An herb spiral design is probably one of the most popular and most productive methods of planting herbs. You can think of it as a spiral that connects your herb planting beds, or as a network of trails that lead from one plant to the next. In this series of articles, we’ll examine herb spirals deeper, and how you can create an herb spiral garden in your own yard. With these ideas, you’ll be ready to plant the first herb of the season!
One of the reasons herb spirals are so useful is because of their simplicity. Unlike planting beds, which can get quite complicated with the types of plants you want to grow, herb gardens are fairly simple. As long as the soil is prepared properly, you can have a thriving garden in no time at all. Of course, like any other gardening technique, there are also a number of other things you need to think about. If you’re planting herbs for the first time, it’s important to study the herb you plan on planting. This way you can determine if it will grow well together, or if you should try a different herb altogether.
What kinds of herbs are commonly found in herb spiral designs? Almost any herb that’s suitable for in the urban gardener’s kitchen can be found in a garden designed using them. Some of the most common and favorite among urban gardeners are basil, oregano, sage, chives and cilantro. Each of these herbs has a unique flavor that makes them perfect for herb spiral usage. By planting a wide variety of herbs in your urban garden, you can enjoy many different flavors.
But not just any herb can be used in herb spirals. Some plants, such as mint and Rosemary, are not recommended for use with herb spirals. Even other popular, easy to grow plants, like sunflowers, cacti and daffodils are not suitable because they can cause root rot. To avoid this problem, make sure to plant these types of plants far away from the plants you’re intending on using for your herb spiral design.
One of the most important parts of the herb spiral design is proper planning. Even the most beautiful garden can become frustrating if the gardener doesn’t take the time to plan out the garden carefully. It’s best to draw out a sketch of the layout of the garden to scale, before any planting begins. If possible, bring this drawing with you to the gardening store, so you can have your plants matched with the correct size garden box.
Make sure to prepare your herb spiral design for planting in advance. Choose a spot with at least three feet of dirt and make sure that there are no weeds growing in that area. You also need to prepare the soil by removing all of the weeds from the area, by removing their roots and making sure that the soil is completely clean. If you’re planning to place your herbs in a compost pile, then add one tablespoon of bleach per cubic foot of dirt.
Once you’re ready to start planting, it’s a good idea to prepare the garden site by digging a hole at the bottom and filling it with gravel. After digging, spread some fertilizer (either natural or chemical) around the site to help the grass grow. Once the grass has grown, remove it from the area and add some sand to the bottom of the hole. This will help keep the mulch in place as the herbs begin to grow.
Place the box of plants inside the hole, and then pour in about half a cup of natural, unsweetened bleach per cubic foot of mulch. Cover the mulch up with some more concrete pavers to help it stick to the sides of the hole in the bottom. It’s a good idea to add some plastic to cover any exposed brick or stone borders. Allow the plants to sit in the mulch for a few days, and then remove them and gently squeeze the plants to remove excess water. Place them in their pots, and enjoy watching them grow!