How to Grow Organic Herbs in a Pot

Have you ever had spaghetti made with fresh basil, or tomato and sage salad dressing made with fresh sage? Do you often buy fresh, organic herbs at the market only to have them spoil in the refrigerator because you don't use them quickly enough? A window box or pot placed in a sunny window, on a deck or porch, or hung on a window, might be the answer for you. With little effort and a bi-weekly watering, you can have fresh, organic herbs at your fingertips.

Things You'll Need

• 24inch wood or clay window box
• 1 to 2 bags of organic potting soil
• Large container for mixing
• Organic house plant food
• Gloves (optional)
• Trowel
• 3 to 5 packs of various organic seeds
• Gravel (enough to put an inch in the bottom of the growing container)
• Popsicle stick

Instructions

1. Put enough organic potting soil in the mixing container to fill your pot, planter or window box, saving a small amount to cover the seeds. If you're using a large planter, you may have to do this a couple of times. Add the recommended amount of organic plant food to the soil. Using a trowel, mix the plant food thoroughly into the soil.

2. Place about 1 inch of gravel in the bottom of the growing container. This will create a good drainage system, and a place for the roots to spread out and anchor as the top of the plant grows.

3. Transfer the soil in the mixing container to the the growing container, gently patting it down. Make sure the soil isn't so loose that plants won't stand up straight and not so tight that the won't get enough air to their roots.

4. Using either a gloved finger or the tip of the trowel, section off the soil into the number of types of seeds you are going to plant.

5. Read the back of your seed package to find out how deep your seeds should be planted. For most herbs, it will be about 1/4 inch. If you plant too deep, the seeds may not develop; if you plant too shallow, they may not take root.

6. Place 3 to 4 seeds evenly spaced in the areas you've marked off. Cover them with the amount of soil indicated on the seed package. Sprinkle water lightly over the top for the first watering. Then, depending on how warm and humid the growing area is, water every day or two for the next couple of weeks. Within 8 to 10 days, you should start seeing the tops of some of the herbs peeking through the soil.

7. The plants will need room to grow, so if all of the seeds germinate, thin them out, leaving only one or two of the strongest plants of each variety in your container, depending on how large your planter is. Over the next few weeks, your plants will grow and begin producing edible leaves.

Tips & Warnings

• Most herbs are annuals and will have a maximum life span. If you want to keep your herb garden going, its a good idea to start new seeds in small pots about every 2 months so that when the older plants become non-productive, you can replace them with the seedlings. The other option is to have two identical sets of plants growing at the same time, with planting a new one every 2 months.