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Shallow container for herb garden

16 years ago

Hello everyone. I would like to do an herb garden in a container in my backyard. The area of the yard gets no sun in the morning, full sun for about 2-3 hours then mostly shade, or filtered sun in the afternoon. The container I am using would only be about 4-5" deep though.

Actually, it's not a container, its a radio flyer wagon my dad had gotten for my son's before he passed away. It's no longer usable for play, but I am very sentimental and would love to use it to create new sustenance for my family. :-)

I'm in Phoenix, zone 9. Any help with what I could grow in this medium would be helpful!

Thanks :-)

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Comments (5)

reaver
16 years ago
Well, that sounds like a really cool idea, and a great remembrance. I am new to gardening so I don't know much, but what I have learned is that most of all the popular herbs like to be well drained which presents a problem with the metal bottom of the wagon. I would think that drainage holes would need to be drilled into it. There could also be an issue with the metal rusting and contaminating the soil, but someone else more knowledgeable might have a better answer.

I hope you find a way to make it work.

Cheers!
1fullhouse
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks :-) I figured I would have to drill some drain holes. I'm not sure about the rust though either. You make a good point. I wonder if there is some type of coating I could paint it with?
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One pot each of that size will do for a single parsley plant, or possibly a sage plant. You'll need considerably larger pots for the other plants. A 16" pot is a very small pot. Take a look at the size of a mature plant. In theory, the bits above-ground are the same size as the bits below-ground. You CAN go a bit smaller, but your plants will be stunted, due to the fact that the roots can't spread as far as they'd like. A bit like foot-binding! Lemongrass - my goodness, it will outgrow even a huge pot in no time flat - at least in my subtropical part of the world! Bay is a TREE, not a shrub. But it will grow in a decent-sized pot for many years, as it's a slow-grower. For lemon balm and mint - they'll need lots and lots of space to spread, and they'll fill any space given, quickly. The only real solution to this is to repot at regular intervals, dividing the plants as you go. These plants can become rootbound before you can blink. I would not recommend putting the basil and thyme together (sorry Westelle). Basil likes a fairly rich, moist soil - thyme prefers poor soil and less moisture. Sage and thyme like much the same conditions, so they'll be OK together. However, I always suggest - one plant per pot. This not only ensures that the plants get the conditions they prefer - it also eliminates competition - in a pot, there's almost always a battle for dominance, and usually only one winner.
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YMMV on the following Liz, but I use a dry 6-10-10 fertilizer (only about 2 bucks at Wal*Reich for a box that'll last me a decade), and apply a handful for every 4 square feet every 3 growing months. And every 6 months, I apply a light dusting of magnesium sulfate (epsom salts, just make sure they're the pure thing). The plants respond well, all else being constant. Congrats on all the newness! Just a word to no one in particular from my experience: stay away from anything that says "potting mix" for herbs... They will HATE it. Way too much loosley-packed raw organic matter. Always go for a landscaping-grade or home-processed compost, manure, or blend thereof... Or failing that, just plain topsoil. Throw in about half a cup to a cup of sand for every gallon of compost or manure, depending on the particular plant's requirements (IE more for rosemary, less for parsley). Just my $0.02 on the subject.
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Have your pots ready for replanting and the pot well watered. Take the entire mess out of the pot. Spray the roots with the hose to wet the roots and wash away the soil that's in there. Have you ever noticed how weeds are much easier to pull after a rain, that's what you are going for. Then gently tease them apart, spraying again as needed. You will have some root loss because it is probably one big mess in there, but as long as each plant has a some root they will be ok. You might want to give them a haircut so the plant can repair it's roots and not have so much top to support. Otherwise they will be pretty droopy after transplanting. It is not a good thing to have basil and parsley together. Basil is an annual and has roots that spread out. Parsley is a biennial and has a tap root like a dandilion.
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evaperconti
16 years ago
Could you possibly use the wagon as a place to keep containers? That would eliminate the rust issues and you could have more depth with pots than you would with the wagon. The nice thing about the wagon is that you could roll it to where the sun is!
flora_uk
16 years ago
I think evaperconti has a good point. If you use the wagon as an 'outer' for other containers you can easily change the display seasonally, e.g. pop in some pots of Spring bulbs or Christmas poinsettias, amongst the herbs and give each plant different conditions if necessary. You could have a drip tray in the bottom of the wagon to avoid rusting and you wouldn't have to damage the wagon with holes. (I had to google 'radio flyer wagon'. I couldn't work out why you would want to grow herbs in a container for electrical goods publicity leaflets!)
1fullhouse
Original Author
16 years ago
LOL flora! You had me laughing on that one. :-)

What a great idea evaperconti! I think that is definitely what I am going to do. (See that's why I posted it here!) I really be able to do much more with it that way anyways. As you said, put it in a more sunny location is the winter, different plants, no rust, etc.

Thank you both for your help! :-)

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