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msfuzz

Herbies

msfuzz
14 years ago

So, I'm hoping for some advise from you herbies on here. :) As most of you know, I'm hoping to greatly expand my herb garden this year. Here's my plan:

I will be planting my herbs in 2, 45" wide x 8" deep plastic kiddie wading pools (with good drainage via drilled holes & a wick, and filled with potting mix). I am growing both herbs from seed, and transplants. Thankfully, they break down fairly evenly, so I can do seed herbs in one pool, and transplant herbs in the other.

Seed herbs (8):

Basil-Genovese, Siam Queen, Red Rubin

Chamomile-German

Chervil-Vertissimo

Cilantro-Calypso

Marjoram

Cumin

Transplant herbs (7):

Oregano-Greek

Rosemary-Arp

Sage-Pineapple, Tricolor

French Tarragon

Thyme-Lemon, Bushy

My question is: Does this seem like a viable set of herbs to grow with one another in a relatively small space? Do any of these herbs definately not grow well with each other? Are these herbs fairly compatible as far as needs of sunlight, watering, fertilizng, etc?

I am not planning on overwintering this garden, so longevity past one growing season is not a particular concern of mine.

I asked over on the Herb forum, but I value y'alls opinions too. :)

Comments (12)

  • david52 Zone 6
    14 years ago

    Well, cilantro is a weed - goes to seed quickly, and there is no cutting it back. You can also set it out much earlier, it will take a frost.

    I'd think grouping all the basil together would be fine, that you can keep pruning back all summer.

    French tarragon is a perennial that will get 2' high. I've grown it in a container, but its much happier out planted in the garden.

    I'm not much good at herbs.

  • digit
    14 years ago

    Why wouldn't you want to have some of those perennials overwinter, MsFuzz?

    I've had oregano, thyme, and sage so long that I no longer remember when they showed up. Arp rosemary is supposed to be the most hardy but you probably couldn't leave it outdoors thru the winter. I haven't lost any rosemary rex plants in recent winters but they take some conscientious winter care. Still, they seem worth it to me.

    Unless they are really outside their natural environment like rosemary in subzero winters, herbs seem to be kind of a motley crew. Perhaps they grow and thrive as much in spite of us as because of us.

    Steve

  • highalttransplant
    14 years ago

    David, maybe your French tarragon wasn't happy in a container, because mine was a good 3' this past year, and looked way more like a shrub than an herb. It will be the tallest thing on that list. The sages, and oregano are in the 18" -24" range, the thyme will be more like 12" - 18". Maybe it's good that you have all of the perennial stuff in one container, that way if you change your mind about trying to overwinter them, you could just throw a row cover over the whole thing in the fall.

    On the annual stuff, basil never seems to get very big for me in a container, but in the ground it can get 24" tall or more, and get quite bushy. Chamomile and marjoram have done well for me in pots. Cilantro bolts so quickly for me, that I don't know why I keep trying to grow it, since the main thing I use it for is salsa, and it is gone way before the tomatoes are ripe! Not familiar with Chervil, what is that used for? I'm trying Black Cumin for the first time this year myself, so I'll have to get back to you on that one, and we can compare notes : )

    Bonnie

  • msfuzz
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Digit, there are a couple of reasons I'm not planning on overwintering. One of them is that I have nowhere inside I could put a plant where it would survive. The second reason is that I may (or may not, who knows, depending on the alignment of the stars & Uncle Sam) be moving sometime this summer/fall, and part of the point of my container garden was so that I wouldn't get deeply invested in it (time, effort, etc). If I'm here all winter, and if the plants make it through, good for them! They'll be the hardiest plants in Colorado. :D If not, no big loss.

    Bonnie, Chervil is a parsley relative with (supposedly) a milder flavor, and a faint hint of licorice. It's supposed to be really good with salad mixes, and is a member of the mix of herbs used in the French "Fines Herbes." :) I don't know much about it, but sounded like fun. lol

    This year's herb garden is mostly for me to get an idea of how things grow, what I like, what I don't, etc, so that hopefully next year, when we're at our forever house & I can have a REAL garden, I'll have a good idea of what I want to try to keep around all the time.

  • david52 Zone 6
    14 years ago

    One aspect of French Tarragon is making tarragon/dill pickles. Boy, are they good.

    Bonnie, when I was writing my post, I had 'shrub' and then 'bush' down as well for describing the plant - they do get big, particularly with a shot of compost tea in the spring.

    I also found that I can continually clip big branches down to about 4 inches, and tender stuff will grow again.

  • jnfr
    14 years ago

    Oregano spreads like the mint relative it is. Beware! It throws seeds too, if you're not careful.

    Thyme also grows like crazy in my yard, with almost no attention, but it doesn't spread quite so crazy as oregano.

    Sage tends to die out in cold winters for me, I think because I don't keep it watered enough.

    Basil does wonderfully for us. Remember that it wants a warm soil to germinate and grow in. It hates chill.

  • msfuzz
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Hey, just an FYI...I couldn't stand it any more and went over to Nick's Garden Center today. They are going to have a HUGE selection of herbs, pretty much everything you can imagine. Grapefruit mint!!! lol And Big Jim chiles, which is one of the popular Hatch chile varieties. Anyway, for those of you in the Denver area, Nicks Seems to be a good option for veggies/herbs.

  • redley_gardener
    14 years ago

    Digit,
    What special conscientious winter care to you provide to get your rosemary to come back? Mine become great smelling dead twigs every year.

    Red

  • digit
    14 years ago

    Red, I used to put them on the floor of the basement . . . where half of them would die every winter. There's a west window down there but things aren't the best for them.

    So, that left the unheated greenhouse and I wasn't too sure about that. If the outdoor temperature is below 15°F (my rule of thumb ;o), I cover them.

    They have sat for a good number of days and nights covered with a quilt. The quilt has froze tight to the north wall. Not the most wonderful but it seems to work.

    On nice days, the plants are set up where they can get some air and sunlight. A few died in 'o8/'o9 but that was an unusually difficult winter and, at least, it wasn't half of them.

    Steve

  • david52 Zone 6
    14 years ago

    I struggled for years with rosemary, and killed too many plants - the last one due to lack of water in the greenhouse. The last straw was a visitor from California who was telling me they planted them near the doorways so they could brush against them coming in the house, for the lingering scent on their clothes.

    This as we stood gazing my dead plant. At least I didn't throw it at her.

  • jnfr
    14 years ago

    David, clearly you are a saint.

  • msfuzz
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Well, I planted my seed herbs today. Dunno if it was a bad idea or not. LOL I'm using my "in-ground" WSing method I used last year, so we'll see if it works. I think I'll be ok long as we don't get a super hard freeze or inches and inches of snow. :D And I used to say I don't like to gamble!

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