Why You Should Never Fertilize Your Herbs
27.08.2024 - 16:39
/ balconygardenweb.com
/ Ralph Astley
Overfeeding your herbs with fertilizers has many drawbacks, so it is important to reduce fertilizing. If you ask why—we’ve explained everything below. Read on to learn why it’s better not to feed herbs very often and what you should do instead!
You may be tempted to fertilize your herbs, thinking it will lead to a lush, flavorful harvest. But hold up! Fertilizers can fully ruin the taste and aroma of herbs. Thyme, Oregano, Sage, Lavender, Lemongrass, and Rosemary are particularly sensitive toover-fertilization.
Fertilizers are rich in nitrogen. Too much of this nutrient will force your herbs to focus on growing abundant foliage growth at the cost of aromatic oils. This oil is what gives herbs their signature flavors and scents, and if you impair that, you’ll end up with a bland and insipid herb garden with a harvest that is never tasteful. If you wish to grow the most fragrant herbs, follow some other tips shared here!
Believe it or not, overfeeding your herbs can actually make them a tasty target for pests! When you shower your plants with too much fertilizer—again, nitrogen—you’re luring in hungry bugs that feed on the resulting abundant foliage. This weekens plant’s resistance as well!
It also fuels extra rapid, unexpected growth, weakening the plant and making it prone to critter attacks. Basil, cilantro, and mint are some of the herbs that are particularly prone to this problem.
If you find aphids, spider mites, or white flies feasting on your herbs, it’s a clear sign to pull back on plant feed!
Overfeeding your herbs with chemicals is like drowning them in salt water. When you pile on the fertilizer, it leaves behind a build-up of salts in the soil, which damages your herb’s delicate roots. Salt sucks the moisture right