How to Grow Herbs

There’s nothing better than snipping your own fresh herbs straight from the garden. They’re easy to grow in pots on the deck, tucked into a veggie bed, or mixed through flower borders. Herbs add instant flavour in the kitchen, colour outdoors, and many varieties also attract bees and pollinators to keep the garden thriving.

Choosing Herbs

Plant herbs you love to eat. Quick-growing annuals like basil, dill, coriander, and parsley are great for cooking seasonal dishes.
Perennial herbs such as rosemary, thyme, mint, chives, oregano, and sage will keep producing year after year.
Bee-friendly herbs like borage, dill, and rosemary attract pollinators as well as looking good in the garden.
Your local garden centre or nursery will have herb seedlings and plants.
You can start herbs from seedlings at your local garden centre, or grow from seed - Kings Seeds have a wide range of herbs you can sow and grow at home with Daltons Premium Seed Raising Mix.

Herb Planting Guide

Herb	Best Planting Time	Notes
Basil	Spring–Summer	Loves warmth and sun. Great with tomatoes and for summer salads or pesto. Attracts bees, deters whitefly.
Parsley	Year-round (best Autumn–Spring)	Curly and flat-leaf types. Reliable all year round but can bolt in hot, dry weather.
Coriander	Autumn–Spring	Prefers cooler weather. Bolts quickly in summer.
Dill	Spring–Summer	Quick-growing annual. Attracts pollinators.
Borage	Spring–Summer	Stunning blue flowers, excellent bee attractor.
Chervil	Autumn–Spring	Prefers cooler conditions. Mild anise flavour.
Fennel	Spring–Summer	Tall, feathery leaves. Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects.
Chives	Autumn–Winter	Dies back in frosts, re-sprouts in spring.
Mint	Year-round	Vigorous grower - best grown in pots to contain. Slows/dies back in frosts.
Rosemary	Year-round	Hardy, aromatic perennial, ideal for cooking roasts or potatoes. Attracts bees when flowering.
Thyme	Year-round	Drought-tolerant. Flowers loved by bees.
Bay	Year-round	Slow-growing perennial shrub/tree. Use leaves fresh or dried.
Sage	Year-round	Strong-flavoured perennial. Flowers attract pollinators.
Oregano	Year-round	Hardy, easy-care perennial. Great for Mediterranean dishes.
Peppermint	Year-round	Similar to mint, vigorous spreader. Best in containers.
Tarragon	Spring–Summer	Prefers warmth. French tarragon is best for cooking.
Marjoram	Spring–Summer	Related to oregano. Grows best in warmer months.

Herbs for Companion Planting

Herbs are some of the best garden companions you can grow. Companion planting also brings balance in the garden through organic control of pests and by attracting beneficial insects.

Herb/Plant	Benefit / Companion Effect
Thyme	Deters cabbage worms, attracts beneficial insects when flowering.
Oregano / Marjoram	Acts as a ground cover, suppresses weeds, attracts beneficial insects.
Sage	May help deter carrot fly, cabbage moth, and helps aromatic balance.
Mint / Peppermint	Can repel ants, aphids, and beetles (but remember to contain it).
Fennel	Attracts beneficial predators (hoverflies, parasitic wasps), though it's not always great near other herbs because it can be competitive.
Cilantro / Coriander	Flowering coriander draws hoverflies (whose larvae eat aphids).
Chervil	Attracts beneficial insects, good companion to carrots, radishes.
Tarragon / Bay	Aromatic leaves that may help deter pests when planted near broader gardens.

Rosemary companion plant attracting bees sm

Ideal Planting Conditions

Most herbs need:

A hot, sunny spot (the more sun the better - at least 5-6 hours of sun per day)
Ideally close to the kitchen. You will be inclined to use them more if they are close by!
Light, free-draining soil enriched with compost, or if growing in pots, quality potting mix.
Shelter from strong winds to stop delicate leaves from drying out.

Sowing Herbs from Seed in Trays & Pots

Fill a seed tray three-quarters full with Daltons Premium Seed Mix, making sure it’s damp but not soggy.
For tiny herb seeds, tip a little mix into your hand first to make them easier to handle. Sprinkle in a line and cover lightly with mix.
For larger seeds such as coriander, make a shallow 1cm trench, sow 5cm apart, and cover with mix.
Label and date each row. Gently firm the surface and mist with water.
Cover with cling wrap to hold in warmth and place in a sunny spot like a windowsill.
Remove the plastic once seedlings appear. Mist daily to keep the mix moist but not waterlogged.
When true leaves form, thin out by removing weaker seedlings and keep the strongest.

Sowing Directly into the Garden

For direct sowing into the garden, prepare the bed with Daltons Premium Seed Mix, sow as above, and water gently until established.

Check out our How to Grow from Seed Guide for more tips.

Planting Seedlings into Pots

If you are planting herbs into containers, be sure your pot or tub has drainage holes at the bottom.
Use Daltons Premium Potting Mix or Outdoor Container Mix, both have the right mix of nutrients and provide good drainage.
Dig a small hole and plant your herb.
Replace the soil around it, pressing lightly.
Mulch and water in well after planting.

Planting out Seedlings in the garden

Don’t worry about planting herbs close together as they do well in groups.

Prepare your site by digging in plenty of Daltons Premium Garden Mix or Garden Time Vegetable Mix to refresh the soil and help with drainage (this is particularly important if you have heavy/clay type soil).
Dig a small hole and plant your herb.
Replace the soil around it, pressing lightly.
Mulch with Daltons Premium Mulch & Feed.
Water well.

Mint tip!

Mint is fast-growing and can quickly take over a garden bed! The easiest way to control it is to grow mint in a pot. If planting in the ground, keep it in its plastic nursery pot and sink it into the soil - this contains the roots and stops mint spreading through the garden.

Feeding and Watering

Feed every 4–6 weeks with Daltons Premium Vege & Herb Fertiliser.
Boost with Daltons Seafeed every 7–10 days.
Water deeply 2–3 times a week depending on the weather. Pots dry out faster, so check often.
Parsley, basil, mint, and coriander need consistent watering. If stressed, they will bolt to seed early.

Harvesting

Pick herbs regularly as it encourages new growth. Harvest early in the day and avoid stripping more than one-third of the plant at a time.

Pests & Diseases

Aphids and whitefly love herbs and can be rinsed off with a firm spray of water.
Powdery mildew affects some herbs in humid conditions – improve airflow and remove affected leaves.
Slugs and snails love young seedlings so protect them with cloches or other baits and traps.

General Care and Maintenance

Pick herbs regularly, even if you aren't using them! They will live much longer.
Pinch back tips of fast growers like basil to prevent flowering and encourage bushy plants.
Mulch around herbs to keep roots cool and conserve moisture.
Replant annual herbs each season (see guide above) and trim back perennials to keep them compact.
In winter bring your potted herbs indoors, but cut them right back first so when they grow again, they are strong.

Gardening Terms Explained

Annuals: Herbs that last one growing season (e.g. basil, coriander).
Perennials: Herbs that live for several years (e.g. rosemary, thyme).
Bolt to seed: When plants flower and set seed too early, often due to heat or stress.
Free-draining soil: Soil that allows water to soak in and drain without pooling.