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brazenspider

Are these herbs ok for containers? Long list!

brazenspider
13 years ago

I decided to try to grow every type of herb I could find seeds for. I'm running out of space on my balcony garden. Are any of these plants not suitable for containers? I'm growing most in 2.5 gallon buckets. Thanks in advance!

Cress, Broadleaf

Spearmint

True Lavender

Chives, Common

Sweet Marjoram

Cilantro

Rosemary

Basil (Genovese and Lime)

Dill, Fernleaf

Parsley, single Italian plain leafed and extra curly

Oregano

Chamomile, German

Curled Chervil

Lemon Balm

Thyme

Carraway

Lemon Grass

Cumin

Fennel

Stevia

Parsley

Tarragon

Anise

Sage, Common

Summer Savory

Par-Cel

Comments (4)

  • doomsdaykillz
    13 years ago

    I am not sure about like 90% of those, but I know that Spearmint is great in a container as long as you divide it with a spade or another tool when it overcrowds the pot.
    And personally all italian basil i've grown was in pots or rectangular window sill "pots" so i would say yes to that also....

    I have always seen parsley and such in pots as well and i dont see why it wouldnt be fine, but i am not sure about any except spearmint ;)
    cheers

  • Mad Ferret
    13 years ago

    If its anything like the spearmint I have I'd only ever grow that in a pot/basket it grows like mad, and would take over completly.

    I've got sage, basil, parsley, corriander, chives & rosemary all in pots and all doing fairly well so far, only the spearmint is what I'd call a mature plant atm though.

  • Daisyduckworth
    13 years ago

    You can grow all of these in pots - but the size of the pots depends entirely on the size of the plants in them. You need to research each of these herbs to find out their potential mature size, and judge accordingly. Most plants grown in pots will never reach their full potential size, and be stunted to some degree - this can be an advantage if you don't want your plants to get really big. Rosemary is an example - if you read past threads, you'll know that it can become a very large shrub. So can basil.

    Plants with an agressive root system (like the mints, and that includes lemon balm) can grow just fine in pots - but you'll need to repot them regularly to prevent them from becoming pot-bound (by which time the roots are choking themselves to death).

    Similarly, clump-forming plants will need regular repotting. I keep my lemongrass in a pot, but it grows like greased lightning in my subtropical climate, so requires frequent repotting. Chives forms clumps, but behave quite well in pots.

    Plants with a long tap-root don't usually do well in pots, but I don't see any of those in your list.

    Annuals, which are usually fast-growing, can do quite well in pots, and often they can be grown several plants to a large pot - these include your cumin, caraway, coriander, anise. Some of these tend to get a bit floppy, so planting them crowded together, they often support each other. One herb per pot, I mean, not several different herbs together.

    Others, like cress, thyme, oregano, like to spread themselves out, so pots should allow for this.

    Taller plants like dill and fennel (which should never be grown anywhere near each other because they cross-pollinate) grow best in the garden.

  • fatamorgana2121
    13 years ago

    In case you missed the comment Daisy made - one herb type per pot. While those "herb planters" with 6 different herbs look nice, it is not the best for the herbs. Each plant has different water, soil, and sun requirements. Keeping them separate makes giving them that a WHOLE lot easier.

    FataMorgana