How to Plant an Herb Garden in Pots

Herbs are easily grown in pots.

Many herbs are particularly suited for planting in pots. It is very easy to plant and grow an herb garden in containers. It extends a garden that might be full and allows those that live with a limited amount of space to have an herb garden. Even people living in apartments can place an herb garden in pots on a balcony and have fresh herbs with which to cook. For interest, get some cement blocks and put the pots on different levels. Just remember that the pots need to be in the sun about six to eight hours per day.

Things You'll Need

• Clay or plastic pots
• Coffee filter
• Gravel
• Potting soil
• Trowel
• Various herb transplants
• Watering can
• Mulch

Instructions

1. 

   Many different herbs can be planted in half a whiskey barrel.

   Choose pots that have a drain hole in the bottom. They can be clay or plastic but must be well-drained as herbs do not like to have wet roots. Large pots in excess of 12 or 14 inches in diameter can contain more than one or two herbs while smaller pots of 6 to 8 inches in diameter can only hold one herb.

2. 

   Coffee filters make great barriers and allow flower pots to drain well.

   Place a coffee filter over the hole in the bottom of the container. This will allow water to drain out while keeping the soil in. Place a layer of gravel at the bottom of the container. This will ensure that the container will drain well.

3. 

   Tall varieties of basil can be used as the pot centerpiece.

   Fill the container half full of potting soil. Assemble the various herbs and decide where they will be planted in the container. Place a medium tall plant in the center. A good candidate for this would be chamomile or bee balm. Place a ring of medium-sized plants around the central herb. Basil, sage, lavender, tarragon or savory make good medium plants. Plant all the same plant or use different ones all around the central herb. Place low growing herbs at the edge of the container and put them right up against the edge so the branches will grow down the side of the container. Good low growing herbs are oregano, marjoram or thyme. These can also be placed around the edge of the pot.

4. Fill in around the roots of the plants and up to the stems with potting soil. Try to keep the soil off the leaves of the plants. Firm down by pressing around each plant to stabilize it in the pot.

5. Water the pot once everything is planted. If the soil sinks down put a little more soil in the pot. Water so that water runs out of the drain hole at the bottom. Once the herbs are established they should not need to be watered unless the weather is very hot and the moisture evaporates quickly. When the soil in the pot feels dry, water if there is no rain in the forecast.

6. Be sure to mulch the pots once they are planted. This will keep moisture in during dry periods. Use bark mulch, straw or cocoa hulls.

Tips & Warnings

• Bushel baskets make great containers for herbs. Line the inside with a plastic liner so the material of the basket does not rot.

• Herbs rarely need to be fertilized but will benefit from a regular plant food once during the season. Many herbs will come back the next year and that is when they need to be fertilized since they will use all the nutrients in the pot the year before. Use a water-soluble garden fertilizer in the spring.

• Herbs that should be placed one per pot are mint, lemon balm and chives. Mint and lemon balm are invasive and will choke out any other plant in the pot and chives tends to grow very large and will take over a large area in a pot with multiple herbs.

• Do not plant tall herbs like dill, anise, yarrow and tansy in pots. Pots are usually too shallow for them and they will become top-heavy and fall over.

References

• Surfer Sam: How to Grow a Herb Garden in a Pot
• Crafty Gal: The Potted Herb Garden
• Utah State University Extension: Herb Container Gardens

Resources

• Green Herb Garden: Outdoor Container Gardening