Advise needed about a few herbs

[Feygan]

Just a couple of queries for folks. I want to grow a few herbs, basil, chives, parsley (leafy), and coriander. I'm up in northern ireland, and don't have a garden persay so containers is the only way to go. With the placement I was ideally hoping to do so indoors.

The thing that I'm curious about is how likely it is I can get away with potting all four types in one long window box? Also what are the best methods of care for these types? Finally I only have one south facing window, will this greatly limit the amount I can grow?

[contadino]

I think you'd be alright with them in one box. However, many herbs are invasive so be careful if you decide to expand your portfolio.

Just use good soil/compost and plenty of water if it's hot.

[Clara]

With basil in the mix I´d advise watering in the morning as they don´t like going to bed cold and wet.

[Feygan]

Thanks for the help folks, also are any of these species particularly invasive? Will I need to put in some dividers or just let them all roam between each other?

[mybarnconversion]

Basil, parsley & chives will all need cutting right back to stop them becoming woody & to make sure they keep giving you lovely young fresh herbs so use that as your method to control them rather than worrying about dividers.

[Feygan]

Makes things easy enough. I know most of the ones I mentioned are annuals, and I will be buying small plants rather than seeds. Will this mean I'll only get a short time of herb before they die out? Would I be better off just getting a bunch of perennials for now and getting the annuals next year?

[Wormella]

If you leave them go to seed you should be ok, but herbs grwo quickly enough from seeds at the best of time.

[Millymollymandy]

Chives you can get now because they are a perennial herb. Parsley isn't worth planting now as although it is biennial it'll go to seed really early next year, so better to plant next spring with a fresh plant.

Basil is annual (won't survive the winter outside) although if your window box is indoors it should be OK thru' the winter. You can always replace it with new plants next year.

Coriander is an annual that runs to seed very quickly and you need to sow lots of it, so you'd be better with a window box just for the coriander, that you sow some seed at one end, a few weeks later sow some more in the middle, then a few weeks later sow in the other end. By this time the first lot will probably have gone to seed, so you can pull them up and start planting again.......

[Thomzo]

If you are worried about the thugs taking over then put them into individual pots within your window box. I keep mine on my north facing kitchen window sill and they seem to cope fine. I've got mint, coriander and parsley at the moment. The parsley was one I bought from the supermarket about 2 years ago and it's still going. A bit small but that's perfect for me.

Zoe

[Ranter]

I've given up trying to grow basil outside, I grow it from seed & keep it indoors on a window-sill, albeit a northish-facing one.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Cant imaine why any right minded person would want coriander EXCEPT for the seeds - gah, cant stand the leaves - taste like green vegetable bugs to me. bleagh.

[Millymollymandy]

All those of us raised on Indian food love coriander! I add it to all sorts of things, make salsa out of it, put it in salads, spanish omelettes, garnish loads of dishes with it like you might do with parsley..... and even eat it whilst in the veg patch just as it is. I just adore the smell on my hands!

But then I'm wierd because the smell and taste of vanilla makes me feel like throwing up.

[mrsflibble]

I'm a huge corriander lover. seeds, leaves...
even the stalks get chopped up and shoved through my mincer along with a nice bit of lamb neck or shank, some chilli, garlic, minced onion and frech ground cardamom. then the whole minced mix is shaped around skewers, fried off and then oven baked until cooked.

[Millymollymandy]

And don't forget the roots are used in Thai hot and sour soups!