For the herb gardener, as for gardeners in general, March in the northern hemisphere brings the start of serious seed-sowing. Spring is coming. In many areas it will still be too cold for outdoor sowing but small trays and pots of seedlings will be growing away on many a kitchen windowsill by the end of the month.

This also is the time of year when the indoor propagator comes into its own, whether unheated or warmed by gentle heat from an electric element built into the base - or in my case an unheated tray sitting comfortably on top of the floor-standing central-heating boiler.

As the month progresses young plants (for example those from last year’s cuttings that have been protected over the winter) can now be planted out, Rosemary, sage and chives are among these. A visit to your local garden centre or plant nursery should give some additional ideas at this time of year. Don’t hesitate to discard any that look dry or have little sign of fresh growth; pick out the healthiest plants.

It is also time to be dividing larger clumps of establish plants including your various varieties of mint, especially if another year is likely to result in overcrowding of these energetic fast growers. Remember that you can check their rather rapacious colonising habits by planting small clumps in large plastic pots and immersing these in the garden soil.

March is also the time for a survey of your pots. Have any of those left outdoors through the winter suffered from frost damage? Even “frost-proof” pots can sometimes fail during a severe cold period. Do any of your older potted herbs need a bit of TLC to get them off to a good start this year? This is the time for Spring cleaning of your containers.

And what about plant stands? If they’re wooden, check for any rot or joint failure that might be weakening them. If they’re metal check for rust. In either case it could at the very least be time to get out a paint brush.

If you’re keen on small-scale garden construction projects, how about building a widow-box so that you can have fresh herbs growing right outside your kitchen window? There’s an excellent book of practical herb garden projects like this mentioned in an earlier post: “Gardening with Herbs“.

March is one of those months in which a little effort now can pay immense dividends later in the year.

- David Murray -

Today’s recommended garden equipment website (UK):   Ferndale Lodge

Tags: Chives, garden construction projects, herb garden, Herb Garden Projects, Herbs in Containers, March, Mint, Propagator, Rosemary, Sage, Spring

An indoor herb garden can be very convenient, especially if it is in the kitchen.  Fresh herbs can be readily to hand for use in cooking, drinks and salads.

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If you’re not concerned about being decorative you can grow your indoor herbs in the same kinds of container as out of doors - provided, of course, that they’re small enough.  You can stand small terracotta pots on saucers by a kitchen window and have great indoor garden producing a plentiful supply of culinary herbs.

In all probability, though, you’ll want something a little more decorative.  The choice of container is limited by little more than your imagination.

There is, however, one very important factor to bear in mind - drainage.

Whilst there certainly are many plants which thrive in extremely wet conditions, most culinary herbs do not.  For herbs in pots, just as in the garden, the soil needs to be well drained. Whilst it is important not to over-water herbs in containers it is also vital not to let them die of drought.  Watering is essential, but where will surplus water go?

Many decorative ceramics, such as mugs and bowls, do not have drainage holes and yet can serve as attractive herb containers.  The trick is to use an inner container which does allow water to drain though the bottom.  A plastic plant pot small enough to fit inside the outer pot is ideal. Put a layer of gravel (or something similar such as broken crocks) in the bottom of the outer pot.  This will allow the plastic herb pot to stand clear of any water that has drained through its base.

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and to buy it at Amazon.com

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it at Amazon.co.uk

Much of the water draining from the herb’s soil will probably escape by evaporation but periodically you should take out the inner pot, which can easily be done without disturbing the herb roots.  If you then empty any remaining water, wash the outer container and rinse the gravel before returning it you will avoid the development of slimy deposits and their unwanted odours.

Another trick is to put a layer of broken charcoal sticks on top of the gravel; this will adsorb most of any ill-smelling gases and reduce the frequency with which cleaning is needed (although it will also make the cleaning process a bit more black and messy).

Some container-growing experts also recommend that the inner pot also should have a thin layer of gravel in the base, topped by a layer of broken charcoal.  I’ve never done it myself. If you have a sensitive nose and a difficulty with odours you might try that, although I suspect that usually the problem is caused by over-watering.  Ensuring that the top inch or so of the compost is dry before rewatering might well deal with the root cause rather than merely masking the symptoms.

Growing herbs indoors is both a useful and fun occupation.  With good drainage provision and a little pot hygiene you will be able to make an indoor herb garden using decorative containers to suit your own taste and imagination.

Tags: drainage, growing herbs, growing herbs indoors, Herbs in Containers, herbs in pots, indoor herb garden