Tips To Start a Potted Herb Garden

Whether by necessity or desire, having a potted herb garden is a wonderful way to enjoy gardening. You can grow aromatic herbs, culinary herbs, medicinal herbs, herbs for beauty potions and even a few veggies. Here are some tips to help you create your own potted herb garden:

1. Ensure that the containers you want to use have wide openings. Narrow apertures will not lead to good results. Contrary to popular belief, strawberry pots are not ideal for growing herbs.

2. Your pot can be made of any material, but most materials have some short-comings to plan for. Wooden containers may rot. Don’t used wood that has been treated with toxic materials as this will damage your plants. Plastic pots will deteriorate in the sun (and don’t always look that good). Terracotta pots are gorgeous but they can dry out quickly. The best containers are probably glazed ceramic pots; just ensure they have sufficient drainage holes. Lighter colored pots will lessen heat absorption during our hot summer months.

3. Containers should be 4 liters in volume or bigger. If you select pots that are too small (under 4 liters capacity) you will restrict the root growth and roots will dry out rapidly. And you will have less material to harvest in small pots.

4. Your containers should have sufficient drainage holes. If your container is not draining quickly after watering, you will need to put more holes in the pot. Place your containers on blocks raised a few centimeters off the ground, for free drainage.

5. Line pots with newspaper to stop soil from disappearing! Hanging containers should be lined with sphagnum moss to retain water.

6. Ensure your containers get at least five hours of sun per day. Herbs and vegetables can do with less than that but they won’t be as prolific.

7. Fertilizer will drain away quickly in containers so you will need to fertilize more frequently. A diluted liquid fertilizer applied once a week should keep your potted herbs and veggies healthy. Ask your local garden centre to recommend a good organic fertilizer.

8. Containers can lose moisture quickly. You will need to water herbs in pots more frequently than those in the garden, especially in the summer heat.

9. Use a superior potting mix such as Braaks Potting Mix, or ask your garden centre to make a recommendation. Fill the pot to just about two centimeters from the rim to allow for watering your herbs.

10. When planting mixed containers combine annuals with annuals, and perennials with perennials for best results. Don’t plant mint varieties in mixed containers.

11. Prune your herbs often to encourage bushy growth. Either snip off short pieces or cut them back by at least two thirds.

12. Grow a few herbs indoors as well. Try a basil or two, chervil, parsley, and a marjoram.

No go and start your own potted herb garden.

Comments

[Carol Botha]

Hi
I look so forward to your newsletters and love your new page set-up. I want to do another course again but must get the money together. Please can you give me the address of Di Di's nursery so I can visit.
Thanks again
Regards
Carol

[Michael (herbs) Wooller]

Some great ideas. There is nothing more satisfying than harvesting your very own herbs for cooking or medicine. In a pot you can do it anywhere in the world - well almost!

[Adele Warne]

Please help - I have just noticed that my small basil plants (about 3-4 sets of leaves) are going transparent! Everything looked fine night before last but it rained all night and all day yesterday and is still drizzling today, is this due to too much water? I have grown basil in my courtyard before with wonderful results, and have never seen this phonomenon before. Please help as I think something needs to be done fast before I lose all my seedlings!

[Raymond Oickle]

A great post, there is nothing more satisfying then growing your own fresh herbs, to enhance any meal.
http://pottedherbgardens.yolasite.com/

[manolo blahnik shoes]

So cute! I already like you on FB and also get your posts on Google Reader. :)

[artificial lawns]

Herbs can survive in a wide variety of soil types, but by making some simple preparatory changes, your garden soil can become as easy to use and productive as you'd like.

[hotel sur paris]

Some great ideas. There is nothing more satisfying than harvesting your very own herbs for cooking or medicine. In a pot you can do it anywhere in the world - well almost!
+1