Raised beds are in - and herbs are more popular than ever. So it almost seems natural to combine both. The aromatic kitchen companions are also in good hands in a mobile tall planter - we'll explain why.
Growing in raised beds has several advantages
The advantages of a raised bed
Many hobby gardeners create a raised bed for vegetables - this cultivation method is also ideal, especially for nutrient-draining varieties that like it a little warmer on their feet. It offers ample space for a carefully layered and enriched substrate with good thermal insulation.
The second big advantage that a raised bed brings with it is the comfortable working height. Laborious bending down is no longer necessary, neither for the care of the plants nor for their harvest. A great solution for seniors too.
The advantages of raised beds
- deep, nutrient-rich and heat-storing substrate and
- practical working height
can for the most part also be related to herb cultivation.
At least the second point should be undisputed. Precisely to quickly get a little fresh chives, aromatic chervil or a few sprigs of thyme while cooking, it is certainly better to walk to the waist-high raised bed on the terrace than to the ground bed in the farthest corner of the garden.
The possibilities that the deep planter offers in terms of soil technology, on the other hand, are only explicitly advantageous for certain types of herbs. You can also grow Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary or oregano in the raised bed. However, local herb varieties that have a high nutrient requirement will benefit more from the deep substrate. These include above all:
- chives
- lovage
- Parsely
- tarragon
- mint
- borage
herbs originally from subtropical areas such as
- basil or
- lemon verbena
only thrive on nutrient-rich substrate.
Create a herb raised bed
When creating a raised bed for herbs, the rules for any other raised bed apply. In order to offer optimal working conditions and still a good planting area, the dimensions should be a maximum of 1.20 m edge length and a height of 90 cm to 1 m.
When filling, however, you should not work with quite as much fertilizing underlayers as with raised vegetable beds. So leave out the horse manure, which is valuable for large, hungry vegetables - it is rather too spicy for the fine kitchen herbs. As a long-term fertilizer, an addition of good compost is completely sufficient. You should also add some sand to the substrate. Later, you can always keep your herbs busy with gentle, organic fertilizers such as coffee grounds.