If your herbs don’t have the same watering and sunlight needs, you should plant them in separate pots. Thyme is another herb that doesn’t like too much water, and would make a great pot-mate for rosemary. You should also take lighting needs into consideration as well. Most herbs require about 6 hours of sunlight, but some need more.
Basil Mint Oregano Parsley Rosemary Thyme
Most flowering herbs are safe to use in cooking, such as lavender. They are more popular in tea, however, such as chamomile. Some herbs aren’t actual flowers, like chamomile, but still have a nice fragrance. Sage is a great example.
Mint: chocolate mint, peppermint, spearmint, and sweet mint Oregano: Greek oregano, Italian oregano, and hot & spicy oregano Parsley: Flat Italian parsley and curled parsley Thyme: English thyme, French thyme, German thyme, and lemon thyme
Nurseries are not the only place to buy herbs. Many grocery and natural food stores also set potted herbs. Starting herbs from seeds is more time consuming, but costs less money. If desired, you can start seeds in a small pot on a sunny windowsill indoors.
If you really want herbs that all grow to the same height, take texture into consideration. Rosemary is shrubby and spiky while chives are slender and thin. Different varieties of the same herb count. Many of them look different from each other.
If you choose too small of a pot, you might end up with small, stunted herbs. You won’t have much to harvest when it comes to picking. Smaller pots also dry out faster and need to be watered more often.
Just 1 drainage hole is enough, but it’s okay if your pot has more.
Avoid clay pots if you live in a dry climate, as they dry out quickly. Choose a plastic pot or a pot that’s glazed inside. If you live in a humid climate, a clay pot might be better, especially if your herb likes dry soil.
3 parts potting soil 1 part compost or aged manure 1 part perlite or pumice
The mesh screen does not have to be big–anything large enough to cover the hole is fine. The broken pottery will keep the soil in the pot, but it will still allow water to drain out.
If your pot is made from clay, soak it overnight first. This will prevent it from absorbing the water from the soil. [7] X Research source
Sometimes, wet soil compresses, so if it falls more than 3 inches (7. 6 cm) below the top edge of the pot, mix in more soil.
Be sure to leave enough room for the other herbs. Instead of digging right in the middle of the pot, dig close to the edge.
Do just 1 herb for now. Once you take the herb out of the pot, you want to get it into the soil as quickly as possible.
Gently pat the soil down with your hands to make it nice and neat. Note that the soil level should remain the same from the store container to the newly-planted pot for most plants.
Work 1 herb at a time. You don’t want to leave the other herbs laying around outside of their original pots for too long. Leave a few inches/centimeters of space between each herb. Plant taller herbs in the center and shorter herbs around the sides. [8] X Research source
Place the pot on top of a plastic or ceramic tray. This will help keep your table or counter clean. Don’t leave the excess water in the saucer. Lift the pot up and dump the water out. [9] X Research source
Mediterranean plants, such as oregano, require less water. Let the top 1 to 2 inches (2. 5 to 5. 1 cm) of soil dry before you water them again. Water-loving herbs, like basil, require constant moisture. The top 1 to 2 inches (2. 5 to 5. 1 cm) of soil should feel like a damp sponge. When watering, use enough water until you can see it coming out from the bottom of the pot.
For best results, use a slow-release organic fertilizer, or a half-strength liquid fertilizer. Make sure that the fertilizer is suitable for herbs. Read the label.
The strength of the sunlight is also important. South-facing windows will provide the best, strongest sunlight, whereas north-facing windows will give you the weakest sunlight.
You don’t have to remove the pot from the window completely; a table next to the window would be just fine. If you put the herbs outside and the temperature rises or drops below the ideal range, you may want to bring the herbs inside.
You can pinch the herbs off with your fingers, or you can cut them with scissors. If you decide to use scissors, however, make sure that they are clean.
