter and grow for several years. While I use it in almost everything we cook, it is also a beautiful garnish.

6. Mint:

I once made the mistake of growing this hardy herb in a raised garden bed. It never, I mean never, went away, and it was my mother’s garden. These days, I always plant this herb in a container. I love to use mint in summer beverages, garnishes, tea, and more. I also love to sit outside in the summer and smell that distinctive mint aroma. It’s amazing.

7. Oregano:

With amazing medicinal qualities, I love to plant oregano and use it in salads, pastas, homemade pizzas, and again in arrangements.

Easy Herbs to Grow that Every Cook Needs | 31Daily.com

Medicinal Properties

Herbs have long been a source of medicinal uses and have been cultivated and grown for thousands of years. Use the links below to read up on specific herbs.

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