[david64]

Evening,

I have tried growing herbs a few times, but have found them hard to germinate and very easy to kill. The only ones I have grow successfully are mint, spearmint, oregano & rue. However, the former three have all done dismally this year. I don't know if this is because of the weather or if they only have a short useful life.

For next year, I have a 2x2x2 foot raised bed with two 1x3 foot troughs on the side of it. I'd like to make this into an area where I can grow some herbs that will grow for years, not need much attention and be hardy. Does anyone know of any that fit that description?

[arugula]

Mint is ideal for containers, in fact its perhaps foolhardy not to contain it, but all these perennial herbs need some attention from time to time. Even mint needs splitting and repotting in fresh compost. Thyme, rosemary, sage all grow well in containers too, as I would imagine does oregano.

[HHH]

I grew greek oregano (taller and broader leafed than the standard) from seed about 10 years ago, and each year it came up taller and more prolific than ever - without dominating the herb bed. Last year we moved house and transplanted it, in June and therefore in bloom. Surprisingly it survived, and although not quite back to its full glory, seems to have established itself in the new herb bed.

We also transplanted a hefty sage plant (not originally grown from seed) and that is absolutely rampant!

[RichardA]

chives and parsley last a while and are easily regrown from seed or split. Garlic whilst not a true herb can be useful and relatively easy.
Tarragon is easy and if you buy a small plant so is bay.

[allotmentann]

French and red veined sorrel are lovely herbs that will grow year after year, I also grow salad burnet and lovage. Welsh onions (like a very fat leaved chive - but you can also eat the bulb) are lovely too and come in red or white. I have Good King Henry in a container as it can become invasive otherwise, but you can eat the leaves like spinach or the stalks like asparagus. Winter savory is also a favourite perennial of mine.

[david64]

Thanks for the info.

Is it likely my mints and oregano didn't do well this year as they were in a pot? They were all in 3 litre pots. I thought that would have been good for a few years.

[Madame Cholet]

French and red veined sorrel are lovely herbs that will grow year after year, I also grow salad burnet and lovage. Welsh onions (like a very fat leaved chive - but you can also eat the bulb) are lovely too and come in red or white. I have Good King Henry in a container as it can become invasive otherwise, but you can eat the leaves like spinach or the stalks like asparagus. Winter savory is also a favourite perennial of mine.

Th red sorrel is really easy I've sow a whole packet and had loads of plants in tubs in a couple ofweeks i'm going to split them and use them to edge my artichoke boarders at the lotty.

[allotmentann]

Strange that you mention that Rachel, my first sowing didn't grow a single plant (in pots  in the polytunnel). My second  sowing (from the same packet) came up beautifully and I have lots of tiny plants in the poly ready for spring. They are so beautiful to look at too with their lovely red markings

[arugula]

Thanks for the info.

Is it likely my mints and oregano didn't do well this year as they were in a pot? They were all in 3 litre pots. I thought that would have been good for a few years.

No, being in pots won't make them do badly, as I said in my first reply, mint should really be in a pot (for your sanity). 3 litres is quite small though, so they might have been a bit restricted. How long have they been in the same pots and soil and what medium are they potted in? If they've been there too long, you should split and repot them, in the spring, in fresh compost.

[JayG]

Growing mint in pots doesn't cure it of its invasive habits, it just causes it to eventually strangle itself inside the pot - if your mint initially grew OK if you empty it out now you will probably find a 3-4 inch thick solid mass of roots and shoots on the top, and pure compost underneath. Planting a few of the old shoots in new compost will rapidly re-establish the plant, although spring is the best time to be doing that.

Although most (but not all) of the common herbs are from warmer, drier climates than ours that doesn't mean they thrive on neglect and abuse - although my oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary and chives like the well-drained sandy soil they don't grow well without additional feeding, and I would expect that to be equally true of growing in pots for any length of time.

(Not found out yet what French Tarragon likes - it's barely survived the summer never mind the coming winter!)

[arugula]

(Not found out yet what French Tarragon likes - it's barely survived the summer never mind the coming winter!)

Mine grows in the ground - and comes back.

[JayG]

(Not found out yet what French Tarragon likes - it's barely survived the summer never mind the coming winter!)

Mine grows in the ground - and comes back.

Mine is clearly very reluctant to grow in the ground, and apparently wants to disappear, never to be seen again! 

I have read that it's slow to establish so I'll do what I can to protect it over winter and hope for a nice surprise next spring. 

[shokkyy]

Every time I've planted French tarragon (in a very sheltered spot) it's disappeared in the winter and never come back again