Herbs in Traditional or Hydroponic Containers

 

Advantages of growing in containers

The advantages of growing your herbs in containers are numerous. It is a fact container-grown plants usually need more frequent watering and fertilization you have a lot more control over pests and disease problems. And the water problem can easily be solved by starting Hydro or Aqua phonic.

Containers can be used inside and out

Herb containers are perfect in the garden or on the patio as well. You can take your plants wherever you want them, indoors during the cold winter months, and arrange them in the sun or shadow according to their needs and the season. I was triggered to try herbal hydroponics because it gives you so much room to experiment. The variable of soil structure and soil composition are eliminated. But growing in traditional containers is still something I love.

Arrange or Rearrange as you like

Pots can be moved to more desirable locations when weather dictates: into the shade when its too hot and into the sun as the season progresses and sunny areas become overshadowed by trees, shrubs, or walls. Using containers and a plant stand gives you more space for more variety in addition to letting you garden while standing upright.

Another great advantage containers have is that they keep the very aggressive growers, like the invasive but great with meat herb mint in place.

Use Containers for all Invasive plants

Although it's not the topic of this page keeping plants that are know to be intrusive and develop strong, large root systems can best be held in containers. You can even sink them into the ground if you dislike the sight of the pot.

When planting an herb pot, select a container with at least a one-gallon capacity. Instead of compost, one part perlite to three parts nutrient rich potting soil gives herbs the drainage they need. Plant herbs in two parts potting soil with one part perlite or coarse sand. An inch of small gravel in the pot bottom ensures good drainage for your culinary herbs. Plant only one variety of cooking herb per container.

Growing these plants indoors or semi indoors is a great way to get to know the special characteristics of the different species. Almost all annual and perennial cooking herbs do very well in a container. Herbs like Rosemary, Thyme, Basil or mint they all do very well in a pots. The two essentials are light and water. For some people the latter seems problematic.

Grow your herbs  Hydroponic

The solution to this problem is to grow herbs "soil-less" or hydroponic. This method of growing puts the plants on top of a solution of water and nutrients. This means that you have total control whatever the herb stores in it cells. No need to worry about poisoned soil lack or abundance of nutrients, with these systems you are really the master.

General information about Hydroponics

Faster Growing - Better Taste

Hydroponic grown herbs even grow about 50% faster then their traditional grown cousins. And contrary to some street wisdom they taste great, and not at all like water.

As with all living things there are no hard and fast rules to give, guidelines are the maximum you will find. The question how to grow cooking herbs in a container is best answered with the advise read about the herbs you want to grow.

Use an aqua phonic grower or use traditional containers and just do it.