Need Herb Garden Advice

[Steve Virgadamo]

Hi, Steven Virgadamo's, in southwest Ct.i'd like to plant an herb garden in a large pot outback door to have fresh herbs for cooking this summer. What herbs grew well together. Any recommendations greatly appreciated. The planter is about 24 inches round.

Gratefully,

Steve Virgadamo

 

[CraigC]

We've always used separate containers for herbs. Can't help you with multiples in a single container.

 

[Steve Virgadamo]

Steve Virgadamo, says thank Craig. What size pots do you use?

 

[jennyema]

I grow separately too

 

[GotGarlic]

You can grow herbs successfully in pots, although you will need to clip them regularly; rosemary, in particular, is naturally a small shrub, so it's hard to have it do well in a container. If a 24-inch pot is all you have room for, you can give it a try, but the larger, the better.

I would suggest chives in the center and prostrate forms of thyme, oregano and sage around the sides. Herbs thrive on neglect, so don't fertilize much, if at all, and be careful not to over-water them. Most herbs need full sun, too.

Basil needs more water than other herbs, so I would put that in a separate container. In my garden, I plant it with the tomatoes and peppers.

Here's some more information on specific herbs and container planting: Best Herbs for Container Gardens

Hope this helps.

 

[Roll_Bones]

I have propagated in water, two types of thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. I took cuttings from small plants I bought that are now growing in the garden.

I always keep several herbs in pots. I always pot some stuff.

I see no reason you cannot make a complimentary type container with more than one type of herb. But like GG said, not all plants require the same amounto of water of light.
If you can use one big container, you can use a few smaller ones. Gallon size should work well for most all of them. However, you must keep an eye on watering. When plants are n containers, they can dry our real fast.
In hot weather, I find myself watering containers every other day.

Just try it out. See how it goes. Herb plants are not very expensive. Put them in the big container and see how they do.
Buy very good potting mix and get some liquid fertilizer.
I use Fafard potting mix and Peters soluble fertilizer.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I must have grown the world's most forgiving herbs. I used a plastic, oval pot about 12x5, 4 inches deep. I zig-zagged five plants (chives, thyme, oregano, tarragon and something else) and set the pot on my deck. Deck was on the west side of the house, the southern end of the structure. When we tore down the deck and replaced it with a sunroom I moved the pot to the front porch steps the next year. Didn't do as well so I haven't bothered since.

Like others have said Steve, you don't have much to lose since herbs are inexpensive. Have fun and good luck.

 

[Dawgluver]

Having grown just about everything possible in containers, I would jam in as many as possible. It looks pretty, instant gratification. Some nasturtiums for edible flowers would be pretty too. I wouldn't do mint or lemonbalm, they will take over everything and need their own pots.

 

[shells4]

I have a large pot with rosemary, thyme, and oregano in it. They are at least 10 years old and thriving. I bring the pot in for the winter and place it in a west facing window. I have herbs all winter long. I have smaller pots of parsley and mint that do well indoors for the winter also. I have found that basil and chives do not do well in pots for the winter but great outdoors. The basil doesn't get enough light in the house and I think the chives need to go dormant in the cold for a bit. One year I thought the chives died and moved the pot to the garage, in march I had a full pot of beautiful chives in my dark garage. lol. I love having herbs year round.

 

[Zagut]

I think the herbs you should grow are the ones you like and use.

Why grow something just because you can?

I used to grow Cilantro simply because it grew like gangbusters. Then I realized I really didn't care for it. I'm one of those "It tastes like soap" people.

Herbs are relatively easy to grow so see what works for you. 1/2 the fun of gardening is experimentation so go for what you want and see if it works.

The other 1/2 of the fun is just playing in the dirt so no matter what happens it's a win, win situation.

You've got nothing to lose and tasty herbs to gain.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

[menumaker]

I would go with one plant each of parsley, oregano, chives, basil ( broad leaf)and thyme. Also, a nasturtium is a great idea for colour and just because it looks so pretty and tastes good in salads. This way you can enjoy the summer pickings, harvest what's left in Autumn and replenish the soil over winter. Shrubs such as rosemary or sage are long term big plants that do better in open soil and on NO account plant mint. It will invade everything else so plant that separately, it;s worth doing it as it is invaluable during summer. Think of all those cocktails................................Ermm, nice!!

 

[Addie]

One summer my sister and I went up to the North Shore for an outdoor concert. It was at the Oldest Ironworks in the country. It was one of the first businesses that was built by the Pilgrims. There was a cottage there that was part of the site. At the kitchen back door was a garden. It was all the herbs that the wife would use in her cooking. They were all labeled. They were the weeds that today we would be pulling up and tossing. Golden Rod was thriving and looked real pretty. There were some wild onions also.

I told my sister, who was planning on planting a herb garden, to just let the weeds grow, put labels on them and no one would know the difference. Everyone would think she had a great green thumb. Another one of my suggestions turned down. I don't understand why.

 

[roadfix]

I recently built my wife a long, narrow wooden planter, about 24" high, 8" wide, and 6 feet long. She planted about 6 different herbs in it, spaced evenly, and they're seem to be doing fine.
Just make sure you don't group together herbs with drastically different sun light requirements.

 

[Mad Cook]

You can grow herbs successfully in pots, although you will need to clip them regularly; rosemary, in particular, is naturally a small shrub, so it's hard to have it do well in a container. If a 24-inch pot is all you have room for, you can give it a try, but the larger, the better.

I would suggest chives in the center and prostrate forms of thyme, oregano and sage around the sides. Herbs thrive on neglect, so don't fertilize much, if at all, and be careful not to over-water them. Most herbs need full sun, too.

Basil needs more water than other herbs, so I would put that in a separate container. In my garden, I plant it with the tomatoes and peppers.

Here's some more information on specific herbs and container planting: Best Herbs for Container Gardens

Hope this helps.

There is a school of thought (which a keen gardening friend of mine adheres to) that basil planted amongst tomato plants improved the tomatoes' flavour.

 

[GotGarlic]

There is a school of thought (which a keen gardening friend of mine adheres to) that basil planted amongst tomato plants improved the tomatoes' flavour.

I haven't heard that before, but I wouldn't be surprised. I've always planted them together, so I don't have a basis for comparison.

 

[Mad Cook]

I would go with one plant each of parsley, oregano, chives, basil ( broad leaf)and thyme. Also, a nasturtium is a great idea for colour and just because it looks so pretty and tastes good in salads. This way you can enjoy the summer pickings, harvest what's left in Autumn and replenish the soil over winter. Shrubs such as rosemary or sage are long term big plants that do better in open soil and on NO account plant mint. It will invade everything else so plant that separately, it;s worth doing it as it is invaluable during summer. Think of all those cocktails................................Ermm, nice!!

My mother grew mint in a bucket sunk into the ground in the veg patch. It still escaped. When the new kitchen extension was built on top of what had been the veg patch the mint managed to poke through between the new wall and the concrete path outside, despite the veg patch being totally destroyed by the excavations for the foundation of the extension!

Don't let it put you off. Mint is lovely and there are lots of different varieties - spearmint, apple mint, pineapple mint, orange, chocolate and ginger mints to name but a few. Mint goes with lamb, salads, middle eastern food and a sprig in the water for boiling new potatoes or garden peas is good. It also makes a soothing tea when you've eaten too much or when you are hot and exhausted. It also repels flies, fleas, mice, rats and ants.

 

[GotGarlic]

My mother grew mint in a bucket sunk into the ground in the veg patch. It still escaped. When the new kitchen extension was built on top of what had been the veg patch the mint managed to poke through between the new wall and the concrete path outside, despite the veg patch being totally destroyed by the excavations for the foundation of the extension!

Don't let it put you off. Mint is lovely and there are lots of different varieties - spearmint, apple mint, pineapple mint, orange, chocolate and ginger mints to name but a few. Mint goes with lamb, salads, middle eastern food and a sprig in the water for boiling new potatoes or garden peas is good. It also makes a soothing tea when you've eaten too much or when you are hot and exhausted. It also repels flies, fleas, mice, rats and ants.

Good advice. I have two types of mint in different containers in my yard: in a strawberry jar and another pot. They do great here.

 

[Dawgluver]

My mints are all sunk in pots in my shade garden. And I still get escapees.

Oregano is another one that goes crazy. It pretty much obliterated my thyme.