Potting Herbs

The potting mix you use is the most important thing. If you buy a cheap variety of potting mix then you will end up watering the pots constantly. Cheap potting mixes don’t retain moisture. Searles potting mix is what we use in bulk for our plants to sell them at the markets. The premium potting mix from Searles has fertiliser included in the mix which we find really helps our plants grow. I don’t have to liquid fertilise very much at all. Don’t forget if you have a specialised plant than there are potting mixes you can buy to suit the plant you have such as: Bonsai, African Violet, Cactus and Succulents.

Using recycled plastic containers to pot into are great. Yoghurt, strawberry, custard containers, egg cartons are perfect as they are like a jiffy pot and can be planted directly into the ground. Don’t forget to label what your growing. Make a crazy picture, colour it in and put it into the ground on a stake with a peg attached or keep the packet the seeds came in. Then if you need to refer back to the growing instructions its right at your fingertips.

Make a mini greenhouse out of a 2 litre plastic milk or drink bottle. Cut the bottle half way down and plant your seeds into the mix. Then place a plastic bag over the top to create moisture and warmth so the seeds will strike and grow. Once the seeds have struck take the plastic bag off so the plant will grow in natural heat and light. Quite often the seeds are still attached to the first leaf of the plant. They are so amazing.

When you plant seeds always remember not to water them too much but just keep them moist. That way the seeds will shoot. Winter is a really hard time to plant seeds as the cold doesn’t help in the process of germination. Once Spring has arrived it’s time to get the seeds back out and start having fun.

Always plant the seedlings or plants at the same level and no deeper or they will get a rot in them and won’t survive. Don’t forget to label your seeds or plants in pots so you can remember what they are.

Remember: Plants must have two important things to help them grow: Water and light. Have fun with your potting and raising seeds. It’s very exciting to see how a seed can sprout into such an amazing plant. We love growing herbs.

Plant a seed – Help it grow – Feed the plant – See the flower appear – Let it fade – Collect the seeds - Restart again.