Hi.

I'm Elsa Sanchez, a professor in plant science at Penn State.

And in this episode, I'll give you some tips on growing herbs outdoors in your home garden.

We'll go over site selection, planting, watering, and more.

[music playing] Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow because they tolerate a variety of soil types and have relatively few insect pests and diseases.

Herbs can be incorporated into any garden or landscape, or be grown in a garden of their own.

Growing just a few herbs can have a big impact on the foods you prepare.

In general, plant your herbs in early spring after the last frost.

You can follow the National Weather Service to see when the last frost occurs in your area.

Some herbs, like chives and parsley, can be planted three to four weeks before the last frost.

Check the seed packet to see when it's best to start planting in your area.

You can also use transplants.

When choosing which herbs you want to grow, match the sun exposure in your garden site has with the plant needs.

For example, chervil grows best in full shade, thyme grows well in partial shade to full sun, and sage grows best in full sun.

You can also find this information on the seed packet.

You can also start herbs from transplants.

You can find transplants at garden centers, farmers markets, and online.

When purchasing transplants, pick plants free of insect, pests, and diseases.

Also, they should look healthy.

It's difficult to impossible to improve plant quality.

Herbs grow best in soil with good drainage.

Before planting, test the drainage of your soil by pouring a generous amount of water over it, or check your soil after a rain event.

If water remains pooled on the top of the soil after several hours, then the soil drainage is poor.

Options for improving drainage are building raised beds, aerating the soil, and amending the soil with organic amendments.

When planting, space your herbs according to the recommendations on seed packets or plant labels.

Proper spacing will facilitate optimal plant growth.

Avoid overcrowding because it can lead to favorable environments for insect, pests, and diseases.

You can label the herbs individually or at the end of a row, as a reminder of what was planted.

In general, herbs only need small amounts of fertilizer.

Fertilize based on recommendations you find on the web, like at Penn State or other university extension websites.

Stop fertilizing perennial herbs like thyme and sage in the fall.

Fertilizing late in the year promotes plant growth, which can make the herbs vulnerable to damage or death from cold winters.

Check soil moisture using a trowel, moisture meter, or your fingers and water when the soil is dry a few inches below ground.

When needed, water until the top few inches of the soil are moist.

Avoid over watering as the flavor of your herbs may be negatively affected.

Several perennial herbs will benefit from division, including tarragon, oregano, chives, lovage, mint, and thyme.

Divide herbs in early spring or fall when the herbs become too large or the center dies, about every two to four years.

Use a shovel to cut the plant into sections, taking as much of the roots as possible.

You can replant the divisions in new locations.

Be sure to water the divisions if you replant them to aid in establishment.

The cold temperatures during winter may damage or kill some tender perennial herbs.

Consider putting these herbs in pots and bringing them indoors or keeping them in your garage over the winter.

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