Herb Growing Instructions

Fresh herbs are very popular. They can also be fun and rewarding to grow. You can easily grow enough to share with friends and neighbors. Once you have gained a little experience and know how much and how often you can harvest, then you can even make money by selling them at a local growers market or area restaurants.

NUTRIENT SOLUTION Most herbs do well with a basic nutrient solution. Many ready made choices are available at your favorite garden store, or if you like to be your own chemist a basic formula is shown below. Specific nutrient requirements for each herb is given on that herb page. Several different herbs may be grown in a single nutrient solution; however, care must be taken to avoid minor nutrient deficiencies.

The E.C. (electrical conductivity) of this formula should be approximately 2.5 and the pH adjusted to 5.5 - 6.0 If the day length is below 11 hours, the E.C. should be increased to 3.0-3.6, but the concentration of N kept at 210 ppm. Under these conditions, a smaller root system develops and more energy is available for shoot (vegetative) growth. The higher E.C. ensures adequate nutrition even with a smaller root system.

Following seeding or when rooting cuttings, the first watering should be with a half-strength nutrient solution, pH 5.8; however, the phosphorous concentration should be maintained at 80 ppm. Following germination, or after the first roots initiate on the cuttings, the full strength nutrient solution should be used.

Grodan multiblocks (AO 25/40 or AO 36/40) can be used successfully for herb production in NFT systems, aeroponic systems or ebb & flow systems. Herbs can also be produced on Grodan (slabs) with drip irrigation.
You can also fill small pots with (granulate) or (growcubes).

NFT means: Nutrient Film Technique. Nutrient Film Technique alludes to the process of a constant flow (film) of feed water (containing nutrient) over the plant's root mat. The water typically flows in a narrow trough or through a pvc pipe.

EBB & FLOW means: a tray is placed above a reservoir of nutrient solution. At regular intervals, a simple timer causes a pump to fill the upper tray with nutrient solution, after which the solution drains back down into the reservoir. This keeps the plants regularly fed with nutrient solution.

AEROPONIC means: is the process of growing plants in an air/mist environment without the use of soil or aggregate media. Aeroponic plant growth is sustained by the intermittent spray of nutrient solution on the roots as the plant remains suspended in air.