Unpacking
- Upon arrival, take the plants out of the shipping box and remove the packing material.
- Check the soil for moisture. Water the pots if the soil is dry and ensure the whole root ball is wet.
- Acclimatise the plants to their new location. On the first day, place them outside in a partly sunny location away from damaging winds for just a few hours. Check the seedlings several times throughout the day for water as the containers may dry out. Avoid over-watering. Bring them indoors in the afternoon or evening.
- For the next few days, leave the plants in the sun, extending their time outside a little more each day. Remember to bring them back indoors in the afternoon or evening, especially if the overnight temperatures are relatively cold (below 5°C). By the fourth or fifth day, they will be ready for planting.
Planting herbs outdoors
 When you are confident that your last frost date is past and that your herbs are acclimated to your particular conditions, it's time to plant them.
At the site determined by your design, make a hole in the soil somewhat larger than the root ball of the plant. Remove the pot, place the plant in the soil, and firm the soil around the plant. Water well, and if you are not familiar with the plants, use the label which accompanied each plant. |
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Watering and fertilising herbs
 Determining how often to water your herbs depends on the season, the plant, humidity, exposure to the sun and wind, and temperature. In general, plants should be watered before they get completely dry, but not so often that the soil stays soggy. Under most outdoor conditions, a deep (so that the soil is wetted 20-30cm below the surface) watering once a week should be enough after the plants are established.
If you are potting your herbs, it is very important to use pots with drainage holes, and that they're not left to stand in water for more than a few minutes at a time (However, there is always an exception to the rule! Watercress and most Mints thrive under these waterlogged conditions).
Plants confined to pots are dependent on you providing them with all of their fertilising requirements. The easiest way to accomplish this is by feeding with a weak (1/2 strength) water soluble fertiliser every two weeks during periods of active growth. A fish/seaweed based liquid emulsion, such as Seasol or Maxicrop is preferable to artificial fertilisers, is much gentler on the young plants, less likely to result in salt accumulation, and enhances their ability to cope with cold or heat stress. During periods of dormancy, do not fertilise at all - the plants are resting and will not benefit from the fertiliser. |
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Indoor environment
 Most herbs require 6-8 hours of direct sunlight, or 10-12 hours of diffused light, each day to thrive. I most cases, a bright sunny window sill will accommodate a range of culinary herbs, including the most popular kitchen favourites – Basil, Chives, Chervil, Mint, Parsley, and Oregano. Having them close at hand when you are cooking is convenient, and regular pinching of the growing tips ensures a bushier and more productive plant.
If your plants get leggy, they should be moved to stronger light and rotated a quarter turn every week to provide equal exposure for all the leaves. The 18-20 C winter temperature of most Australian homes will be fine in most cases, but beware of either hot or cold drafts, and of placing plants too close to air conditioners or wood heaters. Most plants that die indoors do so because they got too hot or too dry. To increase the humidity in the immediate vicinity of the plant, place the pot on a tray of pebbles, which should be filled with water daily. |
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Biennials
 Biennial plants are those that usually live for 2 years, such as Parsley. They flower in the first year. At the end of this first flowering the leaves die back or the plant becomes dormant. As the flowering period comes around again, the plant produces fresh growth and another flowering follows; after this second flowering the plant usually dies. Cool and temperate climates suit most biennials, but there are exceptions.
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About herbs
Herbs have been cultivated for thousands of years for both their culinary and medicinal purposes. These fragrant and flavourful plants still play an important role in every kitchen garden. Even a tiny plot can provide you with enough herbs to use fresh, frozen, or dried.
Herbs are easy to raise, even if you've never gardened before. If you have the space, you can plant a formal herb garden that is both attractive and productive.
Formal herb gardens use design techniques that are centuries old. Knot gardens, for example, where herbs are grown in a knot-like design, have been popular since medieval times. If you are short on space, however, you can tuck your favourite herbs amid other plantings in your vegetable or flower garden.
Many low-growing herbs, such as creeping rosemary and thyme make lovely edging plants for vegetable or flower gardens. Herbs are ideally suited to container growing, and can be placed in an easy to reach spot for cooking.
Transplanting herbs
 If your plants arrive in the spring, you may move them outside on warm days to a shady spot, but do not move them to permanent homes outdoors until all danger of frost is past.
If your plants arrive in the autumn and are intended for outdoor planting, they can be safely transplanted up to three weeks before the first frost. If they are intended for indoor gardening, they can be transplanted into larger containers within a few days. |
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Bringing herbs indoors
 Some tender herbs will not survive a cold winter and as such are best bought in to a more sheltered position, either inside or under a pergola or patio. Basils, Mints and Lemongrass are good examples of these types of herbs. The best way to over-winter herbs indoors is to plant them in the spring in large pots and grow them all summer in those pots. The pots can be buried up to the rim in the garden in the warmer months or simply placed on the porch or patio. Natural terracotta pots are recommended.
If you decide that you want to bring a plant inside that has been growing in the garden all summer, the first step is to prune back much of the summer's growth. Well before the first frost, dig up the plant carefully, leaving plenty of soil on the roots. Place the root ball in sufficiently large pot to easily accommodate the roots and back fill with good quality commercial potting soil. Water well and gradually acclimatise to its new light conditions.
Move from full sun to part shade to almost full shade over several weeks. Appropriate winter care includes providing as much light as you can (full sunshine through a window is preferable, but diffused light will work too), even moisture and reasonable temperatures. |
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Perennial herbs
 Perennial herbs come back year after year and can be planted directly in the garden. Most oregano, mints, thymes, chives, French tarragon, winter savoury, culinary sages, are perennials. Although Rosemary and Sage require a well-drained, slightly alkaline soil, most other are not picky about soil type. They do however need plenty of room - at least 45-80cm between plants, when grown outdoors.
Mints require special attention because they grow and spread rapidly. A good solution to this is planting the entire pot of mint in the ground to confine its roots, and runners. They can easily take over a small garden if not controlled in some way.
Some perennials, such as French tarragon, die back in Autumn/winter and then re-shoot in spring. This is a type of dormancy and allows the plant to re-nourish its self ready for the next growing season. It may be necessary to mark the position of the plant before it disappears for the winter!
Often perennials can be dug up and divided to produce more plants for your garden. This re-invigorates the plant, and gives you plants for nothing! Wait for at least 2 years before doing this though. |
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Choosing a planting site
Herbs can be part of any garden or landscape as long as their specific planting requirements are met. For the most part, your herbs should be planted in areas that receive a minimum 6 hours of sun a day and are protected from drying winds.
A few herbs like mints, chervil, and watercress tolerate partial shade. Herbs do best in well drained soil. How do you tell if your soil is well-drained? Spray the garden area with a hose. If the water pools, then you need to improve the drainage of your soil. Mixing in sand and other soil additives such as compost or well-rotted manure improves drainage and boosts the nutrient level in your soil.
An easy way to improve drainage is to raise the level of the planting bed, by bulking it up with compost or manure. Most herbs are shallow rooted so this method will ensure good drainage even if the rest of the garden is still poorly drained.
Most herbs can be successfully grown on a patio, porch or balcony containers. Care must be taken, however, to use good quality potting soil and to select pots or planters with adequate drainage holes. Combinations of herbs work well together in pots, and can be conveniently located near your kitchen or back door.
Container gardening with herbs
 Pot size will vary from species to species. Generally, a 15-20cm terracotta pot, filled with good quality potting medium, is large enough for a one plant.
The depth of the pot is not as important as the width. Most herbs are shallow rooted, and will thrive in a shallow pot given adequate moisture and fertiliser. If you intend to plant a range of herbs in one pot – buy a wide, rather than deep container to accommodate them. Do not use garden soil in any pot.
Most herbs require 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day to thrive. Mints and some thyme can get by on less light. Regular pinching of growing tips encourages bushier growth. |
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Repotting
Most herb plants purchased from Four Seasons Herbs will arrive in small pots. These containers are meant to hold the plants for limited periods.
Once they have become acclimatised to your house, your herbs need to be transplanted into larger pots. Pot size will vary from species to species - check the Cultural Information Table for recommended spacing and mature heights specific to each plant.
Generally speaking, a 15cm terracotta pot, filled with good quality potting medium, will suffice for a single season in an indoor garden. |
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Tender perennials
 Tender perennials are not frost tolerant but can live for several years if given proper care. Tender perennial herbs include Lemongrass, French Tarragon some Basils, and several others. If you want your tender perennial herbs to last more than one season, plant them in 20-25cm terra-cotta pots and place the pots on your porch or patio.
In the autumn, three weeks before your first frost, they should be pruned back substantially, checked for insect pests and disease, and gradually acclimated to their indoor or sheltered outdoor winter surroundings.
Do not fertilize during the late autumn and winter. Do not over water. Many will be completely dormant during their stay indoors. |
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Annuals
 Annuals are those plants which grow, produce and die within one growing season. The list of herb annuals typically includes summer savoury, basil, coriander, fennel and parsley (although the latter are also biennials).
They can be planted either in containers or in the garden. A few annuals, such as parsley and basil, can be successfully grown indoors any time of year - under proper light and temperature conditions. |
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