Herb Window Box

[VaderW]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for any pointers or tips for growing herbs succesfully in a wooden window box. I own a deli and plan on building up 'beautiful' 'abundant' herb boxes for fixing to the walls on eitherside of our shop.

The box would be situated during the day on West facing shop windows in Central Scotland and taken away for security overnight.

I have so many questions in my head. I don't know what I do wrong when growing window boxes in the past for myself. A lot of herbs bolted very quickly last year, my rosemary looked awful!

- Should I line the box on the bottom with perforated plastic? It already has large drainage holes.
- Should I put broken pots in the bottom to aid drainage?
- What should I do to prevent bolting (I don't understand it fully!)?
- How close can I plant herbs?
- Should I cut herbs back during the year? I understand to promote growth regular usage and cuttings help a great deal but should I really cut back vigorously in the springtime?

Any and all tips would be welcome and of course if I am jumping in head first without care or thought and with wreckless abandon of forum etiquette please excuse me!

Many thanks




VaderW

[supraflyguy]

I'm not of any help here but I've subscribed to this thread, you seem to have the same problems as me so hopefully I can be helped

My rosemary was a disaster last year

[VaderW]

My rosemary was a disaster last year

The rosemary in my herb bed eventually came away again but early on it looked rather yellow, dried and pathetic, I am thinking it may have had to do with it being unprotected through the winter with it being a herb from warmer climate. Hmm...

Anyways! Back on topic, I really want to learn how to master these window boxes. I can't be that far off track lol!


VW

[Two_Sheds]

Bolting means going to seed.

Rosemary is perfectly able to withstand cold weather: we have hedgerows made of it round here.

However, it's a big woody plant and not ideal for a window box.

Sages, chives, marjoram etc would be more suitable.
As to pruning: that gets done naturally as you eat the stuff

[Two_Sheds]

plan on building up 'beautiful' 'abundant' herb boxes for fixing to the walls on eitherside of our shop.

That will look lovely and be a real feature

Should I line the box on the bottom with perforated plastic?

yes, to conserve moisture. Some granules would help too, or shredded up kitchen sponges mixed into the compost

Should I put broken pots in the bottom to aid drainage?

Not in a window box: too heavy. Use something like polystyrene chunks or old plastic bottle tops instead.

How close can I plant herbs?

That depends on the plant. Do a google search for the herbs that you're interested in.
As a rough guide, you're looking at 6 inches apart for things like chives, thyme, oregano.

[WrexTheDragon]

If it was me I would grow the herbs in 6" pots or some small oblong plastic planters and then put them in the wooden boxes.

You can mix the plants up so they do not look the same and easily replace any that die or don't grow well.

Will also control mint if you are planning to grow that.

[Lovage]

Agree with Two Sheds - Chives, Sage Oregano would fit well in window boxes.
Golden oregano and purple sage would look quite decorative
One of the trailing Rosemaries could manage in a window box quite nicely - we have one in a decorative herb bed and it looks well.
Parsley would look good and be useful but would be one of the things to bolt if ever it ran short of water
Thyme would fit well but I have always found the nice decorative types to look straggly in their second year.
I would feed to keep all plants looking well - I know many herbs grow on barren mediterranean hillsides but there they look very tatty!
Good luck with the project