A herb spiral or herb snail enables the cultivation of a wide variety of garden herbs in just a few square meters. The location requirements of the different species are taken into account, with a sophisticated planting plan you can harvest fresh herbs all year round.
Most herb spirals are built of stone
The structure of the herb snail
Generally, a herb snail is built out of stone, but you can build it out of wood or other materials. The most important thing is the internal structure: at the bottom there is a layer of gravel and crushed stone about 25 centimeters thick, which forms the foundation of the spiral and also serves as drainage. In the center is a cone-shaped pile of rubble/gravel/crushed stone that should measure between 80 and 100 centimeters to the top. First you fill in a layer of sand, which in turn is followed by the different substrates. These are the leaner and more sandy the further up in the herb spiral they are filled.
The best planting time
The best time to plant perennial herbs is early spring. Hardy species can also be released in autumn. First place the herbs with the pots in their intended places on the spiral. So you can check the individual locations and the distances again. Then, using a shovel at a time, dig a hole, embed the root ball in it, and backfill the hole. Then gently press the soil with your hands and water the plant well with plenty of water. The plants should not be deeper in the ground than they were in the pot. Annual and biennial herbs can either be grown on the windowsill or sowed directly into the spiral after the ice saints. When growing annual herbs, however, you should follow a certain crop rotation, because not all species get along with each other. For example, chervil and caraway as well as peppermint and chamomile are bad neighbors.
The ideal planting plan
The following table lists the most important herbs with their botanical names, their growth height and their respective location requirements.
| Surname | botanical name | growth height | location and soil | Location on the herb spiral | Annual / perennial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| anise | Pimpinella anisum | 50 to 80 cm | sandy, dry, sunny, chalky | upper area | annual |
| savory | Satureja hortensis | 20 to 30 cm | sunny, dry | upper area | annual |
| curry herb | Helichrysum italicum | 20 to 45 cm | sunny, dry | upper area | perennial |
| dill | Anethum graveolens | 30 to 100 cm | sunny, rather humid | middle to bottom | annual |
| tarragon | Artemisia dracunculus | 60 to 120 cm | sunny, sheltered | middle area | perennial |
| Johannis herbs | Hypericum perforatum | 40 to 100 cm | dry, sunny to semi-shady | middle area | perennial |
| chervil | Anthriscus cerefolium | 30 to 70 cm | semi-shady, rather moist | lower area | annual |
| garlic | Allium sativum | 30 cm | sunny, dry, profound | upper area | annual |
| lavender | Lavandula angustifolia | 30 to 60 cm | sunny, dry, chalky | upper area | perennial |
| marjoram | Origanum majorana | 60 cm | sandy, humus | mid to high range | annual |
| oregano | Origanum vulgare | 50 to 70 cm | sunny to semi-shady | mid to high range | perennial |
| Parsely | Petroselinum crispum | 20 to 30 cm | humus, moist, semi-shady | lower area | biennial |
| peppermint | Mentha piperita | 30 to 60 cm | moist, humus rich, sunny to semi-shady | lowest area | perennial |
| sage | Salvia officinalis | 30 to 70 cm | sunny to semi-shady, dry, chalky | top area | perennial |
| chives | Allium schoenoprasum | 20 to 30 cm | sandy, moist, sunny to semi-shady | lowest area | perennial |
tips
Opt for short-growing varieties so that the spiral does not immediately overgrow and you do not have to constantly cut back the plants. Spacious giants like lovage, in particular, should preferably stand next to the spiral, where they can spread out. The same applies to tall herbs with long roots such as comfrey or horseradish.