Herbs

Cultural Requirements

• Friable, well drained soil
• Full sunlight
• Most will grow in pots and troughs
• Minimal care required
• Do not overfeed – this can lead to soft, leggy growth and the plant may collapse or set seed early
• Herbs in pots will require daily watering during summer months

Uses

• Used to flavour cooking
• As additions to salads
• As decorative landscape plants
• For medicinal purposes

Pests and Diseases

• Most are pest and disease free
• Aphids – sometimes found on chives, lettuce
• Leggy growth / early seed set – soil too rich, too wet
  

Pest and Disease Control

• Aphids
  
  • Mavrik
    
• Leggy growth/ early seed set
  
  • Do not over feed
    
  • Avoid fertilisers high in Nitrogen and compost in large quantities
    
  • Do not over water

Varieties

• Culinary
  
• Basil – Sweet, Dark Opal
  
• Chives
  
• Coriander
  
• Curry Plant
  
• Lemon grass
  
• Marjoram – Sweet
  
• Mint – Common, Vietnamese, Winter
  
• Oregano
  
• Parsley – Curled, Italian
  
• Rosemary
  
• Sage – Officinalis, Purple
  
• Tarragon – French
  
• Thyme – Lemon, Pizza, Vulgaris
  
• Flavouring food and cooking
  
  • Fish –Thyme, Sage, Basil
    
  • Pork – Basil, Sage
    
  • Lamb – Rosemary, Marjoram
    
  • Chicken – Chives, Basil, Tarragon
    
  • Eggs – Chives, Parsley, Basil
    
  • Stuffings – Thyme, Basil, Sage
    
  • Soups and Stews – parsley, Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage

Salads

• Add to salads to supplement standard lettuce varieties
  • Cress
    
  • Endive
    
  • Mustard
    
  • Radicchio
    
  • Rocket

Landscape

• Many more woody herbs are used in the landscape, especially in Mediterranean style gardens
  • Nepeta – Catmint
  • Chamomile – Lawns
  • Lavender
  • Rosemary – upright and prostrate
  • Thyme – as groundcover, instead of lawn