With summer finally here many people already have thriving gardens. But if you are a late bloomer, or a procrastinator like me, then you might have some last minute arrangements to make. Not everyone can have a green thumb, some of us were born with brown or black ones. But with the right tips anyone can learn how to grow a thriving garden.
There are a lot of ways to kick start your green thumb for the summer, even if you waited until the last minute, like me, instead of planning in advance in the spring and starting your garden from seeds. Thanks to the convenience of the 21st century we are now able to pick up partially grown vegetables at your local garden centre. This is great for city dwellers who have to grow plants indoors.
The first and cardinal rule of indoor gardening is making sure there is drainage in your planters. Without proper drainage your plants will drown no matter what. A new and popular idea for this that ensures proper drainage is using planter bags that allow for exceptional drainage. The historically popular terracotta pots are aesthetically pleasing, but can retain an abnormal amount of heat so they tend to dry out quickly.
Following the necessity of drainage, the second most important thing to remember is to prune regularly. While the idea of rustic overgrown herbs can be incredibly appealing, in actuality they will overgrow and strangle themselves. Some people think the best way to maintain their herbs is by pruning the largest leaves, as they are the most mature. This is not always the most effective because big leaves act like large solar panels that suck up the sun rays to help feed the herb. Furthermore, removing leaves from the bottom will leave you with a tall skinny herb that cant hold itself up.
Regular pruning will help deter flowers on the herbs. Flowers on herbs are the kiss of death. Many people notice that their basil tastes bitter around mid summer. This is the direct cause of flowering. To preserve the taste of your herbs it’s important to literally nip those flowers in the bud whenever you see signs of them.
Growing herbs is great because they are small and easy to grow and maintain indoors, and they allow you to create your own sustainable food or spice source.
Cooking with fresh herbs, especially soft herbs like basil and chives, can be especially fragrant and flavourful for your cooking. They also brighten up your kitchen, and let’s not forget the sense of pride that comes with keeping something alive.
