5 Types of Hardy Herbs That Are Essential for Your Kitchen!
While it's cold outside, you can grow herbs at home by the window. In spring, it's ideal to start pre-growing seedlings from seeds. Use substrate for sowing and sow seeds to a depth approximately double their size. Many herbs have very small seeds that only need to be lightly dusted with substrate on the surface. Keep the seeds constantly moist, the substrate must not dry out, so a water spray bottle will come in handy at the beginning.
Herbs require plenty of light. However, direct midday sun can damage young plants. As soon as the weather permits, move them to an outdoor windowsill. You can safely leave herbs permanently outside from the second half of May. This is also the right moment to plant pre-grown seedlings in outdoor beds in your garden. Most herbs can tolerate indoor growing for a while, but they usually suffer from lack of light, which leads to stretching, uneven growth, and leaf discoloration. For fertilizing herbs, use natural fertilizers.
1. Basil
Basil is among the herbs that are very easy to grow from seed. Therefore, buying ready-made basil seedlings at garden centers is quite unnecessary. By sowing your own, you'll definitely save money, and if you follow basic rules, success is practically guaranteed. In the basil seed selection, you can choose from a whole range of interesting varieties with different growth habits, leaf colors, and shapes. Compact dwarf varieties are best suited for window boxes and containers. Growing basil is so easy that you can sow seeds directly into the planter where it will grow without the need for later transplanting. Just don't sow too densely; thin out the sprouted plants if necessary. Basil will appreciate substrate for herbs, but will also grow in regular potting substrate. Outdoors, it requires a maximally sunny location and regular watering. You can occasionally fertilize it, but it's not absolutely necessary. Start sowing indoors by the window from late March, direct sowing in beds from May. You can pick individual leaves continuously. Remove flowers before basil starts blooming (flowering affects leaf taste), or feel free to cut the entire stem at about 10 cm height - basil will regrow. Basil is an annual, so you'll grow a new one next spring. The leaves are suitable for salads, pizza, but also for soups or spreads, or for the famous basil pesto.
2. Marjoram
If you find the taste of dried marjoram uninteresting, fresh might pleasantly surprise you. Together with the closely related oregano, it's definitely worth some care when growing. Marjoram is grown as an annual. Sow seeds indoors on a windowsill in March and April. Marjoram germinates in light, so don't cover the seeds on the substrate surface too much. Once the seedlings get a bit stronger, transplant them so each has enough space. You can also try direct sowing in beds in May. It's similar with oregano, with the difference that it's perennial and you can let it overwinter in the cold. The culinary uses of these herbs are really wide, they suit almost every dish, oregano is typical for Italian and Greek cuisine.
3. Dill
Dill is very undemanding to grow, though problems with aphids sometimes occur, as they find it extraordinarily attractive. It's grown exclusively from seeds by direct sowing from early spring onwards. It's hardy, no need to pre-grow it indoors. By successive sowing at two-week intervals, you'll extend the harvest period. It grows well in containers too, for which lower-growing varieties have been bred. In the garden it often spreads by self-seeding. It's great in vegetable salads, suits soups, potato dishes and is a key ingredient for (loved and hated) dill sauce.
4. Chives
While you can try growing chives from seed, it sometimes takes quite a while before the clump strengthens enough for you to repeatedly harvest its long piquant leaves. If you want to grow it in a planter, better get a well-established plant, or ask someone who grows it in the garden if you can dig up at least a small clump. This approach also suits bed cultivation, as it's faster than direct sowing. Chives are perennial and will continue spreading over the years. Sowing seeds can begin approximately from April both indoors on a windowsill and directly in beds. Sowing in clusters of several seeds has proven effective. Indoors, it's sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Chives need a sunny location and don't tolerate drought well. They're indispensable on bread, in soups or mashed potatoes.
5. Mint
Fragrant mint is so undemanding that it can eventually become an unwanted weed in the garden. So many species and cultivars are grown that it's not easy to choose at all. The fresh scent can be classically minty, strongly peppermint, or even strawberry-like. Different types of mint also differ in leaf coloration and shapes. It thrives in moist, well-draining soil and prefers partial shade. If you grow it in a container, it can handle full sun, but you must not forget to water. Drought could severely damage the mint. A safer growing option is purchasing seedlings, though you can also try sowing from seed. Sow the seeds in March indoors in a bright spot by a window, and once the seedlings grow stronger, transplant them. In the second half of May, you can gradually acclimatize them to outdoor conditions. Trim mint frequently to encourage good branching. In the kitchen, you can use it not only for preparing tea and refreshing cocktails, but also in fruit salads and as decoration for sweet desserts. You can also experiment with it in savory dishes. In autumn, cut back container-grown mint and let it overwinter in a cool room.
Tools That Make Herb Care Easier
For home pre-cultivation, practical seed trays have proven very useful, from which herbs transplant easily. Young herbs will also enjoy a desktop mini greenhouse with ventilation. If you don't want to pick individual items yet want to get everything you need, Pěstík's Herb Growing Set will come in handy, where you'll find everything needed for growing several species at once, including a planter and substrate.