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amanda_slamm

Advice on soil for herb gardens

agmss15
11 years ago

Hi.

I am in the process of creating a garden in a previously unused field. In central Maine that consists of beating back the ever encroaching forest and rock removal. The garden was started last season and has a few beds with spring vegetables and flowers. More to come.

Now I want to make a few permanent beds for herbs. Many years ago I helped someone in their NJ garden who was an herbalist. She had worked very hard on her soil. Her herbs were very happy and healthy - large w/o being floppy.

I am starting with poor acidic soil. The finished beds have been amended with a lot of organic matter, manure, plant-tone and lime. I also been raised them up a couple of inches. Any recommendations for herbs? Maybe more lime and less food? Sand?

When I am thinking of these beds I'm thinking more of perennial herbs like lavender, sage, thyme and some tender herbs like verveine and rosemary. Black peppermint and greek oregano are already off to a running start elsewhere in the field.

Any input would be recommended. Thanks!

Comments (6)

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    11 years ago

    Don't add sand. If it seems too mucky with lots of fine textured organic matter and manure, you might want to consider adding some pine bark fines.

    No one can advise you about the lime since we don't know the existing pH of the soil. Lime 'should' be one of those products you add on an as needed basis...you can't take it back once you've applied it.

  • agmss15
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    True! Sorry I wasn't very clear. My soil in general has a pH of 5.2 or 5.4 - forget what the test last year said. So I am liming. I tried to apply it moderately last year - and am applying it again this year. I have had better luck trying to correct things over a period of years. I will test again in the fall or next spring.

    What I meant should the pH for herbs be a bit higher than the pH for radishes, salads and other leafy greens I have started already. Again this is a generalization but I thought I remembered something along those lines.

  • fatamorgana2121
    11 years ago

    Mediterranean herbs - like sage, thyme, and rosemary, don't require rich soil. Poor soil is fine. In my experience, they prefer the poor soils over the rich ones. I've grown other herbs like mint, catnip, lemon balm, lovage, oregano, chives, and more very successfully in poor soils as well.

    I think I would focus on drainage for your sage, thyme, lavender, and rosemary. That is key, especially for winter survival. I don't know their pH tolerances off the top of my head - that's one to ask Dr. Google and go from there. I would expect these plants to have a fairly wide tolerance to soil acidity but your soil is quite acidic - I know I would be planting blueberries if I had your soil. I have to add acid to the soil just to get blueberries to survive!

    FataMorgana

  • agmss15
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Fatamorgana - Maine is the land of wild blueberries. My mother has an 8 acre field behind my little field. Both are full of wild low bush blueberry patches. She had a bumper crop from her high bush blueberries last year - 3-4 monthes of fruiting. But the LB BBs didn't produce well. We are planning to choose a few patches - to prune out shrubbery and feed some Hollytone and see what happens.

  • Daisyduckworth
    11 years ago

    The one-stop shop for any kind of less-than-perfect soil is COMPOST. Dig it in, use as mulch - and you'll never regret it. Not only does it add nutrients, it conditions the soil, making it more friable - and it helps to regulate pH. If you can't have your own compost heap - buy compost in bags from any garden centre. (I even use it to replenish soil levels in pots.)

  • agmss15
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    The nicest thing you can say about my soil is that it is a work in progress. Poor, shallow and acidic. Compost is wonderful stuff. I have two bins set up - but I put mostly brown stuff in last fall not much is ready yet. I also just got a load of cow manure - but that is more for later in the season and next year. This year I will get some compost at the garden center to get me started. There is a Maine company that makes compost with various fishing industry byproducts - organic and very rich. I also grew buckwheat as a green manure last year. That is an area that I would like to learn more about.