Department of Horticultural Science
Horticulture Information Leaflet 8110
2/98
GROWING HERBS FOR THE HOME GARDENER
Erv Evans, Extension Associate, Horticultural Science
Jeanine Davis, Extension Specialist, Horticultural Science
Distributed in furtherance
of the Acts of Congress
of May 8 and June 30, 1914.
Employment and program
opportunities are offered to
all people regardless of
race, color, national origin,
sex, age, or disability.
North Carolina State University,
North Carolina A&T State
University, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, and local
governments cooperating.
An herb is any plant u sed whole or in part as
aningredient forhealth, flavor, or fragrance.
Herbs can be used to make teas; perk up
cooked foods such as meats, vegetables,
sauces, and soups; or to add flavor to
vinegars, butters, dips, or mustards. Many
herbs are grown for their fragrance and are
used in potpourris, sachets, and nosegays;
or to scent bath water, candles, oils, or
perfumes. More than 25% of our modern
drugs contain plant extracts as active
ingredients, and researchers continue to
isolate valuable new medicines from plants
and confirm the benefits of those used in
traditional folk medicine.
Herbs as a group are relati vely easy to grow .
Begin your herb garden with the herbs you
enjoy using the most. For example, choose
basil, oregano, and fennel for Italian cooking;
lavender and lemon verbena for making
potpourri ; or chamomile, peppermint, and
blue balsam mint if you plan to make your
own teas.
The optimum growing conditions vary with
each individual herb species. Some of the
herbs familiar to North Americans — such
as lavender, rosemary , thyme, bay laurel,
marjoram, dill , and oregano — are nati ve to
theMediteiranean region. These herbs grow
best in soils with excellent drainage, bright
sun, and moderate temperatures.
When growing herbs follow these basic
guidelines:
• Plant herbs in average garden soil with
organic matter added to improve texture
and drainage.
• Choose a site that receives at least 6
hours of direct sun each day.
• Avoid ground where water stands or
runs duringheavy rains.
• Compensate for poor drainage with raised
beds amended with compost.
• Apply balanced fertilizers sparingly to
leafy, fast growing herbs. Heavy
applications of fertili zer, especially those
containing large amounts of nitrogen, will
decrease the concentration of essential
oils in the lush green growth.
Plan your herb garden by grouping herbs
according to light, irrigation, and soil
requirements. Most herbs enjoy full sun, but
a few tolerate shade. Herbs can be classified
aseither annual, biennial, or perennial. Be
aware of the growth habits of the plants
before you purchase them. Some herbs,
such as borage, anise, caraway, chervil,
coriander, cumin, dill, and fennel, shouldbe
direct-seeded, because they groweasily from
seed or do not transplant well. Other herbs,
such as mints, oregano, rosemary, thyme,
and tarragon, should be purchased as plants
and transplanted or propagated by cuttings
to ensure production of the desired plant (do
not come true from seeds). Additional
information on specific herbs can be found in
Tables 1 and 2.
North Carolina
Cooperative Extension Service
NORTHCAROLINASTATEUNIVERSITY
COLLEGEOF AGRICULTURE &LIFESCIENCES
