Growing herbs

[tomwal]

Hi, some advice please. Could someone please tell me what the best growing medium is for growing my own herbs, I would like to grow, Sage, Thyme, Parsley, Oregano and Corriander, I have tried in the past, but they seemed to remain stunted and never grew very big or bushy.

Thanks

Wal

[salumi512]

I use clay pots and water daily except for the thyme. Thyme will never get bushy and doesn't like overwatering, but still grows well in a pot.

Some heartier herbs like rosemary and mexican oregano, we just plant in a sunny area and water a few times a week. Deer don't eat them and they are frost and drought tolerant.

[Gill]

I just use normal garden loam for my parsley, coriander, thyme and sage, and they seem to prosper. However, many herbs prefer a less fertile soil, especially Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary and oregano. They also like good drainage, so if you're having problems with herbs it might be worthwhile mixing some potting compost with lots of shingle, gravel and sharp sand to make them feel more at home. Some herbs are never happy unless they're miserable .

[Snags]

In the subtropics its difficult because Summer is wet and winter is dry the opposite of the Mediterranean
I lose my sage, thyme and oregano in the Wet season
Parsley loves it,so does tarragon,basil grows all year and turns into a bit of a tree, both the Thai and Genovese variety,the rosemary is happy too.
I had trouble with mint but put a plastic fast food container inside the pot over the hole before I put the potting mix in (the theory is to always have a saucer of wet water in the pot)and it seems to be working.
Coriander keeps going to seed from the heat, so saw leaf coriander is the go here.

Ginger, turmeric, galangal and cardoman do well all year.
Chives thrive,so does Kaffir lime, lemon grass and lemon myrtle
Chillis turn into trees..........its all pretty good for spices

[tomwal]

Thanks all some great advice.

Cheers

Wal

[sarakkatz]

I had a nice experience with sage and had grown it pretty well. Sage leaves should be harvested prior to blooming. Sage grows best in a soil comprised of a rich clay loam with an adequate supply of available nitrogen. It will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, however, especially if they are well-draining and rich in nitrogen.