Herbs

bricksmasherqfCvX0El

Hi all, 

Just a question please. I have bought some large planters to report my herbs in, I'm mostly going to Tey and grow some hardy herbs like sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary etc 

I was advised to buy some Peat free compost so I have plenty of that now, but I'm not too sure on if I should mix this with anything else or not. Some have said I should, other resources say just use the peat free compost. 

Would appreciate any advice as I'm keen to get it right and fill up my new planters 

Thanks all

Fire

Mixing one third+  grit will help with good drainage, which is what these herbs like. You could add in a bit of garden soil to the mix.

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-rosemary/

BlueBirder

You might want to add some John Innes No 3 into the planters for the shrubby herbs like rosemary and lavender. You can buy peat free JI 3 from Crocus and RHS (I think the brand is Melcourt). 

bricksmasherqfCvX0El

Thanks for the replies I appreciate it, so sounds like if I mix the peat free mulch with some soil  (someone else suggested topsoil) or john innes and adding grit for drainage I should be good to go?

Not famialr at all with growing anything so appreciate the help and hopefully can get some nice herbs growing soon 

Fairygirl

How deep are the containers @bricksmasherqfCvX0El? If they're more than about a foot [30cm] you don't need to use your compost/soil mix for the whole thing. You can use something else to fill in the bottom.
Also, make sure the drainage is good, and the holes don't get blocked. Plenty of grit with your mixture. 
Sage isn't hardy everywhere, so it'll depend where you are as to whether it survives winters. Rosemary can also get very woody in colder areas, so you might want to protect that too. 

Buttercupdays

My purple sage has proved hardy here and so has rosemary, though there are many plants I am unable to grow because of the climate. Both plants are growing in very well drained, gritty soil, on top of a south-facing drystone wall

The sage was badly hit last year by a very hard frost at the end of May, which caught out many other plants, including some in the greenhouse.  My large bush, overhanging the wall, had to be cut back hard. It has regrown though and I have taken some cuttings as further insurance. The rosemary is flowering now.

bricksmasherqfCvX0El

Fairygirl said:

How deep are the containers @bricksmasherqfCvX0El? If they're more than about a foot [30cm] you don't need to use your compost/soil mix for the whole thing. You can use something else to fill in the bottom.
Also, make sure the drainage is good, and the holes don't get blocked. Plenty of grit with your mixture. 
Sage isn't hardy everywhere, so it'll depend where you are as to whether it survives winters. Rosemary can also get very woody in colder areas, so you might want to protect that too. 

Thanks very much the planters are exactly 30cm deep, and they have a lot of drainage (they are lined now too) 

Can I ask what youd fill the bottom with if not the compost/soil mox

Thanks! Appreciate the reply 

Fairygirl

I just anything that's lying around @bricksmasherqfCvX0El. Old pots, polystyrene, pine cones etc. Then a layer of landscape fabric or similar, to prevent the soil washing through.
You won't need to do that though, as the depth is fine, although I'd line that with plastic to help prevent the wood rotting, and a piece on the base with hole made in it for drainage. The soil will just run out through those big gaps otherwise 

That's interesting @Buttercupdays. I could never keep sage [the purple one] alive over winter when I used to grow it. The wet, then the colder weather after New Year always did for it.  Even in a raised area. Maybe it would be better now, as we definitely aren't getting such severe winters.  I started over wintering the rosemary when I grew it in this garden, because it always just looked dreadful and it was so slow getting into growth. Just the basic protection of the growhouse helped. 

bricksmasherqfCvX0El

Thanks very much for the tips, now the planters are fully lined so just a case of getting the soil to mix through 

GardenerSuze

@bricksmasherqfCvX0El Don't know if you will be buying your herbs online or locally, good to have a sniff before you buy if you can, they do vary. Some people just grow them to look at but they do need to be picked to keep them looking good. Good to see you haven't mentioned mint as this is best grown on it's own in a separate pot. There are also a few herbs that like some shade. 

Fairygirl

Looks good @bricksmasherqfCvX0El
Good luck with them. As @GardenerSuze says, be wary if you're getting mint.