DIY: RV Herb Gardens Made Easy
03-29-2018
Author: in Education
Whether it's your full-time home or your personal vacation spot, you want your RV to be as homey as possible. One way to do this is to add houseplants, and the most useful options are herbs. Not only do these plants smell good, they also remove toxins from the air, which helps to decreases cough and colds, depression and fatigue, as well as flus and sore throats. This is especially important for those who travel frequently, since it's easy to become exposed to illnesses on the way.
Once you have your container, herbs, and location chosen, it's time to start planting your RV herb garden.
Choosing Containers and Herbs for Your Garden
There are many ways to create an herb garden in your RV that include the contemporary vertical garden, but the easiest way is to plant it in individual pots or window boxes. Herbs like chives, coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage, and wheatgrass work well in window boxes since they tend to spread and have the same cultural requirements so they work well together. Individual pots are better for herbs that have specific needs that differ from the other ones you're planting. Make sure that the containers have drainage holes and waterproof bases.
You can start your herb garden with seeds or small plants. Read the planting and growing requirements for each.
Fill the container(s) with a good potting soil, a seed-starting mix, or a 50/50 mix of both. Then use your hand or a small hand tiller to loosen the soil and break up clumps. Add a bit of commercially produced compost—or your own mix—and water to create a rich, moist planting environment. Don't compact the soil, but smooth the surface and let it sit for a couple of days before you plant.
Plant Your Herb Garden
Following the directions, plant the seeds or small plants. Pay careful attention to the suggested planting depth and conditions for each herb. Some prefer warm conditions, others prefer cool. The amount of sunlight and water each require should be recorded somewhere, at least until it becomes habit.
Nurturing Your Garden
With your herbs in the soil, you still need to provide proper care to ensure they survive and produce. Most herbs need at least six to eight-hours of direct sunlight to grow, thrive, and produce. Placing your containers in a sunny, south-facing window generally provides enough sunlight for most plants. However, you may need to supplement with fluorescent lights during the winter, especially in northern regions.
In addition to adequate sunlight, your herbs need the proper amount of water and may even require a bit of fertilizer Water your herbs just enough to keep the soil moist. For those plants that do better with fertilizer, add a half-strength mixture about every two weeks. Branching plants should be pinched back regularly to keep them from becoming gangly.
In Conclusion
Now that you have your own fresh herbs, USE THEM. Like any edible plant, these thrive when they are regularly pinched back. Since you're removing parts anyway, add them to your favorite cuisine to make your food tastier and healthier. Keeping an herb garden in your RV provides enough benefits to make the moderate effort worthwhile.
Related Read: Keeping Plants in the RV: Why and How
Along with adding a ton of flavor to the foods you cook, fresh herbs provide variety of health benefits. These range from easing stomach discomfort and headaches to providing antioxidants that decrease inflammation that could result in chronic disease. These are the basic supplies you'll need to get started.- containers with drainage holes and waterproof bases or a window box
- hand trowel and hand tiller
- herb seeds and/or plants
- potting soil or soilless seed-starting mix
Once you have your container, herbs, and location chosen, it's time to start planting your RV herb garden.
Choosing Containers and Herbs for Your Garden
There are many ways to create an herb garden in your RV that include the contemporary vertical garden, but the easiest way is to plant it in individual pots or window boxes. Herbs like chives, coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage, and wheatgrass work well in window boxes since they tend to spread and have the same cultural requirements so they work well together. Individual pots are better for herbs that have specific needs that differ from the other ones you're planting. Make sure that the containers have drainage holes and waterproof bases.
You can start your herb garden with seeds or small plants. Read the planting and growing requirements for each.
Related Read: DIY RV Herb Garden
Prepping Your Herb GardenFill the container(s) with a good potting soil, a seed-starting mix, or a 50/50 mix of both. Then use your hand or a small hand tiller to loosen the soil and break up clumps. Add a bit of commercially produced compost—or your own mix—and water to create a rich, moist planting environment. Don't compact the soil, but smooth the surface and let it sit for a couple of days before you plant.
Plant Your Herb Garden
Following the directions, plant the seeds or small plants. Pay careful attention to the suggested planting depth and conditions for each herb. Some prefer warm conditions, others prefer cool. The amount of sunlight and water each require should be recorded somewhere, at least until it becomes habit.
Nurturing Your Garden
With your herbs in the soil, you still need to provide proper care to ensure they survive and produce. Most herbs need at least six to eight-hours of direct sunlight to grow, thrive, and produce. Placing your containers in a sunny, south-facing window generally provides enough sunlight for most plants. However, you may need to supplement with fluorescent lights during the winter, especially in northern regions.
In addition to adequate sunlight, your herbs need the proper amount of water and may even require a bit of fertilizer Water your herbs just enough to keep the soil moist. For those plants that do better with fertilizer, add a half-strength mixture about every two weeks. Branching plants should be pinched back regularly to keep them from becoming gangly.
In Conclusion
Now that you have your own fresh herbs, USE THEM. Like any edible plant, these thrive when they are regularly pinched back. Since you're removing parts anyway, add them to your favorite cuisine to make your food tastier and healthier. Keeping an herb garden in your RV provides enough benefits to make the moderate effort worthwhile.
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Author: Carrie Todd
