Tips for Growing Herbs, No Garden Necessary

Tips for Growing Herbs, No Garden Necessary

Herbs are among the easiest plants you can grow. They only need sunlight, water, and well-draining soil with a neutral pH.

You do not even need a garden. Many herbs, such as rosemary, basil, cilantro, lemon balm, oregano and mint will grow well in containers. In fact, mints should only be grown in containers, unless you do not mind a garden takeover. Mint spreads extremely well.

To get started, test your soil. Buy a pH test online or at your local garden center and follow the directions. A reading of 7.0 is best, but anything between 6.0 and 7.5 is generally acceptable for growing herbs. If the soil tests lower, add garden lime to raise it. If it is too high, add elemental sulfur¹ to lower it. Follow directions on the product about how, and how much, to use.

If growing herbs in containers, use a potting mix meant for edibles³. The package label should include information about its pH level.

Choose a site that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. If your garden has sandy or heavy clay soil, use a moderate amount of compost, 15 to 20 centimeters deep, to stabilize⁴ drainage. If the soil is always wet, remove the top 15 to 38 centimeters of soil, then add 7.5 centimeters of crushed stone to the bottom of the hole. Combine some compost with the soil you removed and refill the hole with the mix. Create a mound⁵ at the top. It will settle lower over time.

If you are using seedlings⁶, follow the directions on the plant tags or seed packet. Some herbs are well-suited for direct sowing into the garden; check seed packets for guidance on spacing your herbs.

Herbs will not grow well in wet conditions, so let the soil dry out a little between waterings.

Herbs also taste better when grown without fertilizer. For this reason, do not overdo⁷ the compost when amending⁹ the soil to improve drainage. Chervil, summer savory¹⁰, fennel and lovage are exceptions. They do well with fertilizer.

Annual herbs complete their lives – from seed to senescence, or death – in a single growing season. They include basil, cilantro, dill, chamomile and marjoram.

Perennial¹¹ herbs, which return for several growing seasons, include rosemary, thyme, sage¹², tarragon and oregano.

Biennials, like caraway and parsley, live for two growing seasons, producing only leaves during their first year, then flowers and seeds in their second before dying.

However, if they are not strong enough to survive your winters, you may have to treat some listed perennials¹³ as annuals.

For the strongest smell, harvest herbs in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the sun gets intense.

Use basil in meals with tomatoes. Add rosemary to chicken, pig and lamb meat. Make tea with the very small flowers of chamomile. Use dill with Greek food, fish meals and cucumbers. Sage and thyme are also great for many kinds of meat. And parsley will freshen your breath when you chew it.

There are some interesting kinds of herbs to seek out, too. Pineapple sage carries the smell of the fruit it's named for, as do cinnamon and lemon basils, and strawberry and apple mints. There is even a chocolate mint, which is lovely when added to drinks like milkshakes.

Words in This Story

drain – n. to draw off or remove liquid gradually or completely

pH – n. a measure of acidity¹⁴ and alkalinity of a solution

edible² – n. something that is suitable or safe to eat

compost – n. a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing¹⁵ and conditioning land

amend⁸ – v. to change for the better

1 sulfur   

n.硫，硫磺（=sulphur）

参考例句：

• Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.炼钢厂排放出的硫形成了酸雨。
• Burning may produce sulfur oxides.燃烧可能会产生硫氧化物。

2 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

3 edibles   

可以吃的，可食用的( edible的名词复数 )； 食物

参考例句：

• They freely offered for sale what edibles they had. 他们很自愿地把他们的一点点可吃的东西卖给我们。
• Our edibles the wild vegetable. 我们只能吃野菜。

4 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

5 mound   

n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫

参考例句：

• The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them.勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
• The mound can be used as our screen.这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。

6 seedlings   

n.刚出芽的幼苗( seedling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ninety-five per cent of the new seedlings have survived. 新栽的树苗95%都已成活。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• In such wet weather we must prevent the seedlings from rotting. 这样的阴雨天要防止烂秧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 overdo   

vt.把...做得过头，演得过火

参考例句：

• Do not overdo your privilege of reproving me.不要过分使用责备我的特权。
• The taxi drivers' association is urging its members,who can work as many hours as they want,not to overdo it.出租车司机协会劝告那些工作时长不受限制的会员不要疲劳驾驶。

8 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

9 amending   

改良，修改，修订( amend的现在分词 )； 改良，修改，修订( amend的第三人称单数 )( amends的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Amending acts in 1933,1934, and 1935 attempted to help honest debtors rehabilitate themselves. 一九三三年，一九三四年和一九三五年通过的修正案是为了帮助诚实的债务人恢复自己的地位。
• Two ways were used about the error-amending of contour curve. 采用两种方法对凸轮轮廓曲线进行了修正。

10 savory   

adj.风味极佳的，可口的，味香的

参考例句：

• She placed a huge dish before him of savory steaming meat.她将一大盘热气腾腾、美味可口的肉放在他面前。
• He doesn't have a very savory reputation.他的名誉不太好。

11 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

12 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

13 perennials   

n.多年生植物( perennial的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Name six perennials and six annuals suitable for indoor flower arrangement. 列出多年生及一年生花朵各六种，它们必须是适合插花的。 来自互联网
• Herbage can be divided into three categories: annuals, biennials, and perennials. 草本植物可分成一年生、二年生和多年生。 来自互联网

14 acidity   

n.酸度，酸性

参考例句：

• This plant prefers alkaline soil,though it will readily tolerate some acidity.这种植物在酸性土壤中也能生存，但硷性土壤更加适宜。
• Gastric acidity would not prevent the organism from passing into the gut.胃的酸度不能防止细菌进入肠道。

15 fertilizing   

v.施肥( fertilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Sometimes the preliminary step must be taken of reducing weed population before fertilizing. 有时候，在施肥之前，必须采取减少杂草密度的预备性步骤。 来自辞典例句
• The self fertilizing garden can also be planted in raised beds. 自我施肥的菜园也可以在苗圃床中种植。 来自互联网