Want to try your hand planting a DIY Mason Jar Herb Garden? It is a very popular way of planting herbs. There are several reasons for this. The most obvious reason is because the jar containers can be purchased inexpensively at your local dollar store or even at an online retailer. This gives you the option of planting the herbs where you want them to be planted as opposed to simply having them placed on the kitchen windowsill or in the bathroom herb cabinet. Once planted they are pretty much there for life.
Planting instructions: You want to make sure that before you start planting your DIY mason jars, you have an idea of how much space you have available to invest in planting your garden. If you have never planted a garden before it really is a good idea to do a little reading or research on how to go about starting a garden. Also consider where you are going to be placing your garden once it is established. First decide if you are going to be able to provide enough light for your herbs. Do you really need all that sunlight or maybe a couple of shorter wavelengths to get the job done?
Choose your herbs: Once you have decided where you want to place your garden you can then choose your plants. This can be very easy if you have a pretty little window box to work with. For instance, some plants such as basil, coriander and sage do really well planted in a square hole in the center of a window box.
Start planting: The easiest method for planting any indoor gardening project is to follow the plant guide provided by the manufacturer. However, if you have never planted an indoor herb before it might take a little getting used to. That’s why you want to buy seeds that are similar to the plant you hope to grow. However, most plants won’t start planting until they are about one to two feet tall so place your plants accordingly.
Place your container garden: It’s now time to place your container garden in whatever space you have available. Be sure that it is securely planted to the back of your window sill. Once the soil has settled, it’s time to grab your soil seeds and place them into your mason jar. You are now ready to start growing! Keep an eye on the herbs as they will need water but don’t overwater them.
Watering: It’s important to water your container garden regularly. You can either use your hose to water the herbs or just turn your mason jars upside down for a quicker water flow. You don’t want to over water your garden so water your herbs deeply when spring arrives. Keep the water moist but not soggy by keeping the soil seeds moist.
Harvesting and pruning: When your container garden is finally full, it’s time to harvest and prune your plants. For harvested branches, cut them back to healthier length. For flowering buds and leaves just pull them off of the branches. Prune your garden regularly-about once every four to six weeks for maximum blooming. If you’re looking to harvest your mason jars right after they’re finished blooming you should first soak them overnight in clean water with a tablespoon of bleach added. This will kill any mold and bacteria that may be growing inside the jars while they’re in the water.
Your DIY Mason jar herb garden is going to give you years of healthy herbs to enjoy! As with any hobby, it’s important to follow the plan and guidelines to grow healthy and beautiful plants that will reward you with fresh, tasty herbs year after year. The great thing about growing your own herbs is that you can literally get started and grow seeds to take home to plant in your very own garden.