How to start your very own herb garden

SALT LAKE CITY — Rosemary, oregano, basil… There are several herbs out there that you can grow yourself.

Don’t know what to choose or how to start growing them? Here are some tips from KSL Greenhouse Host Taun Beddes and Brian Lloyd with Olson’s Greenhouse.

Why grow herbs?

“They’re very healthy. They can sometimes help with your heart health. They can help with blood pressure sometimes, and they reduce the amount of table salt you need because you’re putting more flavor into whatever you’re cooking,” Beddes said.

Because there are so many you can choose from, you can try different herbs each time and spice up your dishes.

So… how do you choose which ones to grow?

Before you decide what herbs to plant, you need to consider how you’ll use them in your cooking. For example, cilantro is key in salsa and most other Mexican dishes.

Lloyd said he loves Thai food and plans to grow Thai basil for the first time.

“And then I love using dill on salmon. That’s a great one to grill,” he said.

If you want something more versatile, rosemary pairs well with all kinds of food, including beef, seafood, and vegetables.

“Almost any herb that you would use in your kitchen, you can grow at least as an annual here. So marjoram (and) oregano are a couple,” Beddes said. “… Chamomile. I know that’s used a little more in tea, although it can be used as a cooking herb.”

Spices like cinnamon are considered tropical herbs, so Beddes recommended avoiding those.

General herb planting tips

Lloyd’s first and most important tip is to give your herbs plenty of sunlight. He recommended having them on the south side of your home.

“You’ve got to have full sun for almost every vegetable or herb. And so make sure you’ve got six to eight hours of sunlight, and more is better here. You’re going to get a better harvest with more sunlight,” Lloyd said.

His second tip is to place them close to your cooking area. That way, you can harvest and use them quickly.

Beddes suggested starting a container garden on the patio since all herbs work well in containers. In terms of sizing, you can use two- or three-gallon containers.

“You don’t need as big a soil volume for most herbs as you do for most vegetables. They just don’t get as extensive a root system,” Lloyd added. “… You might have to water it more often, so I always put mine on a drip irrigation system.”

If you picked cilantro, here are some extra tips

For cilantro in particular, you have to replant it every 30 days if you want a continuous harvest.

“I let it go to seed every year, and so it reseeds itself, and I get a fresh new crop the next year. Cilantro seed … is actually coriander. But if you leave it on the plant, it will mature and then drop and then reseed itself and come back, and it will overwinter … and it will come back the next year,” Lloyd said.

According to Beddes, cilantro is typically ready to harvest within just three weeks of planting in your garden. It’s important not to let it grow for too long, as it will end up tasting bitter.

Read more from the KSL Greenhouse show:

• Here’s how to care for your bulbs after they’re done flowering
• It’s time to plant tomatoes, here’s what you should know
• Shade plants you can grow in your sunny Utah garden

KSL Greenhouse is live on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.