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I'd like to grow some herbs and maybe other items in a mini greenhouse and thought maybe something like this would be good for me:
I have no idea what I'm doing, other than plant in soil, give water, place in sunlight, hopefully grow. That's it right?... haha!
Is the linked item any good, or should I look for something better? Any help much appreciated! Cheers!
What herbs.
Most you start on a windowsill and plantout in pots or whatever when its warmer.
You don't need that thing^
Tomatoes and chillies maybe but herbs are more about preventing them take over than desperately trying to continue their existence.
As above – a few plant pots or a little raised bed is all you need for herbs. And those mini greenhouses are crap – the first breezy day will see the bloody thing, and its contents, blow all across the neighbourhood.
As above I don't think one of those greenhouses are necessary but a friend did successfully grow tomatoes in one, though he probably screwed it to the wall. I think you have the basics covered (sunlight/water), just do some research on what type of soil type the herb likes and how much water they need. I'm far from an expert but have thyme, rosemary & oregano all growing outside, and maybe chives (or it might be a random grass.. I'm not tried it to be sure, I'm a bit scared). I have been given a starter kit but as partner is on a roll with buy random plants (she buys them, I have to look after them) I've yet to plant any
Zippy chives aren't hard to identify. Crush one. Of it smells of onion its chives.
All alliums are edible so even of its not chives... Its chives.
You don't need a mini greenhouse for herbs - in fact many herbs grow better in cooler/damper/shady conditions. As a general rule, lush green leafy things like more shade and moisture than small leaved things. So parsley/coriander etc enjoy a good rich soil and plenty of moisture and are fine in shade. Rosemary/thyme/sage etc like full sun and are better in poorer, dryer soils.
You can certainly buy/build a vertical/stacked set of planters, but bear in mind that they need more water and the soil will deteriorate after a year or two. Great for growing thyme, awful for growing parsley.
Probably the best place to learn is a book of herbs. Something like Jekka's Complete Herb Book. That will detail the growing and cultivation of each different herb. Having said all that, don't be put off from just buying some seeds and getting stuck in. Plant pots are cheap, you can even reuse old plastic containers, or any bit of soil in the garden will do, and the best way to learn is trial and error. Most plants will grow in any soil, but to get the best of of them you need to grow them in the right conditions. Which is just the conditions that they would be found in in the wild.
Mini greenhouse would be good if you wanted to grow peppers or tomatoes though. If you do, then I would buy some small plants now because it's too late in the year for seeds to get started. Although even that's not really needed if you've got a sunny south facing patio. Many varieties will grow fine outdoor in the UK now. Be quick though because they will need time to grow and ripen the fruits.
All alliums are edible so even of its not chives... Its chives.
Weirdly, I thought I heard Bee Gees songs coming from my spice drawer.
Turned out, it was just the chives talking...
Many thanks!
What do I want to grow? Really no idea - whatever can be used in cooking.
Window sill it is then! Cheeerrs!
Chives, oregano, basil, coriander, mint (don't plant this in the ground stick in a pot!), lavendar, rosemary, thyme. marjoram and lemon balm, and feverfew are nice plants for the insects. Bay tree.
Basically all of them, most are perennial so you will get them back year after year. For basic stuff like corainder and basil just buy one of those pots in the supermarket. You know the ones that die in thirty seconds. Then sprinkle some more seeds at their base everyso often for a continuous supply.
For mint grab a pack of the cut stuff and cut the ends off and rip the leaves off the bottom half and dump them in water. Plant when the roots are established.
Woody stuff like sage, lavendar and rosemary and thyme... Just buy small plants from b and q or somewhere and plant them out. Or if you are feeling fruity try taking cuttings.
Garlic, leeks, spring onions, shallots and radishes are also a piece of piss.
And just throw nasturtium seeds everywhere else for maximum coverage (they protect other edibles but are infact completely edible themselves as well as looking lovely all tumbled about the place (the seeds are wasabi hot)
What do I want to grow? Really no idea - whatever can be used in cooking.
Window sill it is then! Cheeerrs!
May I suggest just buying live herbs from the supermarket then – just buy what you want, remove the plastic outer and bung it on a saucer. I usually do just that for some of my herbs (mainly coriander).
Add garlic to the list... I grew some Picardi wight last year and it was fantastic... So much stronger and juicy than the supermarket stuff and an absolute doddle to grow in a bed or planter etc.
I chose that veriety as apparently it does better than other types with more shade and damp tolerance.
Avoid mint unless it's in a pot, as that stuff goes crazy.. It'll take over unless the roots are contained and it's a pain to get rid of.
Awesome, thanks for the info!
PArt of it is I want to grow stuff just for the sake of it too, with the added bonus it can be used for cooking etc.
Chives, oregano, basil, coriander, mint (don't plant this in the ground stick in a pot!), lavendar, rosemary, thyme. marjoram and lemon balm, and feverfew are nice plants for the insects. Bay tree.
Basically all of them, most are perennial so you will get them back year after year. For basic stuff like corainder and basil just buy one of those pots in the supermarket. You know the ones that die in thirty seconds. Then sprinkle some more seeds at their base everyso often for a continuous supply.
For mint grab a pack of the cut stuff and cut the ends off and rip the leaves off the bottom half and dump them in water. Plant when the roots are established.
Woody stuff like sage, lavendar and rosemary and thyme... Just buy small plants from b and q or somewhere and plant them out. Or if you are feeling fruity try taking cuttings.
Garlic, leeks, spring onions, shallots and radishes are also a piece of piss.
And just throw nasturtium seeds everywhere else for maximum coverage (they protect other edibles but are infact completely edible themselves as well as looking lovely all tumbled about the place (the seeds are wasabi hot)
Brilliant! Thanks for this!
As above, lots of stuff will thrive in even poor ground.
Basil, coriander and parsley need compost and a warm-ish, sunny-ish place, but not a greenhouse necessarily, windowsills are ideal. The downside is space. You need a lot of basil or coriander leaves if you cook Italian / Indian with them regularly, so you need multiple pots / plants. Watering them correctly is harder! I think basil might be a good candidate for hydroponics if you want to get really geeky.
Zippy chives aren't hard to identify. Crush one. Of it smells of onion its chives.
Cheers!
I totally forgot I have lots of random (potted) mint plants and lemon balm too! (I just see if growing wild, pull up an plant take it home). I like doing the super market thing for basil plants but, they do like to go to seed, barstards.