[daithi81]

Hi, you know those pre-potted herbs they have in Tesco? Will I have any joy planting them and maintaining their growth? I got a plant box about 6 inches deep and 80cm x 30cm and mixed up some clay and compost in it and planted Coriander, Parsley and Basil. I intend to get a book and learn more about growing herbs but I'm wondering is there any quick advice I could garner here?

Thanks

[Joaney]

You should not have any problems growing these herbs just plant out in a warm sunny spot after the last frost. Try some chives use some for eating and grow some for flowers to brighten the bed Good Luck.

[elphin]

Hi, I bought a basil plant in Supervalu. Keep on the countertop near the window and water from below and its really thriving and smells lovely. I use it in everything.

[Sive]

chives are really easy and will grow into big clumps that you can then split up. the flowers attract bees, and once they have gone over, cut the entire clump down with scissors/shears and you get lovely fresh growth. i split one supermarket pot of parsley into several plantlets and i ended up with a huge mound of the herb....and they are a lot cheaper than buying individual herbs in garden centres too....

[James Kilkelly, was GPI.]

Good drainage of the planting mix in your container will be one of the main factors in the success of your herbs, daithi81.
Soil mix and herbs suitable for container growing listed and dealt with here.... Window Box Herbs, a herb garden on your windowsill.

[Organicgrowingpains]

Hi,A couple of weeks ago I needed some parsley for cooking, went into a local centra, they were charging 1.49 for a 40grm packet of cut parsley! I got a pot of parsley in Aldi which is still producing fresh parsley on my windowsill and it cost just 1.39.Did not grow any herbs in the allotment as it is too far when I need herbs at home. Next year I will have herbs in my flowerbeds at home as they are ornamental as well as being usefull.

[stevemc]

I bought 10 or 12 small Rosemary and planted them as a small hedge at the front of the house in aug.
2 or 3 have died because of the excess rain i think but the rest are doing well and i cant wait to see them grow up they have to be one of my favourite all time herbs mainly for theyre scent

[Organicgrowingpains]

Rosemary can grow to quite a size if left .A hedge is a great idea and you can use the cuttings in the kitchen or on the BBQ instead of bought skewers, flavouring what you are cooking at the same time.If we ever get BBQ weather again!

[Garlicbreath]

I always buy a few pots of basil from the supermarket early in the summer and pot them on into 7" pots for the windowsill. They keep me going until the giant pots I sow myself start growing. I got no joy at all from basil outside this year - too cold and wet - but I still have a pot of it beside the computer that I graze on while working or browsing this site!

[MayGreen]

Supermarket herbs can be very successful and cheaper than your garden centre, for example the delightful and very useful Rosmary plant usually retails at € 2.50 in the garden centre and can be as low as € 1.50 in your supermarket. The only concerns I have is the latter are forced grown under glass and may be very tender, also the origin of some of these plants may be adding up to a number of air miles although there is a an Irish supplier to some markets and finally the range of herbs that are sold in your supermarket is limited.
However, I do purchase herbs from my supermarket especially Rosmary, (because a garden can never have enough Rosmary ) and have had great success with these plants.

[summerdays]

Well Basil works really well and I would imagine the woody herbs like rosemary and thyme would be fine as well, though they are a little slow to get started. But oncethey get going there is no stopping them.