The idea of a small herb garden right outside the kitchen window sounds great. However, you’re probably thinking that if it were so easy, everyone would have a window-box herb garden! The reality is, you can plant several herbs in one window box or planter, but each plant has different space, water and soil requirements. That means you’ll need to choose herbs that will get along with each other!
When you buy small pots of herbs at the garden center, it’s hard to imagine how those little sprouts can turn into gigantic plants. However, it does happen, and it’s one of the things that makes herb gardening in a container so difficult.
For instance, dill can grow up to four feet high, but it stays small at the base. Some varieties of thyme, on the other hand, will only grow up to six inches high, but will spread throughout the entire pot and maybe even spill out onto the ground below. As you’re selecting herbs for your window box, double check the maximum sizes of each of your selections to make sure you have room for everything.
Watering
Very few herbs will tolerate soggy soil, but some like it drier than others. Choose herbs according to their watering requirements so that you aren’t over or under-watering parts of your planter. An easy way to tell which herbs like dry conditions is to look at the way the plant grows. Plants with tough, fibrous or even woody stalks – thyme or lavender, as an example – usually like infrequent watering. If the plant is more lush – like chives, parsley or basil – they’ll like to be watered more regularly.
Soil Types
Soil type is another challenge to overcome. You’ll need to determine whether each plant likes acid or alkaline soil, and whether they like rich or poor soil. Most herbs will do fine in an alkaline soil, but herbs like chamomile or sweet woodruff prefer a slightly acid soil. Basil, chives and cilantro are fast growing, which means they’ll like a nutrient-rich soil. Oregano, sage and rosemary tend to grow more slowly and prefer poor, sometimes rocky soils.
It’s not difficult to create a beautiful herb garden in a window box, but it will take some planning and experimentation to get it right. Just make sure to keep the space, water and soil requirements in mind for each selection, and you’ll have a wonderful little kitchen garden in no time!