10 Best Herbs for Container Gardening Success

Finding the best herbs for containers transforms small spaces into productive gardens. You get fresh herbs just steps from your kitchen. It saves space without difficulty. It also minimizes pest trouble naturally. Urban gardeners love it. Beginners find it surprisingly easy.

Choose herbs that mirror your cooking style. Basil and thyme are both simple to grow and take average everyday meals to the next level. Freshly harvested herbs bring flavors together that dried herbs don't compare to. You will notice the difference immediately, and your meals will come out tasting better than restaurant quality with almost no effort at all.

Growing your own cut herbs can significantly lower your grocery costs. A single mint plant can yield months of harvest. This eliminates the need for limp herbs to come from the supermarket. You, the gardener, have full control over the growing conditions. This ensures that the herbs are, without a doubt, the freshest that they will be!

Group your container herbs according to the amount of sun they require. Full sun means six to eight hours of direct light daily. All Mediterranean herbs, including rosemary and oregano, depend on this sun. Their medicinal plants are gathered in the hottest sun when their essential oils have reached a peak and their tastes become particularly robust for cooking.

Some herbs like partial shade. Mint and cilantro will thrive with just a few hours of morning sun; three to five hours of sunlight will suffice. They prefer to be kept in the shade a bit in the afternoon, which helps prevent them from getting scorched in a hot climate. I keep my plants under the patio overhangs in summertime so their tender leaves are fine for a longer time.

Rotate your pots weekly. If you don't, the plants will stretch in the direction of the light, becoming lopsided. Rotate and you will still have compact, bushy plants which are perennially bounteous. My herbs on the balcony face south, but every Monday I turn them around.

Keep an eye on the leaves for feedback. If the leaves are pale, they are demanding more light. If the leaves are dark green and the stem becomes leggy, try repositioning it. To compensate for the ever-climbing sun, change your position with the sun each time the seasons turn, and do the same with your herbs. If you watch closely enough, they will let you know what they need.

Learn the watering needs of herbs by category. Drought-tolerant herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, thrive in soil with varying moisture levels. You should wait until the top inch feels completely dry before sprinkling the surface with water. Moisture-loving varieties like mint and basil require a consistently moist environment; their leaves droop alarmingly when they are thirsty.

Before watering, check with your finger. Stick your finger right into the soil, up to your second knuckle. Look for moisture, one or two inches down. You'll be able to feel if the soil is dry or damp. If it's dry, water your Mediterranean herbs; if it's wet, leave them alone. Water the mints only if they need it. I rely on this test implicitly and have saved myself from accidental catastrophes as a result.

You can kill Mediterranean herbs with kindness; however, excessive watering can cause root rot, suffocating the roots in the mud. Yellowing leaves indicate something is amiss (I once lost a sage plant that way). Now I allow rosemary a drink only once every ten days in the summer months. Adequate drainage holes are a must.

All mint family herbs, especially lemon balm and peppermint, require thorough watering and regular drinking to maintain optimal condition during periods of hot weather. Water them every two or three days, even when they are due for picking; their roots are so close to the surface that they dry out quickly. I use self-watering pots for my mint, and they always keep it in perfect condition.

Whip up your own 'ideal' potting mix using a general recipe for herbs: use two parts loam-based compost, one part of a drainage material such as perlite and add a handful of worm castings per gallon of compost (for nutrients). This should suit most herbs perfectly, but remember not to use a peat-free version if you're planting Mediterranean herbs, which require the mineral ingredients not found in peat-free composts.

Watch your soil pH with herbs like rosemary. Mediterranean types thrive at a pH level of 6.0-7.0. Test kits are inexpensive and imperative. If your soil is too acidic, add dolomite lime. Basil likes it about 5.5 or thereabouts. I have one mix for my mints and another for rosemary.

Loam-based composts have a superior structure to peat-free composts. It has resistance to compaction and the ability to hold nutrients. Peat-free soils dry out too quickly and require constant re-moistening. My rosemary does well in loam, but badly in peat mixes. Drainage materials stop spoiled, soggy roots.

Mint-family herbs appreciate moisture-retaining soils. Combine some coconut coir with their mix; it can retain eight times its weight in water. For example, a 1:4 ratio of coir to base mix. This mix ensures they don't dry out between waterings (my lemon balm is perky even in heat waves!).

Drainage is essential for herb containers. Every single pot must have drainage holes at the bottom. Without them, the roots drown. I learned the hard way when my basil leaves turned yellow in their decorative pot. Now I drill more holes if needed.

Match container depth to root type. Shallow-rooted herbs like thyme do best in wide, shallow pots, while the taproot varieties such as parsley require the depth of a long tomato' pot - measure the root-ball before potting on. Your herbs will repay your care with vigorous growth.

Let's weigh the pros and cons. Clay pots breathe really well but easily dry out. Fabric bags don't let roots circle at the sides, but sometimes require lots (and lots) of watering. Plastic containers are excellent at retaining moisture, but don't breathe. Choose your suitably based on how thirsty your herbs are and how warm your climate is.

Size up containers gradually for aggressive growers. Start mint in pots six inches across and within months size up to a twelve-inch pot to prevent root-bound stress. I size up basil three times from seedling through to harvest, and for every step up in size, there's a noticeable increase in leaf yield.

Basil produces large, pesto-inducing leaves, and in a 12-inch pot, it looks all bushy until it bolts in the heat. Scoop the pot up and take it inside before frost. Give basil at least 6 hours of direct sun. I like cutting my leaves weekly so that I can have big harvests all summer.

Mint - Be cautious with mint, as it can take over a garden, so keep it in a single pot. It loves partial shade. Lift the roots and overwinter it indoors. Mine grows in a self-watering pot. I cut off sprigs for tea, etc., it's forgiving.

Rosemary needs sandy soil and full sun. The tips of its woody stems furnish the ideal flavor for roasted meats. Move pots inside if the temperature drops below 40°F. Clay containers allow the roots to breathe. Trim back to keep the plant from becoming leggy. Once established, rosemary is drought-resistant.

Group thyme, oregano, and sage as sun-worshippers from the Mediterranean. All are drought-tolerant and compact growers. Choose shallow pots, and mix grit with the compost. Overwinter in a sunny window; my sage keeps going quite happily through winters close to a west-facing window. They will go through the summer if you remember to harvest herbs before they flower.

Parsley, cilantro, and chives: Prefer cooler conditions. Deep pots for the long taproot of parsley; cilantro bolts quickly so sow successively; chives are perennials that multiply each year; they all like light shade. I grow them together to use in autumn pots after the heat of summer has passed.

Container herb gardening is within the reach of all. Your apartment balcony or large patio is equally desirable. The novice may start with the simplest requirements and succeed, while the more experienced may work to gain further sophistication in the field. An abundance of fresh flavors awaits just outside your kitchen door. Start with one pot, and as your confidence increases, expand your herb collection.

Remember three basic principles: Provide proper sunlight for each herb type. Ensure containers have drainage holes! Match pot size to root systems. If you do these things, you will avoid most problems. Your plants will thrive.

Experiment with different combinations of herbs to see which ones pair well together. Why not put basil and parsley in the same window box, or group rosemary and lavender in the same clay pot? See how they get on with each other, and your cilantro-chive combination of two insect-repellent herbs. Some companions will make better growing friends than others. Some are eager to crowd their neighbor.

Reap herbs all year round in clever rotations. Summer is for basil and mint. Autumn brings on parsley and chives. Over-winter rosemary indoors. Rotate the pots for a constant supply. Your cooking will benefit from fresh tastes every month, and a living spice rack will enrich your kitchen.