Having a potted herb garden is a great way to add fresh flavor to your cooking. Plus, culinary herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow – even for beginner gardeners. When you grow herbs in containers you can place them anywhere that gets sufficient sunlight whether that’s on a patio, balcony, or windowsill.
In this article we’ll explore the top 10 herbs that thrive when grown in pots. We’ll also share tips to help you create a productive container herb garden.
Why Grow Herbs in Pots?
There are many benefits to growing herbs in containers rather than planting them in the ground:
-
Convenience: Potted herbs can be moved around to capture sunlight or bring them closer to your kitchen for easy harvesting.
-
Space-saving If you have limited yard space container gardening allows you to grow herbs on a balcony patio, or deck.
-
Control over soil conditions: When growing herbs in pots, you can create the perfect soil blend and ensure proper drainage.
-
Portability: Container gardens can easily be brought indoors over winter or moved with you when relocating.
-
Containment: Growing invasive herbs like mint in pots prevents them from spreading rampantly.
10 Best Herbs for Containers
Here are 10 of the top herbs that prosper when grown in pots:
1. Basil
A warm-weather annual, basil thrives in containers placed in full sun. It needs consistently moist (but not soggy) soil. Pinch off flower buds to encourage leaf production. Choose from many types like sweet, Thai, lemon, and purple basil.
2. Oregano
Hardy oregano flourishes in pots in sun or partial shade. Let the soil dry out between waterings. Oregano features heavily in Greek and Italian cooking. The golden, variegated leaf varieties add visual interest too.
3. Chives
Chives grow well in containers and don’t mind being a bit rootbound. These hardy perennials need at least 6 hours of sun daily and moderately moist soil. Snip chive stems often to prevent flowering.
4. Thyme
This Mediterranean herb handles dry soil and thrives in pots placed in full sun. Thyme features tiny fragrant leaves on woody stems. Lemon thyme has a citrusy flavor.
5. Sage
Salvia officinalis grows well in containers, as long as the soil drains well. It needs at least 6 hours of sun and infrequent watering. Use sage to season rich meats and other hearty dishes.
6. Rosemary
Rosemary’s needle-like leaves have a piney aroma. It flourishes in pots with excellent drainage and lots of sun. Bring rosemary plants indoors over winter in colder zones.
7. Parsley
A biennial herb, parsley can be grown as an annual in containers. It needs at least 6 hours of sun and consistent moisture. Curly and flat-leaf (Italian) parsley are the most common varieties.
8. Mint
Invasive mint is best grown in pots to restrict its spread. Place containers in partial shade or sun. Keep the soil moist for healthy plants. Spearmint and peppermint are popular varieties.
9. Cilantro
Cilantro thrives in pots but bolts quickly in warm weather. Plant it in early spring or fall. Dappled sun and frequent harvesting encourages leafy growth before flowering.
10. Lavender
Lavender flourishes in pots with extremely well-draining soil. It needs at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. English lavender features fragrant leaves and pretty purple flowers.
Growing Herbs in Containers – Tips for Success
Follow these tips to create a flourishing potted herb garden:
-
Choose containers at least 6-12 inches deep with drainage holes. Self-watering pots work well too.
-
Use a quality potting mix and add perlite or gravel to improve drainage. Herbs hate wet roots.
-
Fertilize sparingly, as herbs taste best grown in low-fertility soil.
-
Give plants 6+ hours of sunlight daily. Harvest regularly once they mature.
-
Group herbs according to their watering needs. Drier herbs together and moisture lovers together.
-
Mint, oregano, thyme, sage, and lavender make great companions. Also try basil, cilantro and parsley together.
-
Unless you live in a frost-free zone, bring container herbs indoors over winter. Place them near a sunny window.
Creating a potted herb garden is an easy and fun way to add garden-fresh flavor to home cooking. Herbs like basil, oregano, chives, thyme, and mint are especially productive and simple to grow in containers. Follow the tips above for the best results. The beauty of container gardening is that you can move pots around to take advantage of sunlight. With the right care, your potted herbs will thrive!
3 Reasons to Grow All Your Herbs Together
Each pot you plant up is one more thing you have to nurture. I dont know about you, but between my kids, my dogs, and my business, I have enough things to take care of. I dont need to give myself five more needy little plants, you know?
When you plant all your herbs together, you can water them all at once. Your herbs will also have better access to resources in the soil around them, so they can reach for more water and nutrients when theyre struggling.
This kind of container is so easy to keep on a porch, patio, or balcony. When youre expecting frost, you can just bring all your herbs indoors at once. You can even keep your herbs alive throughout the winter and then bring them back outdoors in the spring.
Herbs actually like being around their friends. They thrive when theyre near other herbs, even when theyre squeezed right next to each other.
How to Care for Your Herb Planter
As long as your herbs feel like their simple needs are being met, theyll give you harvest after harvest.
Place your container in a sunny spot. Herbs can grow with as little as 4 hours of sun, but youll get more leaves with more sunlight. If your container will be indoors, place your container as close as possible to an unobstructed window (ideally one that faces South).
If youre anticipating a freeze, consider bringing your herb planter indoors. Several of these herbs will survive a frost, but they might die back, which would mean you wont get more leaves until spring. Herbs will slow their production indoors, but youll still be able to take some sprigs here and there.
Check the moisture level in your planter frequently. It will need watering more often than a raised bed or in-ground garden (though not as often as a tiny pot). Water when the soil feels dry 1 inch down in the middle of your planter. Remove the drip tray or saucer and water until you see water running out of the drainage holes. Let your container drain for a couple minutes and then return it to the tray.
Believe it or not, your most important tending task will be pruning your herbs frequently, and guess what? Harvesting is just pruning with the goal of eating what you cut. You can begin this very day. Overall, the closer together you plant these herbs, the more often you should harvest to make sure each plant has access to air circulation and sunlight.
Youll prune/harvest most of your herbs by cutting from the outer stems first (basil is the one exception) to rein them in. For upright herbs like sage and dill, the goal is to keep them as narrow as possible so they dont overcrowd their neighbors. For trailing herbs like oregano and thyme, the goal is to encourage them to spill over the side, instead of taking up too much room in the interior of the planter. You do that by cutting them from the back.
Herbs bush out at each point where theyre cut, so its actually helpful to harvest from them more often than not. Dont be scared to harvest your herbs. (Learn more about the best way to harvest your herbs.)
5 Herbs You Can Grow at Home Right Away
FAQ
Which herbs are best grown in pots?
- Mint: Great for fruit salads, ice teas, and other drinks. …
- Oregano: Great for sauces. …
- Basil: This works well in sauces and homemade pesto. …
- Thyme: A favorite of mine in a soup. …
- Sage: Nice in pasta and great for Thanksgiving dishes.
What herbs should not be potted together?
| Spices and Herbs | Bad Companion Plants |
|---|---|
| Dill | Cilantro or coriander |
| Lavender | Common rue and thyme |
| Lemon balm | Mustards and mints |
| Mint | Lavender, dill, cilantro |
What herbs go well in pots together?
Thyme, rosemary, oregano work well for me together. Give mint and basil their own containers.
How many herbs can I plant in a 5 gallon bucket?
Herbs vary in size, but the general rule of thumb is to allow each herb one gallon of potting mix.