Hello everyone! I'm not a complete newb to gardening... but I am a complete newb to container gardening on patios since I don't currently have a yard
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Look for herbs whose origins are in the Mediterranean or which are otherwise known to be able to handle heat and aridity. And "thin" soil, and appreciate that most of those herbs actually do better in a "thin" soil.
They absolutely MUST have excellent---not merely good, but excellent---drainage.
I'd like to observe, though, that usually herbs are grown "on purpose" or "for a purpose." Just as home vegetable gardeners usually are growing veggies for home consumption, you probably aren't growing herbs just for the challenge or for bragging rights. The home herb grower grows an herb to cook with, or to make herbal teas, or to add to herbal soaps, or for aromatherapy, or for potpourri, or something, but almost always with a specific end point in mind.
In addition to thyme, rosemary and oregano, you might try lavender, caraway and cumin; cumin especially wants heat, and it requires a long growing season. Basil, but only if you keep up with its watering needs, because basil's a big drinker and it'll die on you *snaps fingers* like that if allowed to go dry. I've lost a number of basil plants that way, and we don't get your sort of summer heat where I am, and we don't have your arid climate.
If you can give them the water they need, and enough root room (but also a richer soil with plenty of organic matter in it), peppers either sweet or hot will grow in your conditions. So will tomatoes, but you MUST keep up with the watering.
Depending on what else you are thinking of growing in containers, you might want to consider "SIPs," or "Sub-Irrigated Planters," to assure water availability to those plants which want reliable water supplies. SIPs as your Google keyword will bring up plenty of hits. Do understand, however, that a SIP isn't a "Self Watering" pot. (Actually, I'm not aware of any self-watering container: the gardener still has to fill the reservoir. The reservoir just allows him or her a bit more flexibility.)
Thanks for the tips! Yeah, basil will not grow outside here. But it does do wonderfully in the kitchen window if I can keep the cats away from it.
Yes, the main reason I want to grow herbs is to use them.
My Parents, who have land, grow peppers and pumpkins and all sorts of wonderful things. And my Mother's rosemary seems to absolutely THRIVE here in Nevada, so I think I'll give that a try first along with some sage and maybe even try my hand at growing some French tarragon (my mom has some and it's growing beautifully, but she has a much greener thumb than mine due to years of experience).
If you try French Tarragon (one of my favorites!) keep in mind that tarragon needs one and a half to two times the root room as there is green on top. Put it in a pot that is larger than you would use for a comparable size herb of another variety.
Look for herbs whose origins are in the Mediterranean or which are otherwise known to be able to handle heat and aridity. And "thin" soil, and appreciate that most of those herbs actually do better in a "thin" soil.
They absolutely MUST have excellent---not merely good, but excellent---drainage.
I'd like to observe, though, that usually herbs are grown "on purpose" or "for a purpose." Just as home vegetable gardeners usually are growing veggies for home consumption, you probably aren't growing herbs just for the challenge or for bragging rights.
The home herb grower grows an herb to cook with, or to make herbal teas, or to add to herbal soaps, or for aromatherapy, or for potpourri, or something, but almost always with a specific end point in mind.
In addition to thyme, rosemary and oregano, you might try lavender, caraway and cumin; cumin especially wants heat, and it requires a long growing season.
Basil, but only if you keep up with its watering needs, because basil's a big drinker and it'll die on you *snaps fingers* like that if allowed to go dry. I've lost a number of basil plants that way, and we don't get your sort of summer heat where I am, and we don't have your arid climate.
If you can give them the water they need, and enough root room (but also a richer soil with plenty of organic matter in it), peppers either sweet or hot will grow in your conditions. So will tomatoes, but you MUST keep up with the watering.
Depending on what else you are thinking of growing in containers, you might want to consider "SIPs," or "Sub-Irrigated Planters," to assure water availability to those plants which want reliable water supplies. SIPs as your Google keyword will bring up plenty of hits.
Do understand, however, that a SIP isn't a "Self Watering" pot. (Actually, I'm not aware of any self-watering container: the gardener still has to fill the reservoir. The reservoir just allows him or her a bit more flexibility.)
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Yes, the main reason I want to grow herbs is to use them.
My Parents, who have land, grow peppers and pumpkins and all sorts of wonderful things. And my Mother's rosemary seems to absolutely THRIVE here in Nevada, so I think I'll give that a try first along with some sage and maybe even try my hand at growing some French tarragon (my mom has some and it's growing beautifully, but she has a much greener thumb than mine due to years of experience).
And thank you, I'll definitely look into SIPs.
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