Hayley's+Herb+Info





The best way to enjoy herbs is to have them growing right outside the kitchen where you can harvest them just when you need them.
 * 1) **Start by choosing a suitable pot**. **//Yates Tuscan pots//** look great in every style of landscape and are available in a range of colours.
 * 2) **Fill the pot with //Yates Thrive Premium potting mix//**. It contains slow release fertiliser that will feed your plants for up to nine months. Added soil wetters in the mix improve water absorption – no more water runoff and wastage.
 * 3) **Sow //Yates herb seeds// into the potting mix**. Make sure you read the instructions on the seed packet for sowing depth and spacing. Most herb varieties can be planted at this time of year. Chives, basil, coriander, mint and parsley are all popular varieties. A bay tree or some upright-growing rosemary will add structure to your herb pot.
 * 4) **Make sure you position the pot to suit the variety of herbs selected**. Most herbs require sun.
 * 5) **Keep the potting mix moist** while seeds are establishing.
 * 6) **Feed the young herbs with //Thrive Soluble Plant Food//** every two weeks to make sure they grow extra strong and healthy.
 * 7) **Begin Harvesting** when the herbs have plenty of leaves.

Herbs grow best in glazed or plastic pots that don’t dry out as quickly as, say, boxes or terracotta (red clay) pots. Different herbs need different growing conditions and vary in their water needs. It’s a good idea to have your herb garden near the kitchen, where the plants are more likely to be used. Good drainage is important: herbs don’t do well if their roots are constantly wet. If using a non-porous pot, place a couple of pieces of broken brick or similar over the holes in the bottom to help drainage. Partly fill the container with potting mix, dig a small hole for the root, place the plant inside and gently pack more potting mix around it. Water the plant and keep it in shade until new leaves start to sprout. Herbs don’t need rich soil – the most important things are plenty of sunlight and good drainage. [|Mulch]  around herbs helps stop them drying out. They should be watered no more than once a week in winter and twice a week in summer and when windy. Don’t let parsley, dill or coriander get too dry or they will go to seed. You can use coriander and dill seeds in your cooking, however. Liquid plant food can be applied once a month in summer, less often in winter. Different varieties of herbs can be grouped together reasonably tightly in pots, especially if the leaves are being picked frequently. A rosemary plant or bay tree can make a good centrepiece to a large herb pot.

Choosing herbs This is really down to personal taste - there’s a huge range of herbs out there, with more varieties becoming available all the time. Herbs are either annual or perennial. Annuals need to be replanted each year – they include parsley, dill, coriander and basil. Perennials grow year-round from woody stems (such as rosemary and sage), or strong roots, (e.g. chives and mint). Herbs such as basil, marjoram, lavender, rosemary, bay trees, oregano, sage, parsley and thyme prefer good sunlight and not too much water. Only a few will cope with shadier, damper areas, such as chervil, coriander, chives, mint and parsley.