Steps will depend on whether this is a new garden, repurposing an existing plot, or creating a raised bed. It also depends on whether you are getting ready before Winter starts or if you are starting in the spring.
Eliminating Weeds
Whatever your situation, the first step is to eliminate weeds, especially perennial weeds. I’ve done this enough times to know that it is foolish to skip this step. Even though it does take time and may delay planting, it will save you time and heartache in the future.
Anyone who has suffered bindweed, couch grass, or ground elder growing in amongst their plants will understand that it is impossible to eliminate without losing your precious perennial herbs.
Weeds with taproots
Large weeds with taproots and dandelion are prime examples and can be carefully removed by pulling the plant out of the ground. Carefully loosening the soil with a fork makes this task much easier. If the tap root breaks, the weed will come back weaker, but it still needs to be removed.
Couch Grass and Ground Elder
Continually lightly fork over the soil and remove as much of the root mass as possible. You’ll need to do this regularly to remove the problem. If the roots are a solid mass, I’d dig out as large an area as possible. Either way, don’t put this material in your compost bin. I prefer to burn it completely.
Bindweed and Similar Weeds
There are some weeds with roots that dive so deep that it’s impossible to dig them out. You have a choice. You can use a strong chemical herbicide or the more environmentally sound method.
Accept that it’s going to take a whole growing season to get this job done. Identify the extent of the problem and dig a trench, one or two spade depths all the way around the problem. Cover the whole area with black plastic, finally tuck the plastic into the trench, and secure everything so the wind can not blow it away.
The aim is to starve the plants of light and, therefore, starve the plants of food. After a full season, this should solve the problem. As a plus, it will also take care of any other perennial weeds you might have missed and go a long way to eradicating any annual weeds.
Preparing the Ground
This is where the fun and hard work really begins.
General Ground Preparation
Most herbs come from warmer and drier climates and prefer well-drained, light soil that is neutral pH or even slightly alkaline. You can test with a simple garden pH test kit but don’t get too hung up on the results, as most plants are fairly flexible.
Don’t add too much compost, and certainly don’t add fertilizer in anything except small raised beds or containers. Even then, little and often. If the soil is too fertile, you’ll end up with lots of leaf growth, and the plant will not have time to produce the complex flavors we are all looking for in herbs.
Preparing an Existing Patch
Invest time in thoroughly digging over your plot. If you are up for it, double-digging is best. Do try to warm up. Take it slowly so as not to damage your back.
Step 1: Dig out a trench that is one spade deep and 18” wide. Keep the soil in a wheelbarrow or on a large plastic sheet. Spread compost evenly over the whole area.
Step 2: Fork over the bottom layer of the trench to break up the underlying soil. This will help aerate the soil and improve drainage.
Step 3: Now dig another strip about 18” wide. Turn the soil and compost into the original trench. If you do this on heavy soil before Winter starts, just leave the clumps to be worked on by the frost. If you have lighter soil, I would add a little more well-rotted compost and leave digging until early spring.
Step 4: When you get to the last trench, incorporate some well-rotted compost into the trench and fill it with the soil from the first trench.
Step 5: If you do this before winter sets in, I would also cover the whole plot with a thick sheet of black plastic. It will help kill off persistent weeds and, in the spring, may even help warm the soil.
Step 6: Keeping your soil in good condition is a never-ending cycle. At the start of a new season, I like to spread well-rotted compost around all of the existing plants. I incorporate compost into the planting hole whenever I plant anything new.
Step 7: Regularly scan your beds for weeds, especially the more invasive perennial weeds. Deal with them promptly to avoid later problems.
Creating a New Herb Patch
Traditional Method
For most people, this usually involves removing an area of grass lawn. Traditionally, I have used a system similar to the double-digging method outlined above. However, there are two choices for dealing with the grass turg.
Option 1: Simply turn the turf over into the trench where, providing it is fully covered, it should rot down and help improve the soil.
Option 2: I often use this one as it produces a nice crumbly soil for use in raised beds and larger containers. Strip off the turf layer and stack it grass-side down. Cover with a black plastic sheet and let time and nature produce fine soil for later use. Complete the process by double-digging your new site.
Layering Method
Variously referred to as stacking, layering, or even lasagne gardening, this is an excellent way to create a new bed with material that will rot down and help feed your plants for many seasons—more work initially but well worth the effort. I even like to use a system that involves both double digging and layering.
Basic Layering
At its simplest, this is a no-dig system, but it does take time to fully mature. It’s best to start in the fall so that there’s plenty of compostable material. There’s also time for the mix to break down and settle, ready for spring planting.
Step 1: Start to collect cardboard and old newspapers. Don’t save the color supplements or anything with too much-colored ink. With the cardboard, remove as much of the packing tape as possible. Depending on the size of your plot, it’s going to take quite a lot of this material.
Step 2: Mark out your site with pegs and rope or a garden hose. I work my way around with a half-moon lawn edger, so I know exactly where the bed will be.
Step 3: You’ll need a large bucket/pail of water or a garden hose with a spray head. Place a thick layer of newspaper and/or cardboard, either pre-soaked or held down, and liberally sprayed with the garden hose. This will help kill off the grass and suppress weeds.
Step 4: Here, we start to assemble layers of material. How you do this will depend on the material you have to hand. The following are a few ideas:
- Peat moss
- Garden compost
- Chopped leaves
- Grass clippings
- Hay and straw
- Wood bark
- Wood chippings/sawdust
- Seaweed/kelp
- Lake or pond weeds
- Wood ash
- Small twigs and branches
DO NOT include pine needles (too acidic), and never include weeds or plants that spread through their roots. Not just weeds but mint and lemon balm.
Alternate layers so there’s a mix of dry and moist materials.
Hybrid Layering
This is definitely more work, but in the end, I find it satisfying for larger vegetable gardens.
Raised Beds
I like raised beds because they keep everything under control. Now that I’m getting older, I appreciate not having to bend so far to plant, weed, or harvest.
Beds can be created using lumber, brick, stone, or even metal edging. Keep the height to under 3 feet, or you’ll need special foundations because of the pressure from the soil.
When creating your raised bed soil mixture, use the basic layering approach mentioned above.
To improve drainage, add broken bricks or gravel to the base. If you include a layer of twigs, small branches, stalks, bark, and fresh kitchen vegetable waste at the bottom of the mix, this will rot down over several years, helping to feed the soil for a longer time.
The other advantage of a raised bed is that you usually look at a smaller volume of soil, so if you don’t have any garden compost on hand, buying some commercially available compost may not be a bad idea.
Pots and Other Containers
Containers with your favorite herbs can be an attractive and functional addition to your herb garden. They do demand more work watering and even the occasional feed. I’ll be posting a complete guide to container herb gardening.
Some herbs just have to be grown in containers for purely practical reasons. Most mints and lemon balm are examples because their root system will spread and invade all of your garden. Just try getting rid of it once it is established.
Related Articles
You might also be interested in the following articles in this series of creating an organic herb garden for your planetary diet.
Step 1: Cultivating a Planetary Herb Garden: A Journey to Organic Success
Step 2: How to Prepare Your New Herb Garden Ready for Planting.
Step 3: Growing and Propagating Culinary Herbs In Your Planetary Garden.
Step 4: How to Effectively Water Herbs and Vegetables.