Growing herbs in pots is an easy way to add fresh flavor to home cooking With just a little time and effort, you can have an abundance of herbs right outside your back door. Certain herbs are particularly well-suited for container growing By choosing the right pots, soil, and plants, you can create a thriving herb garden on a patio, balcony, or windowsill.
Why Grow Herbs in Pots?
There are many advantages to growing herbs in pots:
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Convenience – Potted herbs can be placed right outside the kitchen door or window for easy access when cooking No need to run to the garden for a last minute herb harvest
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Contain spread – Herbs like mint are aggressive spreaders in garden beds. Growing them in a container prevents mint and other herbs from taking over your garden.
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Control conditions – With pots, you can control soil, sunlight, and moisture to meet the needs of different herbs.
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Portability – Movable pots allow you to position herbs in the best spot for sunlight and bring them indoors or move them to shelter as needed,
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Productivity – The confined space of a pot focuses an herb’s energy upward, leading to abundant leafy growth. Frequent harvesting increases yields.
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Decorative appeal – Colorful pots filled with herbs add ornamental interest to patios, porches, and decks.
Best Herbs for Pots
Many popular culinary herbs grow well in containers. Here are the top recommendations:
Basil
A warm-weather annual, basil thrives in pots. Give it at least 6 hours of sun and pinch off flower buds to prolong harvest. Try compact varieties like Spicy Globe.
Greek Oregano
This flavorful Mediterranean herb does well in a pot with good drainage. It prefers dry soil and full sun but tolerates some shade.
Thyme
Drought-tolerant thyme needs well-drained soil and does nicely in small pots. For cooking, grow English or lemon thyme.
Mint
Mint’s aggressive spreading habit makes it ideal for containers. Plant it alone or with other mints. Keep soil moist.
Rosemary
In colder zones, grow this woody herb in pots and overwinter indoors. Choose upright varieties like Arp or creeping kinds for pot edges.
Parsley
Both curly and flat-leaved parsley produce abundantly in pots. Give parsley moist, rich soil and at least 5 hours of sunlight.
Chives
An easy-to-grow perennial, chives will come back year after year in containers. Place pots near kitchen for snipping fresh chives.
Cilantro
Direct sow cilantro seeds in pots for continuous harvests. It thrives in cool weather with consistent moisture.
Sage
Grow this savory herb in well-drained soil in full sun. For cooking, try garden sage or pineapple sage. Protect from winter frost.
Lavender
With its attractive flowers and scent, lavender makes a beautiful potted plant. Needs very dry soil. Not for cooking.
Selecting the Right Pot for Herbs
Choosing the proper container is key to growing thriving potted herbs. Consider the following factors:
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Drainage – Make sure pots have adequate drainage holes. Add extra holes to plastic pots if needed.
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Depth – For most herbs, choose pots at least 6-12 inches deep to allow room for roots.
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Size – In general, bigger is better. Large pots retain moisture longer and support vigorous growth.
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Materials – Use food-safe, natural materials like terracotta, wood, plastic, or stainless steel. Avoid painted or treated containers.
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Design – Match pot style to your site. For indoors, choose decorative ceramic pots. Outdoors, weather-resistant materials work best.
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Self-watering pots – These pots with built-in reservoirs are great for herbs. They maintain consistent moisture.
Getting the Right Soil Mix
Good drainage and nutrient retention are important for potted herbs. A quality potting mix with these features is ideal:
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A blend of organic potting soil, compost, and horticultural sand for drainage
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Added organic fertilizer like worm castings for nutrients
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pH between 6.0-7.0 to match most herbs
You can buy premixed potting soils formulated for herbs or make your own custom blend.
Caring for Container Herbs
Herbs thrive with proper care. Follow these tips:
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Sunlight – Place pots in a spot receiving at least 4-6 hours of sun daily.
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Watering – Check soil regularly and water when surface is dry. Don’t overwater.
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Fertilizing – Apply liquid fertilizer monthly or use slow-release granules at planting.
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Pruning – Snip off flower buds to prolong harvest. Pinch off stem tips to encourage bushy growth.
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Overwintering – Move indoor or to sheltered spot for winter. Reduce watering.
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Cleaning pots – Scrub pots occasionally with mild soap and water to prevent disease.
Easy Herbs to Start From Seed
Many popular culinary herbs are quite easy to grow from seed. Here are some top options:
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Basil – Soak seeds overnight prior to planting. Choose a warm spot with sun.
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Cilantro – Sow successive crops every 2-3 weeks for continual harvest.
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Dill – Direct sow in pot. Grows quickly in cool weather.
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Parsley – Soak seeds 24 hours before planting. Takes 3-4 weeks to germinate.
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Chives – Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant seedlings outdoors.
When sowing herbs from seed, use seed starting mix and keep soil evenly moist until seeds germinate. Thin seedlings and transplant to larger pots.
Designing a Potted Herb Garden
With the right selection of herbs and containers, you can create an attractive and productive potted herb garden in any outdoor space:
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For a compact herb garden, use a window box or arrange a cluster of different sized pots together.
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Match pot colors and styles for a cohesive look. Add trellises and garden art.
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Place taller herbs like dill and fennel in the center and trailing herbs around the edges.
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Include a mix of culinary herbs and ornamental herbs like lavender for visual interest.
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For convenience, position pots right outside the kitchen door or window.
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Moveable pots allow you to reconfigure and refresh your herb garden each season.
Enjoy an Abundant Harvest
The beauty of growing herbs in pots is that you can position them exactly where you need them. Choosing the right containers, soil, and plants will yield bumper crops of flavorsome herbs to elevate everyday meals. With just a small investment of time, you can enjoy fresh-picked herbs right at your fingertips.
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Plant Annual Herbs in the Middle & Perennial Herbs Around the Edges
People say that the herbs need different amounts of water when I post about my herb planter on social media. All you need to do to avoid this is put annual herbs in the middle of your planter and perennial herbs around the edges.
Basil, dill, cilantro, and parsley (which is technically a biennial) like it when the soil holds a little more water than the other herbs. The center of the planter will hold more moisture than the edge. So planting annual herbs in the middle means they get to grow under their ideal conditions.
You can plant annual herbs by seed or plant from the nursery. They grow quickly from seeds, but they only last for three months before they bolt, which means they flower and then make seeds for the next year. Stick with cilantro, dill, and parsley when its cool outside. Parsley can remain, but cilantro and dill will bolt once the weather warms. Thats the time to add basil (once the threat of frost has passed).
Annual herbs grow more vertically than horizontally, so you can really pack them into your planter.
Perennial herbs like rosemary, oregano, sage, and thyme grow year after year. In order to give these herbs what they need, we put them on the outside of the planter, where the soil dries out much faster.
I find it easier to start with plants for perennial herbs. It takes a while for seeds to grow, but these herbs will pay for themselves every time you harvest them for months or even years.
Perennial herbs can spread wide in the ground or in a raised bed. In containers, you can keep them small by harvesting from them weekly.
I like to consider an herbs growth habit when Im planting my container. Since both thyme and oregano grow slowly, I like to put them in different corners so they look like they are facing each other. Theyll both cascade over the side and look so pretty. Sage and arp rosemary grow straighter, which makes them good plants for the back of your garden.
If you’ve never grown herbs before, you might want to add some cute plant tags to keep track of what you have. Plant tags can also be used to mark where youve planted herb seeds.
Shop the Herb Container I Designed!
Grow your own fresh herbs right in your own Gardenary container.
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- Drainage holes to avoid over-watering your herbs or salad greens
- Water tray to collect excess water and avoid messy overflow
- It’s 23″ long (with handles), 9 1/4″ wide, and 6 3/4″ tall.
The Best Herbs for Containers
FAQ
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