Project details
Skill
1 out of 5Easy
Cost
About $20
Estimated Time
2 hours
Tools & Materials
- Gardening gloves
Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook gets a lesson from horticulturist Carrie Kelly on growing herbs you can eat.
Steps:
- Fill the clay pot about halfway with soil with compost and perlite.
- Remove an herb plant from its temporary plastic pot and tease out the roots gently, then place it in the clay pot.
- Fill in empty space with more soil. Don’t pack in soil too tightly.
- Put a quick pour of organic fertilizer in a watering can and give the plant a good soaking.
- If you’re planting herbs together, try to group them according to needs. For example, chives, parsley, and tarragon all require about 6 hours of sunlight a day and need to stay moist.
- Rosemary, thyme, and oregano can also be grouped together. They like about 6 to 8 hours of sunlight and can dry out a bit.
- Always plant mint alone because it will spread out and overwhelm anything else that’s in the container.
- To harvest, let your herbs grow to be about 6 inches tall.
- Basil can be pinched off at the top to encourage new growth.
- Parsley can be pinched off on the outside, with the new growth coming from the center.
- Chives can be cut right off the top like a haircut.
- If the herbs are not getting enough sunlight, consider buying a grow light as a supplement.