Herb Gardening

March 2007

By Gene Joyner, Extension Agent
Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service

This month most herb gardens should be growing very strongly due to our ideal conditions. We haven’t gotten into the hottest part of the spring yet and some people wish we’d get a little more rain, but we still have overall very good growing conditions for everything in the landscape including herbs.

If you haven’t completed renovations in your garden during the cooler winter months, don’t delay too much longer. Take out plants that are not doing well, replace them with new ones, or totally redo the herb garden from scratch.

Remember that many herbs make great container plants or can be grown as hanging basket specimens. Local retail nurseries do have herbs available so if you don’t want to start them yourself you can buy an already well established one and shortcut the process of getting it big.

Pests are on the increase in herb gardens now due to our dry conditions, particularly spider mites. Check plants once or twice a week to look for spider mite damage which is a bleaching out or loss of the color and if mites are present you can use insecticidal soaps on many herbs and simply wash them well before using them.

Weeds can be a recurring problem throughout the year in herb gardens as well as other parts of your landscape. If you have an outside garden, make sure it’s mulched well 3 to 4 inches deep to help keep weeds from overtaking the desirable plants.

If you have questions about garden activities this time of year of if you’re seeing problems that you’re not familiar with or need some advice how to control, contact the Extension Service for free advice. Dial 233-1750 in the north and central county area or 276-1260 in the south county area.