Herbs are easy to care for and can be harvested almost all year round. This makes them a popular choice for raised beds. Find out below which herbs you can plant in your raised bed and when.
Herbs are medium to weak consumers
Herbs are weak feeders
Almost all herbs require only a few nutrients and are therefore among the medium to weak consumers. Due to the nutrient supply on the raised bed, it is advisable to follow crop rotation:
- In the first year, mainly heavy feeders are grown.
- In the second year mainly medium feeders are planted.
- In the third year, the weak feeders predominate.
- In the fourth year, green manure is grown and processed to re-supply the raised bed with nutrients.
Herbs should therefore be grown primarily in the second and third year. Of course you can also plant a little parsley between your cabbage (heavy feeders) in the first year, but the heavy feeders should predominate. In the second or third year you can only plant herbs on your raised bed. The following herbs are suitable:
| herbs | preculture | direct sowing | harvest time |
|---|---|---|---|
| basil | March to June | May to July | July to October |
| leaf coriander | March to May | May to July | July to October |
| savory | February to March | March to June | June to September |
| dill | April | May to July | July to September |
| garden cress | All year round | March to October | Throughout the frost-free year |
| lavender | February to mid-March | May to July | mid-May to mid-September |
| lovage | March to May | May to July or September/October | March to November |
| marjoram | March to April | May | July to September |
| Parsely | February to May | April to May | May to December |
| pepper | March to April | June | August to October |
| rosemary | February to May | April to June | May to September |
| chives | mid-January to mid-April | mid-March to mid-May | July to November |
| thyme | February to mid-May | May to mid-June | mid-April to mid-November |
What should be considered when growing herbs on the raised bed?
Also pay attention to the location requirements of each herb and which herbs do well. As Mediterranean herbs, lavender, rosemary and thyme need a lot of sun, while parsley and garden cress can burn in the blazing midday sun. Make sure you have an adequate water supply, as raised beds dry out faster than beds on the ground.