Creating a potted herb garden will let you bring plants indoors for the winter, or grow plants in your house all year long. When growing an herb garden in pots you have complete control over the soil quality, amount of water and sunlight.

Most potted herbs prefer dryer soils, however there a few that prefer moist soil. Do your research according to the type of herb you are growing. Moisture, soil and nutrients in a controlled environment will need to be taken into consideration. With a little research you will find that many herbs, including sage, mint, dill and basil will do well in pots with the proper care.

Make sure your seeds are of the highest quality, because seeds can spoil just like food. Check the dates on the packages, and make sure you avoid using any that got wet. Air has spores that will invade the seeds and oxygen will react with them as well.

Since your herb garden in pots is portable, they can be moved from inside to outside when they would benefit more from the sunlight if needed. Try to plant groups together in the same pots according to how much shade and sunshine each group needs.

Properly maintaining the soil is a big key for your plants to prosper. The moisture content needs to be consistent to meet the plants requirements. Although lavender needs a lot of sunlight, the soil needs to be kept dry. Using clay chips in the pot can help hold the moisture in, but it needs to be monitored or it will stay too wet. Mixing in some sandy soil with it will help make the soil content the best.

Rotting roots is a very common problem for plants in containers. Some plants can tolerate being wet a lot of the time, but most of the herbs out there will want dryer soil. You can check the soil to see if it’s moist - not too wet, not too dry - by pressing your thumb on the soil surface. When it’s moist, it will be springy, and if it’s dry, it will be hard. To check the soil beneath the surface, use a toothpick or a moisture gauge to see whether the soil is dry or moist.
Whether you keep your potted herb garden in your greenhouse or as decoration in your kitchen windowsill, you will be able to enjoy fresh herbs all year round!

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