Choosing From the Different Herb Garden Kits
If you want to grow herbs but you're more 'all thumbs' than 'green thumbs,' maybe you should consider taking some of the guess work out of it with herb garden kits.
These are an inexpensive and very convenient way to get a leg-up into the world of culinary herb growing.
So what do you get with an herb garden kit? The kits generally come with some or all of the following: Herb seeds.
You're not going to get far without these.
You'll get at least eight different types of seeds in most herb kits, and often more.
Popular inclusions are herbs such as parsley, basil, oregano, dill, garlic chives, thyme, cilantro and sage.
The packets will usually have a lot more seeds than you need, so don't think that you have to use all of them.
Planter box or stackers.
All herb garden kits come with trays or small dishes to germinate the seeds in, but few come with planter boxes or the stackable-type planters included.
No matter, you can easily get your own, and that can be better as you'll be able to get something that exactly fits your home.
Soil or potting mix.
Another common inclusion is soil.
This is redundant if you have outdoor space and/or your own garden already, as a bag of potting mix is not expensive.
Note however that a lot of herbs prefer a sandier, faster draining, less rich soil than you get with most potting mixes, so if you use your own, mix it with some sand to thin it out.
Note that if you use soil out of your own garden, it will likely contain weed seeds and insect eggs, which can cause problems later.
To sterilize it, 'cook' the soil in your microwave on full power for about 90 seconds per kilogram (put it in a polypropylene bag and leave the top open).
Instructions.
Equipment is all very well, but you need to know how to use it! Good herb growing kits contain detailed instructions about how to get your indoor herbs started.
Don't forget however that there are plenty of other sources of information about growing herbs in books and on the internet, and it never hurts to get a second opinion.
Instructions in herb garden kits tend to make growing herbs sound a little easier than it actually is, so take them with a grain of salt.
Another type of herb garden kit is of course the well-publicized 'AeroGarden'-type.
These are a different proposition from ordinary herb garden kits as they're a hydroponic system that includes its own grow light.
They seem to work well for most people, and the inclusion of a grow light will make a big difference if you've tried to grow light-hungry Mediterranean herbs before without one.
Also, because there's no soil there's much less chance of your herbs getting bugs, which usually come from bug eggs in your soil.
The downside of all this convenience, unsurprisingly, is cost - they're expensive for what you get.
Regardless of which one of herb garden kits you choose, do make sure it has, at least, the above mentioned items within it.
These are an inexpensive and very convenient way to get a leg-up into the world of culinary herb growing.
So what do you get with an herb garden kit? The kits generally come with some or all of the following: Herb seeds.
You're not going to get far without these.
You'll get at least eight different types of seeds in most herb kits, and often more.
Popular inclusions are herbs such as parsley, basil, oregano, dill, garlic chives, thyme, cilantro and sage.
The packets will usually have a lot more seeds than you need, so don't think that you have to use all of them.
Planter box or stackers.
All herb garden kits come with trays or small dishes to germinate the seeds in, but few come with planter boxes or the stackable-type planters included.
No matter, you can easily get your own, and that can be better as you'll be able to get something that exactly fits your home.
Soil or potting mix.
Another common inclusion is soil.
This is redundant if you have outdoor space and/or your own garden already, as a bag of potting mix is not expensive.
Note however that a lot of herbs prefer a sandier, faster draining, less rich soil than you get with most potting mixes, so if you use your own, mix it with some sand to thin it out.
Note that if you use soil out of your own garden, it will likely contain weed seeds and insect eggs, which can cause problems later.
To sterilize it, 'cook' the soil in your microwave on full power for about 90 seconds per kilogram (put it in a polypropylene bag and leave the top open).
Instructions.
Equipment is all very well, but you need to know how to use it! Good herb growing kits contain detailed instructions about how to get your indoor herbs started.
Don't forget however that there are plenty of other sources of information about growing herbs in books and on the internet, and it never hurts to get a second opinion.
Instructions in herb garden kits tend to make growing herbs sound a little easier than it actually is, so take them with a grain of salt.
Another type of herb garden kit is of course the well-publicized 'AeroGarden'-type.
These are a different proposition from ordinary herb garden kits as they're a hydroponic system that includes its own grow light.
They seem to work well for most people, and the inclusion of a grow light will make a big difference if you've tried to grow light-hungry Mediterranean herbs before without one.
Also, because there's no soil there's much less chance of your herbs getting bugs, which usually come from bug eggs in your soil.
The downside of all this convenience, unsurprisingly, is cost - they're expensive for what you get.
Regardless of which one of herb garden kits you choose, do make sure it has, at least, the above mentioned items within it.