Herb Spacings

Hi,

I would would be most greatful if someone can tell me what spacings to plant these herbs in the SFG. They are Lemongrass, Dill, Rosemary, Coriander, Chives, Thyme, Oregano and Ginger. Can they just go in with the vegetables and get replanted every so often or do they need to be in a seperate perennial bed?

Sue.

My perennial herbs are planted in their own beds. The annuals are planted with the vegetables. You can plant them anyway you want. I just wanted my perennials where I could tend them differently and not disturb them.
Most of my herbs get one foot square.
Oregano, thyme, and chives are the only herbs on your list which are perennial to my climate.
I keep my lemongrass in a pot - the pot goes outside when the temperature stays above 45F. I am thinking of planting some in the garden this summer because I have been told it will grow faster. Then I will replant into a pot in late summer.
Dill and coriander I have to replant over the growing season.
I have not been able to get ginger to grow the last few times. I am guessing it is treated with something at the store and soaking has not helped. In the past I grew it in a pot like the lemongrass.
I have planted rosemary in with my perennials even though it will not survive the winter here unless planted against the south side of my house.
That is probably way more than you wanted to know but I hope it helps.

From what I could glean when reading about ginger about 3 or 4 per s/f should do it. That is what I did but no sprouts yet. It is supermarket ginger and I am sure was treated. I soaked the night before planting but who knows. Didn't have time to order any (or money for that matter). Do let me know how it goes in your garden.

Mine are separate also. I have them in the long planter boxes---3 per box.

I have a sfg bed just for herbs and generally have one per square. They spread here and there but that adds to the look of it. My bed has 18 squares so there are about 10 different things and 2 of some like parsly which we use a lot of. I planted basil around the tomatoes in the other beds.
Cheerrs Ray

I'd put chives in their own container, otherwise it will spread to whatever space you allow it. It can be tough to rip out if it gets hold. I have hacked off a few root clumps as gifts for friends and the bulbs go surprisingly deep, so give them a nice big planter around a foot deep.

My wild ginger spreads underground, though very slowly. I don't know how similar wild and regular ginger are, but mine likes some shade. Aside from transplant watering, I did nothing to it aside from mulching heavily along with everything else in that bed. 4 per SF for wild ginger is tighter than it spreads naturally; I'd say 2, maybe.

I usually put my oregano, thyme etc. in a container, they are perennials here. I have a patch of English thyme planted in the ground and am keeping an eye on it, it is over a foot wide. I have about a 50% success rate for overwintering rosemary around here, doesn't seem to be any better in a pot or in the ground. All of those are woody herbs and I wouldn't move them after they get established. 1 per SF if you don't mind waiting for the oregano & thyme to spread, or 4 if you are in a rush. Rosemary 1 per SF.

Growing cilantro for the first time this year as an annual, in with my squash. I think I planted 9 per square, which is probably too tight, but I am expecting the squash to swallow them anyway.

No data on the others, except just from reading, dill seems to have some picky companion issues.

I do not agree with Megan that chives spreads all over the place. It is a case only if you allow it to go to seeds. It's self sown very easily, and all over. To avoid spreading you have to cut flower stalks after they finish flowering (I like to add flowers to the salads - they are delicious). If you control seeding, chives form neat clumps, and are quite ornamental. You can also grow chives as an annual.

Chives spread (albeit slowly) from the bulbs. I do cut all my flowers soon after they are done, if I even leave any on the plant. I am sure you can grow them as annuals, but be prepared for what can happen if you leave them in place.

My chives spread from bulbs of course; for last 8 years they've spread from about 9"x 5" to 2 feet x 10", and I love how they look. Maybe in my zone 5b they do not spread so fast like in zone 7.

I'm not claiming they spread fast, just that they can and will spread. In about 10 years I've filled up two containers from one small start. Down to one container again from sharing. Very pretty and tasty though, I agree!

I grew up in a place which had an established bed that was virtually impossible to drive a shovel through.... not sure how long it had been around, decades at least, if not a century or two. (House dated to early 1700's.)

Just thought I would post photos of two of my beds of perennial herbs. Each box is 2 x 4 feet. I will be adding more plants in the empty spaces.
The top one has garlic chives, chives, sorrel, anise hyssop, and lovage.
The bottom one has English thyme, sage, tarragon, oregano (O. vulgare nana), lemon thyme, fennel, and oregano (O. vulgare)

Wow, beuna, this is for sure your first year growing them...Next year you will see what I meant.

I have grown herbs for many years. This is the second year at this house. I have not had a problem with chives overtaking. I have worked in a landscape where they did so I suspect it has to do with a variety of things including climate.

I think that chives will be your least problem. What I meant is that I cannot imagine all of them in that small area! Lovage alone, when I grew it, was over 6' tall and very wide!

My sage can get almost as wide as your lovage is tall, Jola. But I think buena knows what she is doing!

I would love to see the same garden in, say, August. I love herbs, and I would like to grow more of them in my limited space; so if it works in 2'x4's I'd love to try it next year.