herb garden question

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    • #272663
      mdowdy

      Does anyone have any tips for growing herbs in pots? I have to use pots since my boyfriend has taken over what small yard we have lol. He is taking the side yard for this big pumpkin he wants to try his hand out and what is left of the little space we have is germinating corn, tomatoes and who knows what else to put in there LOL.

      Anyway so I have been fussing saying I want some herbs and he isnt taking the hint, so I am stuck to pots but have no idea what type to grow together or even where to start with this :022:. Any help would be appreciated.

    • #419940
      mcnerd

      There are so many herb growing kits on the market, you should check them out and start that way. I just got a cute one that is like a miniature strawberry pot (openings on the side) and comes with the seeds and potting soil. Figure out where you want to go them (lots of sun) and buy something that fits.

      You can also just get pots for one or two herbs (basil, oregeno, chives, etc.) that you anticipate using in your cooking.

    • #419944
      mdowdy

      @mcnerd 115951 wrote:

      There are so many herb growing kits on the market, you should check them out and start that way. I just got a cute one that is like a miniature strawberry pot (openings on the side) and comes with the seeds and potting soil. Figure out where you want to go them (lots of sun) and buy something that fits.

      You can also just get pots for one or two herbs (basil, oregeno, chives, etc.) that you anticipate using in your cooking.

      thanks i have been checking for these. i guess i am going to have to go to (should i dare say it) walmart lol i hate our walmart. but anyway, the stores i have checked so far had a selection of hardly nothing the one they did have had like 4 different kinds of basil in them and I dont need that much basil LoL.

      Thanks for the suggestion. I will have to venture to the other side of the river I guess and find something.

    • #419947
      wilbe95

      About a month ago I bought some herb seeds on sale at the store and started them in old coffee mugs that we don’t use anymore. I have them sitting in my kitchen window sill. They fit great, easy to remember to water them and so far they are growing great!

    • #419950
      mcnerd

      On those kits I never plant all the types of plants they provide. There are plenty of seeds for what you do want to grow. Ignore the rest.

    • #419957
      mdowdy

      @wilbe95 115959 wrote:

      About a month ago I bought some herb seeds on sale at the store and started them in old coffee mugs that we don’t use anymore. I have them sitting in my kitchen window sill. They fit great, easy to remember to water them and so far they are growing great!

      thats a great idea, thanks

    • #419959
      rtebalt

      Thanks for the ideas. I want to try my hand at growing some things too! 🙂

    • #419974
      brchbell

      I got this link today to show how to make a salad table or a salad box to grow salad mixes or herbs in today:

      https://www.hgic.umd.edu/documents/HG601SaladTables_SaladBoxes.pdf

      I got this today from Organic Gardening and they said it was on the Martha Steward Show. Here’s one I found recently online about growing herbs in pots:

      [url]https://kitchen-parade-veggieventure./2008/05/never-buy-fresh-herbs-again.html#herbs_pots[/url]

      how to grow herbs in pots

      pots choose pots at least twelve inches in diameter. smaller pots simply cannot hold enough moisture on hot summer days. terra cotta pots look great but are heavy, expensive and fragile.

      i really like the foam pots which look like terra cotta but are light, relatively inexpensive and last at least a decade (maybe longer, i just know that three of mine are that old).

      location find a spot that gets direct sun for at least six hours a day and is open to rainfall. late-day sun is hard on plants so if there’s a choice, pick a spot that’s bright in the morning but shaded in late afternoon.

      drainage the pot may already have drainage holes in the bottom. if not, it’s simple enough to drill a few holes in the bottom. otherwise the plants may actually ‘drown’, since their roots could be in water.

      in addition, i like to place an inch or so of small rocks in the bottom of the pots to help drainage. during the spring, it’s easy to buy bags of small stones at the garden store. during the year, for houseplants say, i use aquarium gravel.

      soil for extra-large pots, fill the bottom third or half of the pot with styrofoam popcorn or even used wine corks. the pot will need less soil and be quite a bit lighter, making it easier to move or at least turn. then fill with soil.

      if you’re doing just a couple of pots, buy a pre-mixed soil called ‘potting soil’ which will be loose and easy to work. for more soil, it’s easy to make your own potting mix.

      time-release fertilizer some potting soils already include a time-release fertizer. otherwise, sprinkle the top layer with a fertilizer such as osmocote (a real miracle product). work it into the top couple of inches of soil.

      plants it’s late in the season to start from seed and honestly, it’s not something i’ve had much luck with though others of course do. i buy small containers of herbs for $2 – $3 each. Most are annuals, this means that they’ll last just one season.

      A few are perennials and will return year after year. My own tact is to grow a few favorite herbs, ones to use all summer in small quantities. So I buy one plant each of chive, rosemary, oregano, dill, lavender, tarragon and thyme plus three basil plants.

      I don’t grow parsley and cilantro (even though they’re favorites) because these are less expensive to purchase at the grocery store and easy enough to use up an entire bunch. I allow three herbs for a twelve-inch pot.

      Finally, Planting! As soon as the frost date has passed (here’s a list that shows frost dates by state, it shows April 30 as the last frost for St. Louis but the common wisdom is that it’s really Mother’s Day weekend), gently remove the plant from its container. Sometimes you can slip the base of the plant between the fingers of one hand to contain the soil, then turn it over.

      Some times you need to tug gently to remove the plant from the container. Dip the plant into water, using your hand to contain the soil. Crack open the bottom of the dirt, this lets the roots descend into the pot’s soil more easily.

      Place the plant in the potting mix, fill in the sides with soil but don’t mound the dirt around the plant’s stem. Once all the plants are in, soak the pot with water.

      TLC – Tender Lovin’ Care In hot climates, pots will need to be watered every day unless it rains. I soak my pots every single morning, filling them until the water begins to drain out the holes in the bottom. Every three or four weeks, it also pays to refresh the fertilizer.

      Buds & Flowers Aha! This is a trick. The ‘flowers’ on basil, dill and other plants may be beautiful but if we really want fresh herbs, we need to nip these off as soon as they appear.

      That said, I love the flowers of garlic chive so much that I keep an entire pot of garlic chive, just for the greens and flowers!

      Harvesting It’s great fun to step outside with scissors to gather a few herbs. Just cut off what you need. At the end of the season, you may want to harvest all the herbs for preserving for the winter.

      Winter Interest For the winter, woody plants like rosemary and lavendar, for example, die off but their dried versions provide great architectural interest throughout the winter. The soft-leaved plants like basil will just disintegrate after the first frost.

      For Next Season Each year, it’s important to amend the soil in pots by at least half, some gardeners even recommend replacing the soil entirely. While amending the soil with new potting mix, also work out roots and bulbs that will be in last year’s soil.

    • #420139
      Virginia

      Don’t know if you want to grow indoors in pots or outdoors in pots but here is some information for you if you want to grow indoors.

      Most herbs do well inside, with the proper care.

      Herbs in pots need reasonably rich soil mix with good drainage. Bags of Professional Potting Soil can be used but if you want to make your own, here are four good recipes:

      Mix #1
      2 parts peat, 1 part perlite, 1 part builder’s sand

      Mix #2
      2 parts peat, 1 part builder’s sand

      Mix #3
      1 part peat, 1 part builder’s sand, 1 part pine-bark mulch

      Mix # 4
      2 parts compost, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite

      6 inch pots work well for thyme, oregano, cilantro or marjoram.
      8 inch pots work better for chives, parsley, and basils.
      The bigger 10-12 inch pots work the best for herbs such as rosemary, sage, lavender and mints.

      Give plants plenty of space so air can circulate around them. Don’t crowd the pots, and don’t let the foliage from neighboring pots touch.

      Use room temperature water to water with and water late in the day . Remember that not all plants need to be watered at the same frequency, so be sure to water only when needed. Stick your finger down in the soil and if the soil is dry to a depth of one or two inches, then you should water.

      Soak the mix well, wait a few minutes while you move on to other plants, then water them again (During the first watering, the water is absorbed very quickly, but it often leaves dry spots or gaps within the potting mix. The second watering fills in those gaps.)

      Hope this helps. Thanks; Virginia

    • #420197
      mdowdy

      thanks guys I knew yall would have some ideas for me!

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