Plant Clinic

Growing herbs to cook with

A plentiful herb garden

A. Hunsberger/UF Extension

More information

Hunsberger

By Adrian Hunsberger

dade@ifas.ufl.edu

Q. I would like to grow some herbs in my garden. What are some that are easy to grow that I can use in cooking?

A.G., Hialeah

Try growing the following as winter annuals: basil, dill, coriander, parsley, oregano, thyme, and sage. Rosemary can be grown as a perennial and will develop into a small shrub.

Thyme, sage and rosemary prefer drier conditions than other herbs. Grow these herbs in containers so that you can control the amount of water they get. Or plant them in a dry, sunny area of your yard.

You may find it easier to grow seedlings bought locally.

Although most herbs can tolerate some shade, it’s best to plant them in a sunny location, either in containers or in the garden.

If you are growing your vegetables in a raised bed garden using concrete blocks, you can plant your herbs in the holes in the blocks.

To learn more about growing herbs, read this UF Extension fact sheet http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh020

Adrian Hunsberger is an entomologist/horticulturist with the UF/IFAS Miami-Dade Extension office. Write to Plant Clinic, 18710 SW 288th St., Homestead, FL 33030; e-mail aghu@ifas.ufl.edu.

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