For centuries, herbs have been used for both their flavor and their medicinal properties. Their multiple benefits range from enhancing the taste of food to improving digestion, lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and more! Better yet, herbs can be grown at home: They do well in almost any kind of soil, demand little fertilizer, and are rarely affected by pests. That means the health benefits of herbs can be yours with only a little bit of effort.
That being said, this week’s Be Better Challenge is to plant herbs. Whether you choose to plant rosemary, basil, mint or an alternative, you truly cannot go wrong.
Before planting, evaluate your needs, the climate you live in and how much room you have available to see whether growing herbs indoors or outdoors is right for you. Both have their benefits – planting indoors will grant you easier access, produce year-round growth and eliminate the need to weed. On the other hand, planting outdoors will give you more room, produce more herbs, and boost their flavor. Since the majority of herbs are indigenous to the Mediterranean, they will grow best if planted in a comparable environment with an abundance of sunlight.
When caring for herbs, soil should be kept relatively moist. As a rule of thumb, herbs like parsley and mint do best in moist soil; sage, rosemary and thyme do best in less-saturated soil. If herbs are being kept indoors, be especially careful not to overwater them because the roots will rot if they are waterlogged. Instead, wait until the top layer of soil is dry before rewatering.
The majority of herbs produce their own natural, pest-repelling oils, meaning that fertilizer is not always 100% necessary. However, adding a little organic fertilizer is never a bad thing. Beware of adding too much, though, as an abundance of fertilizer might weaken the fragrance and flavor of the herbs.
To harvest your herbs, simply cut off as much of the herb as you want to use. For maximum flavor, herbs should be picked right before they are used. If necessary, though, they can be dried or frozen for later use.
Be Better by planting and enjoying herbs this week! We can’t wait to see what you are able to produce with those green thumbs of yours.