DIY Network

Potted Herbs Potted Herbs From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-114

Want to add a little flavor and fun to your collection of thriving veggies? Try growing a pot or two of tasty herbs! Just follow these basic guidelines:

advertisement

First you need a large, sturdy container such as a ceramic strawberry pot.

• No matter what type of potted plant you grow, there are a few things you have to do to prepare. First you need a large, sturdy container such as a ceramic strawberry pot. In the bottom of the pot place a piece of terra cotta over the drain hole. Then fill the pot with a few inches of gravel. Over the gravel lay a piece of landscape fabric to keep the potting soil from mixing with the gravel. This will help the soil drain and it will keep the herb roots from growing out of the bottom of the pot where they might take root in any surrounding ground.

• Use a high-quality potting soil in any container garden; it's especially important when growing herbs. You're going to grow them in the same pot for a long time and they need a healthy home. Be sure you start with a fresh unopened bag of soil, that way you won't add diseases or pests to your pot. Today many of the potting soils you can buy have small water-retaining polymer crystals that help hold water in the soil rather than letting it drain through the bottom. You can buy these crystals separately if your brand doesn't have them. Most potted plants dry out quickly and the crystals help the soil stay at a more even level of moisture.
  

  	Use a high-quality potting soil in any container garden; it's especially important when growing herbs. You're going to grow them in the same pot for a long time and they need a healthy home.
  	In the first strawberry pot, plant three different sweet varieties including spearmint, peppermint and lemon balm.

• In the first strawberry pot, plant three different sweet varieties including spearmint, peppermint and lemon balm. The mints flower and have sweet tasting leaves. Mints are very invasive and to keep them from taking over your garden or flowerbeds you should keep them contained. They spread so quickly by root runners that they can even take hold if the roots get out the bottom of the pot. Lastly, the lemon balm gets taller than the mints so plant it in the top hole.

• Make a savory herb pot. Along the bottom plant thyme, it stays small. Next plant chives and dill, both of which grow up tall enough to poke out through the higher foliage. Along the top rows add Basil, Oregano, Parsley and Cilantro. Plant your favorite herb in the top hole where it has more room to grow.

• Because pots dry out quickly, install an inexpensive yet effective drip irrigation bottle. Take a plastic 20 ounce bottle and carefully drill or poke 2 to 3 small holes in the bottom of the bottle. These should be small enough that only 1 or 2 drops of water at a time come out. If it pours out, start again and make smaller holes. Set the bottle in the top opening of your strawberry pot and allow enough space to plant your herbs. Fill it with water and tightly screw on the top. The water will come out more slowly when the top is on.
  

  Because pots dry out quickly, install an inexpensive yet effective drip irrigation bottle.

• Remove the lid to easily refill the water. Use this for new plants in a garden bed or for houseplants if you worry about them drying out while you're out of town.

• There are lots of other easy ways to water your potted plants, like using drip irrigation. Just cut the tubing to length and put a barbed connector on one end and a drip head on the other end. Cut small holes in the hose for the drip tubes and attach them. Place the drip tubes in each of the pots, putting 2 or 3 drip heads in each one. Turn on the water and your plants will get plenty to drink.