It's not just vegetables that benefit from a suitable planting partner: herbs can also get along well or badly. Which herbs can be planted together and for which species it makes more sense to plant them apart - we'll tell you this in today's article.
Which herbs are compatible and which are not?
Good planting partners are those species that have similar requirements in terms of location, soil and care. Some are particularly useful because they:
- improve the soil condition
- Drive away pests
- Attract beneficial insects
- grow well
- reduce the diseases
When choosing thesuitable plant partnerYou should also note that the different types of herbs:
1. have different nutrient requirements or need different nutrients from the soil.
2. grow at the same speed - this prevents one type of herb from spreading quickly in the pot and displacing the others.
Herbs for balcony boxes: basil, tarragon and oregano
Basil and oregano have similar requirements and get along quite well. The herbs are often planted together in raised beds or in balcony boxes. The optimal location is in the sun - a balcony or terrace with a south or west orientation is ideal, for example. Good drainage is an absolute must, because sunbathing animals cannot tolerate wet feet at all. As far as soil composition is concerned, nutrient-poor soil is best. Potting soil, for example, works well. If you use garden soil, you can add some sand or perlite.
Sowing outdoors is possible after the Ice Saints. The optimal plant spacing for plants that have already been grown is 25 cm.
Good neighbors in the raised bed: sage, rosemary, thyme and lavender
The next group of herbs consists of sage, rosemary, thyme and lavender. These Mediterranean herb species are either planted in advance in a sunny location or sown directly in a full sun spot. The soil should be fresh to slightly dried. Good drainage is very important; Mediterranean plants cannot tolerate waterlogging at all. The plants thrive best in nutrient-rich soil with a high lime content. You feel particularly comfortable on the south-facing balcony.
All four types of herbs have a spreading habit, so a plant spacing of 30 cm to 35 cm makes sense.
Planting partners in the bucket and pot: parsley, dill, marjoram and coriander
Parsley, dill, marjoram and coriander form the third group of suitable planting partners. This planting combination is perfect for the cold season because all four types of herbs thrive in cold and wind. They feel most comfortable in partial shade, but can also be in the sun for up to 6 hours a day. To prevent them from drying out, they need moist to fresh soil with good water storage capacity. Regular watering during hot periods is very important.
If you keep your plants in containers, you can also buy permeable and nutrient-rich vegetable soil. You can also use potting soil for planting, but you must fertilize it with compost.
Sowing takes place from April. From April onwards, young plants that have been grown are also allowed to go outdoors. The minimum distance between plants is 10 cm.
Next to the garden pond: watercress, water nut and calamus
Aromatic medicinal plants such as watercress, water nut and calamus are best suited for planting on the banks of ponds. They need a partially shaded to sunny place with humus-rich, slightly alkaline soil. Sowing takes place in spring and the young plants grow quickly when the soil is moderately moist to moist.
Special case of mint – best planted separately
Some herbs do not tolerate planting partners well and grow fastest alone and can crowd out other herbs and plants. By the way, mint can be planted in a herb spiral or herb snail as long as it grows alone in one zone.
Which herbs for a herbal spiral?
A herb spiral combines different plants, all with their requirements for location and care. For this purpose, the spiral is divided into several zones. Basically, the herbs already mentioned can be planted in different areas. For example:
1. Water zone - at the very bottom, in the shade/partial shade come water nuts and co.
2. The second, sunny zone is planted with plants such as mint or the parsley group (see above).
3. In the next, sunny to sunny zone, herbs such as basil, tarragon and coriander grow.
4. At the top come the true sun worshipers like sage, rosemary, thyme and lavender.
Herbs are crops that serve several important functions in the garden. For one thing, you canDrive away pests, on the other hand, protect against diseases. In addition, many types of herbs exude a pleasant scent. However, to ensure that they grow quickly and feel comfortable, the right planting partners play an important role. Group them according to two criteria: similar location and care requirements so that you have healthy plants in the garden or on the balcony.
