Cultivating A Potted Herb Garden

A potted herb garden is simply a garden that is grown in pots verses a patch of land in your yard. This type of garden can be extremely convenient and can make gardening much more simple in many ways.  Not only can herbs grown in pots add culinary and medicinal benefits; it can also provide you with a pleasant fresh aromatic fragrance for your home that you can enjoy each day.

Cultivating an herb garden in pots has been the preferred method for many gardeners for years.  Many enjoy the benefits of being able to move their plants to a different location whenever they choose too.  Also, growing your herbs in containers will allow you to have more control over how your plants grow.  For instance, there are some herbs like mint, if not contained in a pot will grow all over your garden and yard!

Although many herbs are compatible and can share the same pot, there are anomalies. So, be sure and pay close attention to the care tags when making a decision to plant a variety of herbs in the same pot. Usually, when planting a variety of herbs together you would plant the taller plants in the middle of the pot and the smaller ones around the taller herbs.  This same principle would apply if you have separate pots for each herb.

There are many types of pots and containers you can use when growing your garden. Personally, I’ve found that terra-cotta pots get the job done without a fuss; it provides great drainage that is needed for your plants to grow and thrive properly.

When growing your herbs in pots ensure that your herbs have enough space to grow comfortably without being overcrowded.  Some herbs become very large once they are mature so be careful when planning to ensure that you are grouping your herbs, choosing your pots, pot types and sizes with this in mind. After deciding on a pot or container you will need to cover the bottom quarter of the pot/container with some Styrofoam pellets, rocks or gravels to assist in the drainage process.

Although you can choose to cultivate what your heart desires, some of the most common herbs that are grown in pots are as follows:

  • Aloe
  • Caraway
  • Chamomile
  • Cilantro
  • Echinacea
  • Sage
  • Hyssop
  • Parsley
  • Basil
  • Catnip
  • Chives
  • Dill
  • Fennel
  • Garlic
  • Garlic
  • Mint
  • Thyme

Even though most herbs do not require a lot of maintenance it is still very essential to establish good care methods for your plants across the board, following the rules of the care tags to a “T”.  Just like your plants are not immune to attracting insect, they too, can rot, get mold and fungus. With this said, you want to make certain that you do not over-water.  In fact, the best method of preventing this is to water in the early morning hours.  Always remove any dead leaves, give your plants lots of love and your herbs will reach its full potential and everyone is sure to be happy.

Janet Suzalski