I'm sorry I'm picking up on old post, but I have a question about fennel also. I have 3 bulbs growing in a pot, had 4 but harvested one. Of the remaining 3, one has bolted. Will this affect the flavor of the fennel? Should I use it or leave it alone? Also, the bulb I did harvest has new leaves coming from the roots. Will this product more fennel? My understanding is fennel is a cool weather herb and I live in AZ. HOT summer coming up and this might affect my fennel.

Well, it's not that they don't like chemical fertilizers, it's that the mediterranean herbs, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme like the soil leaner... their flavor will be better if they struggle some. I wouldn't really feed them more than once a season. The basil and lemon grass will take more feedings.

Well, it's been a looong time, since I've posted here. Starting up a new business took up all my time for most of this year. Was just browsing, while I fight a head cold (on the excuse that I can't work, while medicated) and saw this post. Thought I'd add my two cents. I've been bringing potted herbs indoors for several years to enjoy during the winter. Each year I overwinter 30 to 40 pots. Winters in New Hampshire are long and cold. Some plants survive fine outdoors up here (e.g. mints, thymes, tarragon, chives), but many don't make it (e.g. sage, rosemary, basil). So, I grow lots of herbs in pots outdoors spring through fall and bring them inside just before the first frost. Some plants do great; some just hang in there until spring. But, even if I don't get enough fresh herbs to use for all my cooking, adding some snips of fresh leaves to the dried stuff adds a nice dimension of flavor. Here's what I've learned. Every "dont" listed is something I did, so the end result described is from personal experience, not book-reading. 1) Give plants all the sun you can. This is more important than humidity, temperature or proper soil moisture (which is a close second). I have several southern windows where the bulk of the plants go and a couple of eastern windows for those that can take a little more shade. I don't use supplemental light, but my southern windows have unobstructed sun. 2) Tropicals, like Vietnamese coriander and Rau Om, don't like to be right up against the window, since it gets pretty cold there. Tough plants, like, oreganos, thymes, mints, etc. could care less. 3) I usually dont bother with annuals, since they get very leggy indoors. Thats one of the reasons why I grow Vietnamese coriander and Mexican culantro instead of cilantro. An exception this year is Greek columnar basil (also called Greek bush basil). It is supposed to do well potted indoors. It is almost three feet tall and sitting in a southern window as I type this, so we shall see how it goes. Even if it doesnt make it, the plant puts out very dense growth only 10 inches wide and I think the flavor is more like Genovese basil than sweet basil (although I have seen it listed under sweet basil). It doesnt flower, doesnt bolt, and did fine all summer in a 10-inch pot, so it is a winner in my book. 4) Water less in the winter, since most plants will slow down with the shorter days. Drier soil is better; damp soil will kill many plants. Exceptions include tropicals, like Vietnamese coriander and Rau Om. 5) Leafy plants, like standard oregano, thyme, African blue basil, lemon savory, etc., I cut about two thirds the way back before I bring inside. The new leaves will be better adapted to the reduced light and the older leaves usually drop anyway in a few weeks. 6) Rosemary I don't cut at all, preferring to prune it in the spring. Same for bay laurel and other, tough-leaved plants. Thick, fleshy leaved plants, like Cuban oregano, Spanish oregano, Portuguese oregano (also called broad-leaved thymes) I leave as is and let hang naturally. They look nice that way. 7) No matter how hard you try, you will get pests, especially white fly and white spot. I use a pyrethrum-based pest spray, which is rated as safe for fruit, and a copper-based fungicide. Have never had luck with the tea-type fungus remedies. 8) Keeping a few carnivorous plants around, like a Cape Sundew (Drosera capensis) or one of the heavily branched sundews (D. multifida extrema), will also help control white flies. Capes are easy to grow indoors and look cool, too. 9) Herbs are tough plants to begin with, so I fertilize infrequently and use a dilute plant food, when I do. 10) Prune regularly to remove dead and yellowed leaves. Don't let dead leaves pile up on the soil; since they will become a breeding ground for mold. 11) If you intend to bring plants in for the winter, try growing them in pots all summer. The transition will be a lot easier for them. There are some varieties, like Blue Boy rosemary and Grolau chives, which are bred especially for pot culture. Oreganos do great in pots, too, especially the less hardy varieties, like Cretan, Italian and Syrian. For plants that I put in the ground, like Berggarten, purple and tri-color sages, I take cuttings and root them. 12) For potting soil I use plain, old Sam's Choice from WalMart. Nothing fancy, but it drains well and still holds moisture. 13) The toughest time is December. Days are the shortest and the plants are just coming out of the adjustment period. If you can keep them hanging on until the New Year, they will usually start perking up and will look a lot better within a month. Up here, I think the snow on the ground actually helps by reflecting a lot of light up to the plants from below the window. 14) Since its deciduous, lemon verbena, no matter what you do, will drop its leaves within a few weeks of being brought indoors. Dont try to prolong the agony, since it will just end up getting spider mites. Just move the plant to a cool place out of the light until March. Bring it out, give it sun, water it, and it will put out all new growth. If you leave it out until first frost, it will drop all its leaves outside and save you the trouble of cleaning them up for a month before you put it away. 15) Some plants, especially mint cuttings, can have a funky smell, when you first bring them inside. That will change to the normal smell as the plants adapt and mature. I hope some of this is useful. Overall, I think that herbs as a group are easier to grow and less fussy than plants grown for their flowers or fancy foliage. And, they are a lot tastier. narcnh

Lavender, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, santolina, bay, basil, savory and thyme are the best known. Like Fatamorgana, I also do not like sand in soil mixes - if nothing else, they make the pot too heavy to lift! A good-quality, general-purpose potting mix is, IMO, the best option. Potted plants, which are always high maintenance, will need a little all-purpose fertiliser added from time to time - say once a year or so (add a handful of compost, or sprinkle on some slow-release pellets), and a potted plant will need more frequent watering. A thorough soaking once a week is better than a brief sip daily. But don't rely on the clock or calender for watering - use the finger-test and judge for yourself when a plant needs watering. Most of the Mediterrean plants can take quite a lot of water - as long as it drains away quickly. They don't like wet feet, but in a pot the soil is best kept barely moist. When planted in the garden, Mediterrean herbs generally can be left to their own devices - but they are definitely NOT desert plants, so in dry or very hot weather, give them a drink. Basil needs more water and fertiliser than most of its compatriots. Remember, too, to treat baby plants with a little more TLC than you'd treat mature adult plants. Mostly this means protecting them from the harshest conditions (too hot, too cold, too dry, too wet, too windy, too much fertiliser etc). Most of the Mediterrean plants like full sun (as much as they can get), and plenty of heat to make their leaves produce more of the essential oils which give them their flavour and aroma. The site below provides information about the 'Mediterranean climate'. Here is a link that might be useful: Mediterranean climate