Pot or ground?

[Yasai]

Does thyme grow equally well in a pot or am I right in thinking it grows more prolifically in the ground? I’m asking because after years of growing modest amounts of parsley in many pots, I’ve discovered that just a few seedlings planted in the ground has yielded more parsley than I’ve ever harvested... ever. So I’m going to plant more parsley in the ground but can’t decide what to do with my thyme and also sage plants.

[roogrow]

Does thyme grow equally well in a pot or am I right in thinking it grows more prolifically in the ground? I’m asking because after years of growing modest amounts of parsley in many pots, I’ve discovered that just a few seedlings planted in the ground has yielded more parsley than I’ve ever harvested... ever. So I’m going to plant more parsley in the ground but can’t decide what to do with my thyme and also sage plants.

My personal experience is generally most herbs tend to grow more prolifically in the ground, but have a tendency to over spread with nothing restricting them - especially mint. I have rosemary in the ground but use containers for the other stuff.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Yasai.
I plant all the perennial herbs in the ground - so sage, thyme, rosemary, bay, mint etc. They tend to be the woody ones that I would pick leaves or sprigs from for cooking.
Annual/biennials (soft herbs) stay in pots so that they're easy to pick although I do have parsley in the ground too where its selfseeding merrily.

[quanglewangle]

Parsley - really big earthenware pots, 40cm across and 50cm deep; two actually. We use a lot in the kitchen and at any one time one pot is in use and the other recovering. Needs lots of nitrogen (15,10,10 out of a bag) and watering. We shake a few seeds in among the established plants from time to time to keep new plants coming on and poke some compost in too, now and again.

We don't use much thyme in the kitchen.

Rosemary: three or four bushes in a sort of hedge in well drained soil. Likes to be watered but then dry out. Like the parsley, if you are going to crop it then it will need feeding. Clipped two or three times a week for roast potatoes.

[Mamzie]

My parsley has loved getting it's roots in the ground it gets huge... I leave mine to flower in second year and seed. The bees adore it, along with our chives flowering and the radish left as well. I think it feeds us and them that way x

[Yasai]

Thanks very much for the replies everyone. I’ve decided to get my herb game on this year. A shame I didn’t decide that when I bought my seeds -before people started stockpiling them (some people must be buying way more than they’ll use)- but I have enough seeds and plants to be getting on with. I’m excited to be able to pick parsley by the handful on a regular basis... I’ve been wanting to do that ever since I started gardening. I have two raised beds and I’ve decided to fill one with nothing but parsley. Possibly overkill, but we shall see.

Never really thought about herbs being soft or woody but I have often read that parsley and basil should go in pots. My basil will go in to pots... and my dill. I’m gonna give rosemary one more try and that’s it...

[Babru]

Rosemary should be fine in a pot if it doesn't like your soil. Thyme, parsley and sage don't try to take over if you plant them out. I put marjoram in the ground too, and it is well loved by bees. All my mint remains in pots, as it will take over pretty quickly. It will put runners out of the base of a pot eventually, so I make sure it sits on a slab, and not anywhere it could get loose without me noticing.

[Containergardener]

I have a raised bed on my decking for herbs . Been in yrs and done really well . Thyme , parsley, sage, oregano , garlic chive (restricted)

[Yasai]

I have a raised bed on my decking for herbs . Been in yrs and done really well . Thyme , parsley, sage, oregano , garlic chive (restricted)

Sounds good! ��

[Small pumpkin]

I can’t grow thyme in the ground here. It really doesn’t like having it’s feet wet. You should be fine if you have well draining soil.
It does very well in pots for me.

[Snadger]

Most herbs are from the Mediterranean and like it dry and arid.The exception to this are the mints or any herb which spreads by rhysomes or stolons which like it damp.

[Sweet savory]

I plant parsley twice a year, in spring for summer/autumn use and then in summer to overwinter under a cloche. Have 2 clumps on the plot at present which are very productive. I grow thyme in beds (the broadleaf type I find easier to cook with) and make new plants with runners as not much success from seed. My experience of dill is that it needs a deep pot and to be repeat sown as goes to seed easily although the seeds are useful too.

[Plot70]

Hi Yasai.
I plant all the perennial herbs in the ground - so sage, thyme, rosemary, bay, mint etc. They tend to be the woody ones that I would pick leaves or sprigs from for cooking.
Annual/biennials (soft herbs) stay in pots so that they're easy to pick although I do have parsley in the ground too where its selfseeding merrily.

I planted bay directly in the ground and it is 12 foot tall and absolutely covered in flowers now after a few years.

[annie8]

I can’t grow thyme in the ground here. It really doesn’t like having it’s feet wet. You should be fine if you have well draining soil.
It does very well in pots for me.

Interesting you say that. I struggle with thyme I can just about keep it going in the raised bed but it never seems very happy and certainly doesn't spread. Wonder if I should try it in a pot and keep it drier.

[bramble]

My thyme is in a large pot.
The flowers are starting to open on it in the last few days.