Product Review: HerbKits.com

Reader Contribution by Taylor Miller
1 / 3
2 / 3
3 / 3

HerbKits.com

Last Tuesday, HerbKits.com sent us a few items for review.  A Culinary Herb Kit, an Herb Tea Garden Kit and a Garden Stacker Planter.  The kit also came with  Jiffy Peat Soil Pellets, a how-to DVD, an instruction manual, tea filters and a tea infuser.  Total retail value: $109.95. Sale Price: $94.94! Price: B+

Together, the items are meant to create an indoor herb garden that, if tended properly, should yield fresh indoor herbs all winter long.  And that is just what I’m bound to find out!

Immediately I tried constructing the garden stacker, which was for the most part, intuitive.  The 9-pot plastic stacker can sit on the floor or be hung from a chain, which is provided in the box.  The chain was a hard to attach to the pots, as was the saucer. Other than that, it looks pretty cool.  A- on the stacker.

A Basil Sprout

Opening the kits, I found the seeds organized in neat, clearly labeled containers.  They came with a helpful laminated guide showing detailed plant instructions for each of the seeds:  Light, water and soil requirements, germination periods, tips for growing success and successful seed storage.  In addition, a

German Chamomile

How-To DVD walked me through the steps of starting my indoor herb garden, perfect for the beginning herbalist.  A+ on preparedness.

I followed the instructions for the Jiffy Pellets precisely, even though they were quite involved (read: confusing).  However, I found plants that would normally take 10-15 days to germinate, sprouting by the weekend!  My German Chamomile came up first, followed closely by a Citrus (Orange Gem) Marigold and quite suddenly by the Basil.  

Out of the 24 herbs they sent (full list below), my potting capacity was for, at most, 18 varieties.  Ideally, one would use a garden stacker for each Herb Kit.  I give it an A for inclusiveness; I would have liked to have seen a few more herbs for the Tea Kit, Jasmine being a prime example. 

So far, I would recommend this product for yourself or for a gift.  Although a bit pricey, it does come with everything you need.  I’ll continually update you on the success and/or failure of the herbs and the stacker as the fall progresses.

Here’s what all I planted:
Parsley
Garlic and regular Chives
Cilantro
Thyme
Oregano
German Chamomile
Orange Gem Marigold
Basil
Sage
Mustard
Savory
Lemon balm
Catnip
Rosemary
Peppermint
Lemon Grass
Lemon Bergamot

Here’s what I didn’t plant:
Lavender
Dill
Sweet Marjoram
Feverfew
Angelica
Anise

  • Published on Aug 25, 2008
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-800-456-6018
Free health and natural beauty tips from Mother Earth News!