I would like to start container herb gardening. I live in an apartment complex, so planting them in the ground isn't an option. I plan to just grow them in pots and will grow them from seed. These are the herbs I have in mind: rosemary oregano sage basil thyme marjoram chives The pots I have are 8". I want to grow them from seed in the pots I have. Can I do this without issues or should I just start them in peat pots and then transplant them? My gardening zone is 8 and I can basically grow warm weather herbs outside without any issues. With the herbs I've listed, what size pots should I use? Should they be bigger or smaller then the pot size I have? Some herbs above I know need 4" pots. Is growing them in a pot twice the size they're supposed to be grown in going to be an issue? Please reply if this is your area of expertise or you know a good deal about herb gardening as I could really use help regarding this. Thank you!
Hi kumquat67, I'm not an expert but I grew a lot of herbs in the same zone as you- both indoors and out. The only tricky one on your list is the rosemary. It can be a little finicky and did best outside for me. Other than that, I have grown all of the herbs on your list in both large and small pots. It didn't seem to matter. What does matter is what I used to start them. Here is what worked for me. I use seed starter, not potting soil. Potting soil did not work well for me with herbs until they were larger. I did not have fancy grow lights. I use seed flats now but in the past, I dampened the seed starting mix and filled the pots. Then I added the seed to the pots, covered them with a light cover of the starter mix and put plastic wrap over them. To get them to germinate, I had to have them in a warm place. I have used windowsills, the top of the fridge, etc. Once they germinate, remove the plastic. Keep them warm with a lot of light and don't let them dry out but don't overwater either. I can give you a list of good books if you'd like but it really is quite easy. (If I was back in the States now, I could just send you one of mine. Unfortunately, I don't have them with me over here.) Good luck and if you have any other questions, just ask.
Kumquat67: Another very good method you also can look at this one: http://www.gardenstew.com/about9612.html Take a look down through the threads. Many people also had very good luck with this. Put seeds on a dampened coffee filter. fold it in half (that covers the seed). slide it inside a baggy and leave on a windowsill or under liteing. When they get about 1/4 in. root then take them out and put them in some potting soil to continue their growing. I've done rosemary, thyme, lemon basil, chives,echincea, and many flowers and vegetables. I've have very good luck with this method. I have also seen this method work 3-4 days quicker then starting them in soil. Hope this helps. please write back and let us know how your doing.
I've had better luck with it in the spring then I do in the winter. But I just like experimenting to see what I can get to grow.
i think challenging part of growing herbs can actually be deciding which to plant one can use containers or planters for gardening if your space is limited, or if he wants to add character to your yard. I think adding a few herbs to your vegetable or flower garden is easy. Interesting thing is to experiment with the herbs to see what looks good with your existing plants so continue trying different combinations.
I do all my gardening in containers, and here is what I've had luck with. Catnip, thyme, chives, parsley, and garlic. Just be sure to not over water your plants
Most of the herbs that you have asked about are all pretty hardy once you get them going they will pretty much look after themselves, herbs like rosmary and the chives can grow out of control if you don't look after them, but as you are growing them in pots you shouldn't have any of these issues. I think to make your life a little easier for yourself, many of the supermarkets, now stock fresh herbs that are still growing in little pots, these are really cheap and can be repotted really easily, just free up the roots little and plant them in the bigger pots. I have tried this myself many times and it works especially well with the basil chives and sage. Well I hope this helps.
