- HOW TO PLANT YOUR AROMATICS?
- THE MAIN VARIETIES OF AROMATIC HERBS
- COLLECTION, CONSERVATION AND USE OF AROMATIC PLANTS
Do you live in town and/or only have a balcony? Know that growing aromatic herbs in a planter is quite possible, even indoors! Aromatic plants are grown both in the ground and in pots, all climates of France included. If all the herbs require different growing conditions, whether it is mint , basil , chives , coriander , parsley , rosemary or even tarragon, we will give you the keys to growing in the best conditions.
How to plant your aromatics in your planter?
First of all, you have to know the needs and characteristics of the aromatic herbs you want to grow in your planter so that they can take advantage of the right conditions to develop and not prevent the growth of other herbs. Combine aromatic plants that have the same exposure and watering needs.
To take examples, basil,
parsley or even chives combine very well and can be planted together in your planter. Indeed, basil, parsley and chives all appreciate a sunny part-shade. On the other hand, a plant like mint should be grown separately, it is a herb that grows quickly and can become invasive, which is why it is best to reserve a place for it alone in your planter. Also prefer to plant only aromatic Mediterranean herbs, these plants that love the afternoon sun (
thyme , rosemary or even lavender). These plants also appreciate a regularly fertilized soil, providing them with specialized liquid fertilizer every two weeks does them the greatest good! Before you want to install your
aromatic herbs in your planter , make sure you have a draining layer of marbles in the bottom and add on top a soil suitable for the plants in question.
You will find below the characteristics specific to each herb to cultivate it in the conditions that suit it. If you don't have the sun exposure necessary for the development of the herb you want to grow, don't panic! You also have the option of growing your aromatic herbs indoors with suitable fluorescent lamps that reproduce sunlight.
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List of the main varieties of aromatic herbs for your planter
Basil
| Exposure |
In the sun, partial shade |
| Floor |
Light, rich soils |
| Interview |
Copious watering at the foot and on the leaves, morning and evening. Loves soil moisture. Hoe and weed regularly. |
|
Parts consumed |
fresh leaves |
| Good to know |
Only lives one season, replants every year |
Chervil
| Exposure |
In the sun, also tolerant of shade |
| Floor |
All types of soil |
| Interview |
Regular watering. Regular weeding. Prune if it becomes too invasive. |
| Parts consumed |
Young tender leaves |
| Good to know |
Only lives one season, replants every year |
Chive
| Exposure |
full sun |
| Floor |
Cool, slightly humid soils. Easy pot culture |
| Interview |
Regularly weed around. Water if the weather is very dry. |
| Parts consumed |
Fresh leaves (before bolting) |
| Good to know |
Loses its foliage in winter |
| Exposure |
full sun |
| Floor |
All types of soil |
| Interview |
Regularly weed around. Water if the weather is very dry. Loves soil moisture. Protect it in winter. |
| Parts consumed |
The leaves and seeds of this aromatic (to be collected before maturity and to be dried indoors) |
Tarragon
| Exposure |
Sun and partial shade |
| Floor |
Light, cool, and dry soils. Easy pot culture |
| Interview |
Regularly weed around. Water if the weather is very dry. Loves soil moisture. Protect it in winter. |
| Parts consumed |
The leaves of young shoots |
| Good to know |
Loses its foliage in winter |
Mint
| Exposure |
Sun and partial shade |
| Floor |
Humus and moist soils, even heavy and rich. Easy pot culture (to be planted alone in a pot) |
| Interview |
Prune if it becomes invasive |
| Parts consumed |
Leaves, fresh or dried |
|
Good to know |
Semi-evergreen leaves, lasts several years |
Parsley
| Exposure |
Partial shade |
| Floor |
Cool, light soils |
| Interview |
Regularly weed around. Water if the weather is very dry. Protect it in winter. |
| Parts consumed |
leaves and stems |
| Good to know |
Grows over two seasons, replants after two years |
Rosemary
| Exposure |
full sun |
| Floor |
Poor, arid, even very calcareous soils |
| Interview |
Protect it from the cold in winter with thick mulch. Trim old wood. Don't water it. |
| Parts consumed |
young leaves |
| Good to know |
Persistent foliage even in winter, lasts several years |
Sage
| Exposure |
full sun |
| Floor |
Soft and rich soils. Even very arid soils. |
| Interview |
Regularly weed around. Water only in very dry weather. Prune if it becomes invasive. |
| Parts consumed |
Leaves |
| Good to know |
Persistent foliage even in winter, lasts several years |
|
Exposure
|
full sun |
| Floor |
Dry soils, even very dry ones |
| Interview |
Regularly weed around. Water only in very dry weather. Rejuvenate old subjects by pruning and dividing. |
| Parts consumed |
The young shoots |
| Good to know |
Persistent foliage even in winter, lasts several years |
Harvesting, conservation and use of aromatic plants
Storing your aromatic herbs can be done in three different ways, depending on your needs, your preferences and also the properties of the herb in question . It is generally fresh that aromatic plants are the most interesting for cooking because it is at this time that their concentration of flavors is optimal and therefore the most suitable for the preparation of your dishes!
But since it is not always possible to have fresh herbs from the garden available (unless you have an indoor vegetable garden in an apartment), we present our favorite methods for preserving them. You will find among these methods, drying, freezing , putting in oil but also the realization of a bouquet garni! Discover the most suitable storage methods thanks to the URBAN CUISINE articles: " How to store coriander? ", " Storing Rosemary " and many more.
