DIY Container Herb Garden Planter
Come learn how to make an easy DIY herb garden planter from a pot, metal tub, or other container - perfect for small spaces, a patio, balcony, indoors, or backyard garden. Also learn what herbs grow best together in a container!
Equipment
- drill with 1/4" to 3/8" drill bit (if using a metal tub)
- burlap or permeable landscape fabric to line the container (optional but recommended, for indoors especially)
Ingredients
- a container such as a large terracotta pot, galvanized metal tub, grow bag, or wine barrel planter (see size tips below)
- herb seedlings of choice, such as basil, thyme, sage, oregano, parsley, tarragon, chives, dill, rosemary, cilantro, or mint* (plant mint in it's own separate pot)
- potting soil
- compost or worm castings
Instructions
- Choose a container that is at least 6 to 8 inches deep (10 to 12 is even better for long-term plant growth) and wide enough to space each herb at least 4 to 5 inches apart. The more space, the better! If planting just one type of herb per container, choose a pot that is about 8 inches wide and deep.
- Choose your herbs. Pick things you'll actually want to use and eat! Woody herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lavender grow well together in a container as they all prefer full sun and are drought tolerant. Tender herbs like basil, chives, dill, parsley, lemon balm and tarragon thrive together with consistent moisture, partial afternoon shade in hot conditions, and also grow better inside than others.
- Add drainage holes if your container doesn't already have them. We use a 1/4 to 3/8" drill bit to add several drainage holes to the bottom of our galvanized steel tub. Use caution as it creates sharp shavings and edges.
- Add a liner. To prevent the soil from leaking through the drainage holes, you may want to line the bottom of the container with a piece of natural burlap or durable landscape fabric – especially if you intend to keep your herb planter indoors.
- Add soil. Fill the herb planter about two-thirds full of moderately rich, fluffy, well-draining soil, such as high-quality potting soil. I also like to mix in a few handfuls of aged compost and/or worm castings to the soil or additional nutrients.
- Plant herbs, spacing each herb at least 4 to 5 inches apart or up to 8 to 12 inches apart for the best long-term growth. Gently separate crowded nursery seedlings before planting. Top off with more soil if needed until the container is full, but don't bury the herb stems.
- Place your new herb planter somewhere that receives full sun (at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day). Some herbs can also tolerate partial shade and may even benefit from a little afternoon shade during the hottest part of summer. If you’re keeping your herb planter indoors, choose a location that gets as much natural light as possible, like near a south-facing sunny window or under a grow light.
- Harvest herbs routinely by taking small cuttings (not by plucking individual leaves) just above a leaf node. The more you harvest, the more new growth and bushier they will get! Cut stems back by 1/3 to half.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!