• Harvest herbs before they flower, unless the flower is what you want.mint and snail image by Lytse from Fotolia.com
  
  Achieving the perfect growing requirements for herbs is easy. Determining the types of herbs you wish to grow is the hardest part; there are herbs for culinary use, craft use and medicinal use. Grown in a container or in the ground, indoors or outdoors, according to the University of Idaho, herbs are adaptable and affordable. In addition to being fragrant, herbs provide habitat and nectar for a variety of beneficial insects, bees, birds and butterflies.
  
  

Light Requirements

• Herbs that prefer full sun will thrive in an area that receives late afternoon shade.sun dial. sun clock. plinth in front of seat image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
  
  Learning the growing requirements for herbs will include learning each herb's light requirements. Most herbs prefer six to eight hours of sun per day, according to Alabama A & M and Auburn Universities.
  
  There are a few herbs, according to Purdue University, that grow in full shade.
  
  Grow lights, a sunny window or both (depending on the amount of light the window lets in and how close to the window the herb plants are) are necessary to meet the indoor growing requirements for herbs.
  
  

Soil Preferences

• Compost increases soil drainage and adds necessary nutrients to the soil.b?ache image by Claudio Calcagno from Fotolia.com
  
  Herbs will grow in a variety of soils, according to Alabama A & M and Auburn Universities, even soil that is poor, dry and sterile. Well-drained soil, amended with compost or other organic matter, is the best type of soil, however, according to West Virginia University.
  
  There are a few herbs, according to the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society, that prefer moist soil. These herbs include basil, tarragon, parsley and cilantro. Good drainage is still necessary, even if you grow these herbs in containers; do not allow them to sit in waterlogged soil.
  
  

Watering and Fertilization

• Soaker hoses conserve water because water soaks into the ground instead of evaporating.hose on lawn image by Coralie Palmeri from Fotolia.com
  
  Top-dress your herb garden in the early spring with compost. Unless you are trying to get a bumper crop of herbs, fertilization on a regular basis is not necessary, according to Purdue University. Fertilizing herbs forces foliage growth and can affect the plant's flavor.
  
  Regular watering that soaks the ground to a depth of 6 to 8 inches is part of the growing requirements for herbs grown in containers, just as it is for newly planted herbs. Once herbs are established, they are very low-maintenance and will require water only during extreme dry periods, according to Alabama A & M and Auburn Universities.