More Care Tips for Herbs

Herbs need at least 6 hours of sun to do well. Herbs will take all the sun you can give them – as long as they get enough water!  Be sure to check daily by pushing a finger into the soil.  If the top ½ inch is dry (up to your first knuckle) it’s time to water!  When the temperature gets above 90°F you may need to water again in the afternoon.  The “woody” herbs – rosemary, lavender, sage and thyme – actually prefer to be a little drier.  If you have our Fragrance Herb sPOT, you can miss a day of watering – but don’t wait until leaves begin to brown!

Deer generally avoid herbs – but rabbits and squirrels will eat parsley and cilantro.  A bit of netting will discourage them; or try making a hot pepper spray – safe for eating, easily washed off.  Herbs don’t usually need a lot of fertilizer, but if it is a very rainy summer, nutrients may wash out of your pot and herbs will start to look yellow and spindly.  If that happens, add an organic fertilizer to help restore them. Herbs use a lower dose of fertilizer than flowering annuals so follow the fertilizer package directions for herbs.