Herb Growing At Home – Try Containers
Why not try growing herbs in containers if your garden space is limited . Growing herbs in pots, indeed any form of vegetable container gardening, has many benefits as a way of starting a garden, or indeed developing an existing garden plot.
No matter what garden size you may have, there is always some more space for a few colorful pots, placed conveniently on a balcon,y or a decking for example .
Herb containers also enable the added convenience of being nearby when it comes to harvesting of the herbs, particularly important for the culinary herbs of course. And in a garden, herb pots can be strategically placed in a bed, to fill in a temporary bare patch, or to break up the visual aspect of a busy planted area.
Then of course, the growth and expansion of the herb roots is better controlled within a container, important for certain roaming herbs. Alternatively place pots on your deck to add color and fragrance perhaps.
Then there is mobility – you can vary the position of the herb container from time to time, to benefit from sunlight, or just for change – unless they are very large pots of course, better left in a semi-permanent location. Tender and fragile herbs in containers can be moved under cover, or even indoors, to avoid the harsh winter weather.
Should you grow a single herb plant in a pot, or mix and match a few varieties? This is a matter of choice really, but some herbs should never share a pot – eg sage and lemon verbena. The pot must be big enough to allow the roots to spread and grow. Mixed herb pots can make very attractive features, but be careful not to fill the pot too much. Roots may become congested if the pot is too busy, although you can transplant out some of the herbs at a later date.
Planning a kitchen herb garden remember to allow for pot drainage, and make sure that there is a large hole at the base of the container before you start planting. If there isn’t one , make a hole. Then put some sand or grit at the bottom, before filling the pot with garden compost. Be careful using garden soil as it might not provide enough nutrients and may encourage weeds and pests!
Whenever possible – use natural fertilizer juice ( worm juice ) or feed, and water frequently, especially if the pots are sheltered from rainfall. Just be careful not to ‘drown’ the herbs, they do prefer less to more.
