Part 2: Tending Herbs to Grow for Body and Mind

Tending herbs, be it basil or sage, can be its own wellness ritual.

In the previous articles, we cover how to set up and plant healing herbs and flowers based on their growth requirements. In this article, we cover how to care for these plants once they are in the garden. Remember to download our new quick guide, Growing Well: The Flourish Quick Guide to Healing Herbs and Flowers.

Herb and Flower Care Ritual

Watering

In the last article, we separated herbs into two camps: wet and dry. Dry herbs like to dry out in between watering, whereas wet herbs prefer to be in richer soils that hold on to moisture. Both need to be watered regularly (1-2xs per week in cool season, 2-3x per week in warm or hot season), so the set up matters more than water frequency.

Harvesting

Once your plants are in, your needle nose snips are your best friend. Herbs grow very fast and respond vigorously when you harvest them. Therefore, it’s a good idea to harvest them at least weekly so that new growth comes up quickly. The more you harvest, the more you get.

Pruning and Clearing

Don’t put away those snips yet. Regularly remove any dead or damaged leaves, stems, and flowers. If you missed them in harvest, wait until flowers have dried out enough to seed before you deadhead them. Since most are annuals, you can harvest the seeds to use for next season.