How to grow an herb garden
How I did it: I like to keep things compact, and seeing as the place I live in is not my own, I decided to pot most things.
I've also built it gradually over the last 3 months. I started by asking relatives for terracotta pots and hanging baskets. Some I bought myself. So every fortnight after pay I would buy a couple hanging baskets or pots, premium potting mix, and seedlings. I've also got a liquid fertiliser and booster that I apply once a fortnight. I water every three days, except for the tender things like new seedlings, and lettuces.
I think growing stuff in pots and hanging baskets is pretty easy, and low maintenance. You've just got to remember to look after new seedlings - I make sure they are sheltered, have a nice sunny warm spot, but are always moist. Once they've hardened off a bit, I move them into direct sun, mulch them, but still group them all together - it forms a nice little micro-climate.
If I notice a plant isn't doing too well I give it a bit of liquid fertiliser and move it into a spot with more sun. I also check leaves - if they've been munched on I try to find the crawly culprits and get rid of them.
In my pots and baskets I group plant things while they are still small. For example, the other day I planted some mint seedlings in a pot. I also stuck a lettuce in with each - while the mint grows I can enjoy picking the baby lettuce. I've also planted basil or parsley amongst my many tomato bushes. I squeeze plants in together because I pick and eat some before they grow full size. Then I'll plant more new seedlings in amongst the more mature plants, so I've always got a variety of plants in different stages of growth.
So far I have a nice variety of herbs and veg, and some fruits. I enjoy going to the nursery and finding new things to grow. My next project is to get some large pots to grow different citruses in. At the moment this is what I've got growing in my pots and hanging baskets:
Rosemary, marjoram, sweet basil, three types of oregano, mint, spearmint, chamomile, lemongrass, coriander, chives, two types of parsley, watercress, horned mustard, mustard greens, corn salad, chicory, garlic, spinach, rocket, silverbeet, rhubarb, about 6 different types of tomatoes (including cherry types), 3 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, corn, dwarf snow peas, dwarf french runner beans, sugar snap peas, leeks, spring onions, eggplant, baby bell capsicum, chili, and I'm just about to plant another kind of eggplant, squash, lebanese cucumber, and pumpkins.
For fruit I have a couple varities of strawberry, and in some big pots I've planted raspberry, red currant, black currant, and mulberry. It's so exciting!
Lessons & tips:
- The best things is to keep a regular eye on your garden. I tend to spend a little time every 2 or 3 days when I give them a thorough watering, check for pests, move them around. Even the lettuces do alright only watered every couple days because I've got them in part shade. I don't eat heaps of them, so it's alright if their growth isn't too robust because of lack of sun.
- Feed them with recommended fertilisers, etc once a fortnight. Or put a very very dilute amount of the fertiliser in the water you use to water them every couple days.
- It's alright if some of your plants die. Just experiment, see what works and what doesn't.
- To have a continual supply of herbs and veg you need to stagger grow them. So I have the plants I use regularly in three stages of growth: a batch that's nearing maturity, a batch of seedlings, and a batch of seeds just sprouted. Some things I grow in part shade, or give less fertilser - to stunt growth because I don't need them to grow too fast.
- If you've got too much, and some pots etc are overcrowded, just divide them up and give them to friends or family.
- Collect the seeds directly from the plants outside, or from what produce you take into your kitchen to eat. E.g. tomato seeds I simply scrape off the chopping board onto a plate, flatten out, cover with light dirt, water and leave in a sunny windowsill until they germinate. Then I divide them/thin them out into seedling trays or any old containers/boxes...
Resources:
- my local nursery
- my library: lots of books and magazines with great ideas and tips, especially for container gardening
