Chives, mint, basil, rosemary, cilantro, and a jalapeño pepper share a home in this long container on a deck near the kitchen door.
Mulching herbs with white pebbles helps keep the foliage healthy in humid climates. The pebbles, which dry out fast, reflect light and keep the damp soil from creating even more humidity for the plants.Put containers anywhere there is a source of water and plenty of sunshine.
For anyone in wheelchair or who has trouble bending over, a large pot is the next best thing to a raised bed.
Your container needs six hours of sun each day.
Use a premium-quality potting mix. DON'T use garden soil; it can be too dense and infested with disease or nematodes. After a year, empty the old soil, which loses its original texture, into a compost pile and replace with new.
Before planting, mix timed-release fertilizer into the soil at the rate recommended on the label.
The Container
Containers must have drainage holes and be large enough to accommodate the roots as they grow.
Put heavy pots on casters to make it easier to move them around.
Consider a spaghetti tube drip irrigation system if you have many pots clustered in a single place that is easy to run water to. It will make watering a breeze.
Suggested Herbs
All herbs will grow in containers.
Combine herbs according to their shape so there is room for more than one in a pot. For example, pair upright rosemary with creeping thyme. If the pot is large enough, you can add sage or chives, too.
A large strawberry jar is a perfect vessel for compact herbs that you only use a pinch at a time. These include mint, oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary (in the top of the jar).
In humid climates, use pea gravel mulch in the pot to help keep leaves from rotting.