Container Herb Gardening
There’s a small group of gardeners who grow ornamental herbs in containers but the majority of us grow culinary herbs in containers.
There are several guidelines for success and I’ve written them below.
Tips for Success
Use the largest containers you can. You’ll find the growth of culinary herbs is much better if given the root space and not squeezed tightly together.
Use the same soil from top to bottom of the pot and don’t put shards or anything on the bottom of the pot to “improve” drainage. Adding larger material actually slows down drainage.
If you’re growing annual herbs such as basil, then adding 10% compost to the soil is a good idea to keep the plant growing strongly. Otherwise, use fish emulsion at recommended rates every two weeks.
If you’re growing perennial herbs, then a mix of compost is acceptable or a monthly feeding of fish emulsion will keep the herbs growing but not turn them too soft.
I know, you want to know – if you’re growing a combination – I’d feed every two weeks.
Grow as many herbs as you can in the same container. My rosemary container (I overwinter it indoors) contains two varieties. It used to have three but I killed one accidentally. I have an upright variety growing up and a trailing variety growing over the edge.
Harvest regularly (even if you don’t need the herb) to keep the plant producing new, tender shoots.
What To Grow
Only grow what you’ll use in a culinary way - actually use in your kitchen.
There’s little point in growing a Jamaican Thyme if you’re never going to use it (trust me, you won’t use it in cooking but you might like it in an ornamental herb container).
Sunlight Levels
Put the pot in the full sun. Herbs don’t grow well in shady conditions. You’ll get some growth (spindly and weak) but the taste/flavor is watered down by the spindly weak growth.
Container Herb Gardening Locations
Put the herb container where you’ll be able to harvest it easily and regularly.
If you have a regular garden, use the container grown herbs for quick pick-me-ups for taste in drinks or salads. A little basil, a little mint, a small chives, a touch of oregano – grow what you’d use in quick cooking. Put the main crop of normal herbs and those you only use once in a while out in the ground-garden.
In a patio gardening herb garden, mix and match your herbs – growing the taller herbs in the center of the pot and the shorter ones to the edges. Plant any trailers or ground cover types on the edges and let them find their own airspace.
Overwintering
Plan on taking the container indoors in the fall and harvesting it until the plants run out of energy and sunshine (becoming spindly or dying).
Toss annual herbs and give perennials full sunlight and cool temperatures (low 60's to mid-50's F) as they'll want to go dormant.
Tropical perennial herbs (lemon grass etc) need full sunlight and warm temperatures to continue growing.
And that’s the basics of container herb gardening. It really isn’t rocket science and herbs are really no different than other plants. The most important advice I can give you is to simply do it. Enjoy the experience and do brush your hand against the herbs now and then to get those delicious gardening fragrances.
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