Thyme, chives, mint, basil, most aromatic herbs are capable of growing in a planter on a balcony, terrace or even a windowsill.
Enjoy!
Which aromatic plants to put together?
To put together your planter, take the following elements into account.
The dimensions of the planter:
in a planter or balcony box, space is limited.
If you opt for a 40 cm planter for example, you will not be able to put more than 3 plants;
in a 30 cm planter, there will be only two;
Your tastes:
the ideal is of course to compose your planter with aromatic herbs that you appreciate and often use in your dishes: thyme, basil and parsley are among the essentials!
The needs of the plants:
to make maintenance easier and above all to ensure that your planter remains beautiful and productive for as long as possible, compose it with herbs having the same needs in terms of watering and exposure.
We can distinguish :
Aromatic scrubland plants (
thyme, savory, oregano, rosemary, chives, lavender, bay leaf, sage, etc.) which appreciate a light, well-drained substrate and lots of sun;
Aromatic plants from cool soils
such as mint, lemon balm, or even basil which appreciate a semi-shaded exposure.
Also read: A clever idea for keeping your aromatic herbs longer
Which planter or balcony box to choose for aromatics?
It all depends on where you place it.
A terracotta planter
is ideal for a kitchen window sill or for a terrace: terracotta is heavy, therefore stable, durable and very aesthetic.
Due to its porosity, terracotta also promotes gas exchange at the roots, but watering must be regular because the substrate dries out quickly.
Always check that it has at least one drainage hole on the bottom to quickly drain excess water.
On a balcony, depending on the space you have available,
a recycled plastic planter
suspended from the railing may be sufficient.
Otherwise, a free-standing planter is preferable because it offers more space for aromatic herbs.
How to make an aromatic plant planter?
Thyme, chives, mint, basil, most aromatic herbs are capable of growing in a planter on a balcony, terrace or even a windowsill.
Copyright (c) 2020 Eduardo Lopez/Shutterstock.
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Once you have chosen the container and aromatics, all that remains is to plant everything.
Here are the steps to follow to properly install your plants:
To begin, soak the buckets for ten minutes in a basin or bucket of rainwater.
By moistening the clods,
you will limit the stress linked to transplanting;
The drainage of the planter must be perfect: it is absolutely necessary to prevent thyme, rosemary or even savory from finding their feet in water.
As desired, pour a 2 to 3 cm layer of clay balls or gravel onto the bottom of the container;
Then fill it with substrate: most of the time,
a good horticultural soil
is sufficient.
You can also prepare your own mixture (equal parts) of garden soil, compost and sand;
Take the plants out of their pots, roughly break up the clumps then untangle the roots on the bottom and sides;
Place the plants in their proper place, regardless of the order.
Advice :
The collar (area between the roots and the aerial parts) must be flush with the surface of the soil: do not bury it!
Plant your aromatic herbs 1 or 2 cm below the edge of the pot to make watering easier;
Finally fill the holes on the sides with the substrate, pack regularly with your fingers to remove air pockets and finish with watering with rainwater, avoiding wetting the foliage as much as possible.
The gardener's tip:
the many advantages of mulching are no longer in doubt.
This helps slow down the drying out of the substrate, prevents it from settling as you water, beautify the composition, avoid splashing soil with rain or even limit the appearance of unwanted weeds.
For an aromatic planter, we advise you to spread a fine, light mulch on the surface with flax flakes or Miscanthus mulch.
Your aromatic planter is ready!
Place it very close to the kitchen (on the windowsill, on the balcony) so that you can pick up a few leaves from time to time to flavor all your dishes!