One of the biggest spring gardening mistakes is working soil while it’s still too wet.

Digging or tilling wet soil can compact it, reducing the air space plant roots need and making drainage more difficult.

Try this simple soil test: Grab a handful of soil and squeeze it into a ball. Gently press or drop the ball.

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  If it crumbles apart easily, your soil is ready to work.
  
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  If it stays in a sticky ball or breaks into heavy, wet clumps, give it more time to dry.
  

Once the soil is ready, gently loosen the planting area. You don’t need to pulverize it—your goal is simply loose, workable soil where new roots can establish.

Clear away old growth and garden debris, but take care around perennial herbs that may still be dormant.

Remove old annual plants, weeds, fallen leaves, and other garden debris left from the previous growing season.

Be careful around perennial herbs such as thyme, oregano, sage, mint, chives, and lavender. Depending on your climate and the time of year, they may still look brown or lifeless even though they're simply dormant.

When in doubt, give perennial herbs a little more time before pulling them.

If you planted a cover crop, spring is also the time to manage it according to the variety you planted and your preferred gardening method.

Give your herbs a strong foundation by improving the soil with finished compost before planting.
Good garden soil should hold enough moisture for plants while still allowing excess water to drain.

Adding finished compost is one of the simplest ways to improve garden soil. Work a layer of good-quality compost into the planting area before adding your new herbs.

Compost helps:

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  Improve soil structure
  
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  Support healthy drainage
  
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  Increase moisture retention
  
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  Add organic matter and nutrients to the soil
  

If your garden struggled last season—or you're starting a new garden and don't know much about the soil—a soil test is worth the effort. Your local Cooperative Extension office can help determine your soil's pH and nutrient levels so you can amend it based on what it actually needs instead of guessing.

With your soil prepared, it’s time to get your herbs planted and give their roots a healthy place to establish.

Before planting, check the light and growing requirements for each herb. Most culinary herbs prefer plenty of sunlight and well-draining soil, but every plant is a little different.

Dig a hole large enough to comfortably accommodate the root ball. Place the plant at approximately the same depth it was growing in its nursery pot, then gently firm the soil around the roots.

Water thoroughly after planting to help settle the soil around the root ball.

Give newly planted herbs time to establish before expecting lots of new growth. A little patience now helps build a stronger plant for the season ahead.

A little mulch helps conserve moisture and control weeds, but too much can cause problems around your herbs.

A layer of mulch can help conserve moisture, reduce weeds, limit soil erosion, and keep your garden looking tidy.

Apply mulch around your herbs rather than piling it directly against the stems or crowns. Leave a little breathing room around the base of each plant so excess moisture doesn’t collect there.

And remember: more mulch isn’t better. A modest layer is plenty.

For Mediterranean herbs such as lavender, rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme, good drainage is especially important. Avoid heavy, moisture-holding mulch directly around the base of these plants.