Herb help

[flibbertigibbert]

I have a trough of herbs on my balcony containing giant parsley, thyme, Greek/bush basil and garlic chives. I also have a separate pot of mint. This was the first time I've grown herbs so when I got the plants from the garden centre I just stuck them in the trough together.

2 months later, the parsley is taking over. The basil has done well but the thyme is pretty much the same size as when I got it.

The balcony is south-east facing and gets lots of sun. I also have a smaller north-west facing balcony which doesn't get much sun due to having a partial roof.

I need some advice about how to get the best from the herbs. I know I probably need to separate them, and can anyone advise me as to how much water the different herbs need? Also, what should I do now the weather is getting colder? Will they survive winter?

Basil is not perennial so it will go. The parsley is a biennial and I'm never sure what do do about those, in theory it should be fine next year but you might not have such a good crop from it. It will flower next year and then die. I find thyme can be difficult, it needs very well drained soil - about a third to half grit I would say and it needs water but not as much as the others so I hazard a guess that the conditions are not quite right for it - it might be sulking if its too wet. If so I would pull it out next spring and try a new one (herbs are very cheap after all). Most herbs need full sun so all is well on that front.

I wonder if it might be better to plant up your trough with perennial herbs and keep your annuals and mint for some large-ish pots?

I'm a herb lover, hence cooing all over your question, but I'd recommend some of these as well: Rosemary, lemon thyme, lavender (if you make ice cream or lavender biscuits/fairy cakes), fennel herb, purple sage and lemon verbena for tea (although that one is tender and deciduous). The lemon thyme is amazing, you stick it under the skin of a chicken for roasting, yum. Those are all perennial by the way.

Your mint you will be better off refreshing with a new plant, it will survive but will never be as good ime, it hates being in a pot and puts all its energy into trying to get out and when you pull the pot off you'll find it will be full of dead roots and spent compost.

I agree that thyme's a bit difficult - I think it might be worth giving it another year, though, as the one I had last year didn't seem to grow at all, and then this year has done very well.

Might be worth taking some cuttings from your existing thyme plant?