You don't need a garden to grow luscious, healthy herbs.
By Mary Flanagan, The Family Handyman
I’ve never had great luck growing herbs in pots. My basil would grow a bit and then the leaves would start to curl and my rosemary just sat there and did nothing all summer!
Undeterred, I tried again, this time on an apartment balcony.
I started with a large (24 inch diameter) resin pot filled with mostly standard potting mix and a little succulent garden potting mix that I had leftover from another project. I used a trowel to get the soil nice and loose.
The pot was big enough for four herbs in 4-inch pots. I chose onion chives, spearmint, rosemary and cinnamon basil. After working in some Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed All Purpose Continuous Release Plant Food, I plunked all four plants into the soil and gave them a good watering.
Wind is always a problem for balcony gardeners. It can seem like it’s windy all the time and that wind dries out soil and batters tender plants. I situated my herb pot so it’s a little protected from the direct wind, but still gets lots of afternoon sun.
To my surprise and delight, a month after planting, my herbs look happy and healthy! The cinnamon basil has interesting dark purple flowers and the spearmint is excellent in a glass of water or iced tea. The chives are holding their own and even the rosemary has grown!
Gardening lesson learned: Never give up.
I’ve never had great luck growing herbs in pots. My basil would grow a bit and then the leaves would start to curl and my rosemary just sat there and did nothing all summer!
Undeterred, I tried again, this time on an apartment balcony.
I started with a large (24 inch diameter) resin pot filled with mostly standard potting mix and a little succulent garden potting mix that I had leftover from another project. I used a trowel to get the soil nice and loose.
The pot was big enough for four herbs in 4-inch pots. I chose onion chives, spearmint, rosemary and cinnamon basil. After working in some Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed All Purpose Continuous Release Plant Food, I plunked all four plants into the soil and gave them a good watering.
Wind is always a problem for balcony gardeners. It can seem like it’s windy all the time and that wind dries out soil and batters tender plants. I situated my herb pot so it’s a little protected from the direct wind, but still gets lots of afternoon sun.
To my surprise and delight, a month after planting, my herbs look happy and healthy! The cinnamon basil has interesting dark purple flowers and the spearmint is excellent in a glass of water or iced tea. The chives are holding their own and even the rosemary has grown!
Gardening lesson learned: Never give up.
