Herbs are a fantastic choice for container gardening. Herb container gardening can be rewarding as herbs not only look good and spice up the look of your house, but can be used in your cooking.
You need to keep these things in mind to make sure your herb container gardening hobby gets off to a good start:
Container sizes:
Herbs usually have lesser top growth as compared to their root growth, so choose appropriate containers. For herb container gardening, you must allow each plant at least a gallon of growing mix, so a 12-inch pot that can hold 31/2 gallons of mix can be used to grow three or four herb plants.
Herb Container Gardening Tips
- Use the same soil mix throughout the container and avoid using additives. This will give your herb containers better drainage.
- Herbs need plenty of sunlight and won’t grow well in the shade so to ensure your herb container gardening endeavour succeeds, keep your containers outdoors.
- Herbs mature fast so you can keep on harvesting regularly. This will allow your herb container garden to keep on growing new shoots.
- Make sure your herb container garden gets the right amount of nutrients.
- Successful herb container gardening means making sure your plants have everything they need. Water your plants every two weeks or so – make sure that the soil is moist, but not too wet. Herbs do not need plenty of water.
- Do not use inorganic insecticides and pesticides. After all, you will be eating the results of your herb container gardening hobby. You can use highly-diluted detergent water to wash away any pests that might get on the leaves.
- Your herb container gardening hobby can also be used for a great aesthetic effect. You can mix and match herbs and different containers to create a soothing-to-the-eye green space. As you know, you can use just about anything as a container and herbs especially lend themselves well to this. Take a look around the house to see what all can be used as a container. A trip to the local antiques or flea market could also be rewarding.
Which herbs are perfect for herb container gardening?
Herbs not only look good, but can also be used in your food and for their medicinal value. Some of the plants popular for herb container gardening are:
- Basil: This herb can be used to prepare meat, salads and soups. Medicinally, basil is known for its ability to aid digestion and reduce nausea and motion sickness. You’ll need to add some compost to your basil herb container garden – a 10% mix should do.
- Dill: Fantastic for salads, pickles and fish dishes, dill also has excellent anti-oxidant properties. This herb will need plenty of sunlight, and is best planted in early spring once there is no frost.
- Sage: Another great choice for herb container gardening, sage can be used to make tea and is known to work wonders on sprains, swelling, and coughs. In fact, sage has been used for years as part of herbal remedies for rheumatism, menstrual cramps, and improving memory. Every plant used for herb container gardening has different needs, and sage does well with plenty of sunlight. It doesn’t need much water.
- Wheatgrass and barley grass: These are two other herbs that can be had as juice or ground up and eaten. Wheatgrass provides your body with most minerals it needs, and maintains the pH level of your blood. Barley grass is also a greaet choice for herbal container gardening and is said to have very good anti-oxidant properties.
You can pick and choose what herbs you want for your herb container gardening hobby. Tailor your garden choice to your culinary skills and any ailments for which you’d like some organic remedies. Other popular plants for herb container gardening are, bay, coriander, fennel, mint, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme.
Grow Your Own Herb & Nutrient Garden – How herbs can not only improve the taste of your food, but also have health benefits!
The magic of herbs & nutrients and why they are so important in your diet.
- How herbs can enhance the flavor of your food, and which ones to use with fish, chicken, meat and vegetables
- Learn which herbal teas can calm your nerves, aid digestion, improve memory
- Which herb provides more Vitamin C than oranges!
- Grow one of the world’s most nutrient rich foods in the comfort of your home.
Increase your energy levels, brighten your hair & skin, treat minor ailments, and add flavor to all your dishes.
Learn the right container herb gardening techniques to growing a variety of nutritious herbs.
Learn container gardening - from an expert!