I have a little experiment going in our greenhouse using some really cool towers that let us grow vertically. The towers are a series of stacking bowls which allow for 6 plants on each level. We have been experimenting and looking for a crop we can grow in these towers; it turns out herbs work great.
What we want to do is be able to cut fresh herbs in winter, vertical growing lets us use more of the heated greenhouse space. Mints work great, but we worry they will become pot bound soon. Peppermint is most popular followed Spearmint. Chervil still demands some shade, even from winter sun!.
Oregano has a lot of variations: Italian and Greek, also Marjoram and Zataar. Parsley: Italian for cooking and curly for a garnish. And for our furry friends, we grew Catnip, as most of us have at least one. Herbs do not grow as fast in winter, so we wait for sunny weather and see how fast the plants grow. Being an experiment, we are not sure how well herbs grow in winter.
I will follow this with great interest. My Aero-garden was far too expensive for what the yield is. Mint, oregano and thyme never did produce usable herbs. The dill and basil did a little better, but got so big that I had to cut them off and dry them. My bay trees seem to be having a hard time this winter. I have enjoyed the herbs growing, but need a more successful set-up.
Hi, Send a photo of your growing set up. You can see the towers I am using here, they are great for some types of herbs. Dill would not work well because it is too big, like yours. Basil I like to grow in a three gallon pot. I have had to keep my bay trees very dry this winter, it has been a very wet year, humidity is high, potting soil tend to stay wet too long, so I water only when the soil is completely dry. I hope the blog will help you with home herb growing. I certainly don’t want to re create the wheel, and hope to be hearing all kinds of good ideas from gardeners. Thanks, Briscoe