Herb garden (box)

AnnaV

One thing I love and which costs a fortune from the supermarket is fresh herbs. We're finally moving from our tiny flat to a bigger flat with a roof terrace and I want to start a herb box.

I have the least green fingers in the world and would really appreciate and hints as I've never done this before. Also I'm guessing that the plants you buy at the supermarket aren't designed to live very long? Or would they be OK if looked after properly?

Curry_Queen

I've managed to keep a supermarket basil plant going for a few months in the bathroom, but it's on it's last legs now with only enough leaves left for one more meal/sauce. In hindsight, I should have pinched out the tips to encourage a bushier growth rather than grab all the bigger leaves lower down first. I've never had any success with keeping coriander, parsley, chives etc as once they're cut, that's it. I find it better to buy the ready cut packs and freeze them now.

If you've got a roof terrace you could grow them in much bigger pots or troughs and probably adequately sustain the plants to produce what you need. I would always grow herbs in containers even if I had a garden as some, for example mint, will spread and take over if free planted

Happyroly

Put a bay tree in the middle, a couple of plants of thyme round the edges, some chives (even the supermarket chives and thyme should be ok), if you get mint buy the small leaved varieties (e.g. mentha), a prostrate Rosemary to hang over the side, next Spring put in some nasturtium seeds (trailing variety) you can eat the flowers (peppery), basil is very easy from seed and the purple variety looks great and some marjoram.
The chives, rosemary, thyme and bay should be reasonably hardy depending how cold it gets where you are. Get a book on herbs out of the library - Jekka McVicar (I think that is how you spell her name!) is very good (and she sells organic herbs by post) as if Lesley Bremness.
Most importantly - make sure that your balcony is structurally safe before putting any heavy pots on it - don't want any claims against you! :eek:
I am sure your fingers will soon turn green!
Happyroly

misty

I'm not very green fingered and don't really like get my hands dirty - got growing to show my son who loves it (age 4). I got a multi pack from the pound shop which had thyme, basil, chives and parsley. They all grew massive and now in their own pots on the windowsill and I feel amazed they've done so well. However, I've lost count of the bought herb pots from garden centres and supermarkets that I bought and have died within a few days. If I can do it anyone can - am waiting for the tomatoes to turn red that I grew from seed and the plant is now about 3 foot high!

harpo1

Have you thought of one of those strawberry pots to grow your herbs in. Basically a big pot with slots in the sides to plant into. They are cheap at this time of year. I agree with Happy about the bay tree - mine stands 4 foot high & started off from one sprig from a supermarket packet. To take a cutting from a bay tree, just pull/ cut a piece say 4-6 cm off at an angle below a joint mark trim all the leaves back to about 1 cm. This is because its difficult to support leaves, make roots & stay alive!!. Put into some grittly compost, squeeze up against the edge of the pot ( not the middle)- water & put a clear plastic bag over the pot & leave somewhere warm & not too bright until life starts to show that off with bag & grow on. Some cuttings will not make it so do 3 or four in the same pot.
Rocket grows like a weed & is so expensive in the shops - Good luck

Whitefiver

Hi, as others have said, you can get some success with supermarket herbs. I have found the cheapest to be Asda, and also amongst the best quality. When I last bought, they were £1 or more cheaper than Sainsbury, for example.

We had a Basil for a couple of months, and it ended up in the garden where it is still growing - currently in flower. The Asda chives were also particularly good (but I grew ours from seed).

Hope that helps,

Regards,

White.

Fay

I also want to start growing herbs, as I have no luck at all with the supermarket ones (apart from Basil and I use it quicker than it grows!). But I read somewhere that you shouldn't eat Basil when its flowering, is this true?

AnnaV

Wow! Thanks, loads of ideas here. We have a Victorian herb garden near us so I think I'll go and pinch a few small cuttings and get started. We also have a Sunday flower market near us where I should be able to get some little pots while they are growing and I'm hoping I'll be able to get a bigger container from my mum as she's got a garage full.

So hopefully it shouldn't cost anything at all. Might buy myself a chilli plant with the saving

Also love the idea of growing rocket, we do really like it but the price they charge in the supermarket for a tiny bag is ludicrous.

I'm even thinking of getting a grow bag for tomatoes, but I'll see how I get on with the herbs first!

Thanks everyone xx

Pal

I think the problem with supermarket herbs is that they are grown very intensively (i.e. constant chemical fertilisers) and crammed into very small pots to make them look good on the shelves. Unfortunately without the chemicals the pots are too small for the plants to live very long. This is why fresh potted herbs have a "sell by" date on them - why would you need one otherwise?

Also many herbs are not supposed to look like the ones in supermarkets i.e. chives are supposed to be pretty tall and sparse, not like a lawn. The chives I grew in the garden actually looked like they were dying rapidly for a while before they bounced back into life: far few blades than before but much stronger looking. If you are trying to tell if your plant is healthy, don't compare it to the supermarket versions.

So what I have done is buy one plant and then split it out among a number of pots. I managed to get three very large and healthy basil plants from a single small tescos pot. You also need to feed them regularly, especially at the start.

I have also noticed that the flavour seems to get stronger as the plants recover, I guess because they are less intensively grown.

Does anyone have any experience growing chives, tarragon, thyme and/or rosemary over the winter? The books are saying that I should be bringing them in or taking cuttings, but I honestly can't be arsed if they might survive over the winter anyway. Any thoughts?

Glad

Pal
I have rosemary, thyme and chives growing in the garden and they all survive the winter
rosemary and thyme are evergreen I cut them back in aurumn to prevent them getting 'leggy', the chives die back and then grow back in spring, they can grow big and clumpy but can be split and replanted.

Oh and obviously spraying with vinegar helps too

Pal

Is there anything that vinegar can't do?