How To Plant A Herb Pot
You needn't have a huge herb garden to yield a variety of
interesting flavours from your plants. A simple herb pot can provide
you with lots of exciting plants to spice up your cooking.
You will need:
- A variety of herbs such as: Sweet Marjoram, Lemon Balm,
Sage, Common Basil, Mint, Lime Basil, Thyme, Oregano, Strawberries and
Hot Pepper.
- A Large Pot
- Gravel
- Compost
- Controlled release fertiliser
- A watering can
Step 1: Preparing the pot
Make sure that your pot has holes in the bottom for good
drainage. Take your gravel or grit, and pour this into the container to
about a quarter of the pots depth. This will help water drain out from
the bottom of the soil.
Once the gravel is in place, start to fill with a multi
purpose, or soil based compost. This should fill approximately three
quarters of the pots remaining depth.
Step 2: Planting
Start to place your plants into the pot, with about 15cm
between each stem. Squeeze them gently from their pots, and tease the
roots from the root ball to encourage them to search out.
Place the taller plants in the centre of the display, and the
trailing ones near the edge to ensure the best growth. The display may
look messy at first, but do not worry, as this will start to fill out
and look lush within a few weeks.
Step 3: Filling in
Once you are happy with the positions, start to fill the gaps
between the plants with compost. Firm this in to the gaps by pushing
your fingers deep into the soil you have just added, being careful not
to damage any roots. Add more if necessary. Leave a couple of
centemetres between the pots rim and the soil, so it does not overflow
when watered.
Step 4: Topping
Cut the tops off of the taller plants, roughly halfing them
in height. This will encourage them to bush out and provide more leaves
to pick.
Step 5: Fertilise
Take a controlled release fertilser such as Osmocoate, and
push 3 - 5 into the soil, depending on your pot size. Simply push them
deep in with your finger and then re-cover. These should last a whole
season, meaning you needn't feed the pot again.
Step 6: Water
Water thoroughly, until it starts to drain out of the bottom
of the pot. The compost needs to absorb a lot on first watering, so
expect to apply four litres or so. Continue to water over the coming
months every few days or when the soil seems dry.
Done!