Herb Gardening Tips - Herb Garden Soil and Pests

While the herb plant is a hardy species of plant, a good soil is essential in ensuring healthy growth and reproduction. Whether your herbs are planted in the ground or in a container sun and proper soil are what enables the plant to live. From the sun, plants derive energy that activates their ability to create components that are necessary in the growth process.

Essential nutrients such as water, nitrogen, phosphorous, alkaline and acids are all factors which are determined by the grade of soil used to house and feed your plants. Herb plants that are placed in a container depend on you to help provide the proper levels of these nutrients, while plants planted in the landscape have nature to assist with those needs. However, on occasion it may be necessary for you to give nature a helping hand in this area.

Herbs such as Lavender prefer to be placed in soil that is dry and alkaline with optimum drainage, while Sage is highly sensitive to excess moisture and can experience root rot.

There are two categories of soil, the first is sandy soil and the second is clay-like. The clay-like soil has very small pieces of clay throughout, which absorb and hold moisture very well, while the sandy soil has a more glass-like particle make up that allows for proper spacing which then allows air to easily move throughout the soil as well as allowing for easy water flow.

Having a mixture of both types of soil will help ensure a better balance for many varieties of herbs. It's helpful to have a good mix of the two for most herbs. The trick is to have more than one or the other, depending on what the particular plants needs are. For instance, Sage prefers a dry soil while Peppermint prefers a soil that is moister. Adding a compost mixture to the soil should help ensure a balance that is healthy for all your herb plants.

Insects are a pesky nuisance to any garden. There are ones that fly and ones that crawl just under the grounds surface. This is just one of the reasons soil maintenance can be detrimental to the health of your plants. However, there are a few herb plants that can be highly beneficial when it comes to dealing with insects.

Some insects, the Aphid for example, are attracted to the plants for the fragrant aromas. This is why these pesky bugs love Rose bushes and some vegetable plants. Planting certain herbs can help deter insects away from your other plants. Chives, Mint and Cilantro are just to name a few of the insect repelling varieties of herbs. Basil is another bug deterrent as it will ensure that Hornworms do not destroy your prized tomatoes.

However, as helpful as these plants may be, there are some certain considerations you must keep in mind. Dill and Yarrow are great selections for keeping bugs away from your garden; however, they also attract parasitic Wasps which feed on the eggs of the beetles these plants attract. This leaves you with the decision of choosing between bugs or wasps.

Dill also attracts the dreaded tomato hornworm. Planting a “Trap Crop” is a beneficial way to deter pests from the garden you wish to preserve. Again, however, a choice must be made, let the pests have your tomatoes or you’re Dill?

The only way to save both varieties of plants from the destruction of pesky insects is to use an artificial pesticide. It is important to note however, that while these pesticides have been tested safe, it may not be wise to use them on herbs you wish to use as seasonings. Also, these pesticides do have a tendency to accumulate in an area over an extended period of time.

Preparing the proper soil mixture will not only create healthy plants, it will also help ensure that pesky insects stay their distance.

         

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