How to Grow Herbs
Herbs are a culinary essential for the home garden. Picking your own, fresh herbs right before cooking with them guarantees incredible flavour and freshness.
How to grow Basil
Basil is easily one of the most well-known of the herbs. It’s super easy to grow, either indoors or outdoors and it can be harvested in as little as four weeks.
How to grow Bay
Used for its striking appearance and its strong flavours, bay is one of the oldest plants in cultivation.
How to grow Chervil
Chervil is a more refined tasting relative of parsley and is used with a wide range of dishes. Its gentle aniseed flavour adds zing to salads and is a primary ingredient in Fines Herbes, one of the three standard herb mixes in French fine dining.
How to grow Chives
Chives are a low maintenance hardy perennial - it reproduces itself from small bulbs - and grows to 30cm tall. Whilst chives will grow almost anywhere, they seem to have a better flavour if grown in sunny, dry situations.
How to grow Coriander
Coriander is an easy-to-grow herb that comes in many varieties. Its leaves, stalks and seeds are popular for their tangy and aromatic addition to salads, curries, Chinese and Thai foods.
How to grow Dill
Tasty dill is an easy-to-grow herb that is famed as the main ingredient of dill pickle. Its leaves, stalks, flowers and seeds are all edible and used in soups, salads and fish dishes, while the eye-catching yellow flowers attract a host of wildlife including bees and butterflies.
How to grow Garlic
A popular Mediterranean herb, garlic is easy to grow. Go for named varieties from reputable garden centres and you can get a good yield. Don’t try to grow bulbs from supermarket garlic, as these bulbs carry a risk of disease.
How to grow Mint
From tea to potatoes, ice cream to a garnish for roasted lamb, mint comes in a range of varieties and is a favourite flavour across the world. It’s easy to grow from root cuttings and what’s more, mint attracts the insects that benefit your whole garden.
How to grow Nasturtium
Nasturtium comes in a range of varieties. There are those with bushy leaves for borders, or trailing varieties that are perfect for containers and climbing. There’s a nasturtium for every garden.
How to grow Parsley
Parsley is hugely versatile and comes in flat leaf or curly varieties. Curly parsley is darker, has a milder taste, and is traditionally found in the UK, but in reality flat leaf is the more commonly used in dishes around the world.
How to grow Rosemary
With its striking blue flowers and recognisable needle-like leaves, rosemary is both tasty and pretty. Rosemary has a pine-like fragrance and this evergreen herb has become a favourite seasoning, most popularly with lamb. Chopped up it makes a refreshing tea that’s used to aid digestion. Bees love it too.
How to grow Sage
Who doesn’t love a little sage and onion? Sage is a versatile herb, with a powerful flavour. Add a few leaves to a dish or make a healthy tea. Who doesn’t love a little sage and onion? Sage is a versatile herb, with a powerful flavour. Add a few leaves to a dish or make a healthy tea.
How to grow Tarragon
A favourite in French cuisine, the subtle liquorice taste of tarragon gets added to fish, scrambled eggs and is one of the four main ingredients in the famous French herb blend ‘fines herbes’.
How to grow Thyme
Thyme is a great herb that’s easy to grow and does well when left alone. It’s brilliant when used in cracks between rocks and paving and grows well at almost any time of year, just give it some full sun and you’ll be enjoying the fragrant herb in your dishes all year.
How to grow Basil
How to Grow Basil
Basil is easily one of the most well-known of the herbs. It’s super easy to grow, either indoors or outdoors and it can be harvested in as little as four weeks.
And whether your Basil is a fragrant addition to your cooking, or just for aesthetics, it’s great as a beginner gardener’s plant.
Basil is perhaps most commonly associated with Italian sauces, but it’s actually a member of the mint family and originated in India. Basil also comes in a range of varieties including sweet Basil, purple Basil and spicy globe. Naturally that means it delivers a range of flavours too. Read on for more information on how to grow basil.
Sowing
You can sow Basil from February through to July. When sowing make sure it’s protected early in the season if there are frosts around. To help combat inclement weather VegTrug offers a cold cover to keep your plants warm in the colder months.
You can plant a pot-grown specimen from early June to July and in a well-drained sunny spot. Place each plant about 30cm apart and to a depth of about 0.5cm. Basil shouldn’t be overwatered as it won’t enjoy sitting in wet compost. Pinch out shoots to create a bushy plant.
Growing
Whatever type of Basil you choose, it will grow happily in warm weather and thrives as well in the ground as it does in a good container, like a VegTrug. The flowers are edible too and bees love them. If you’re a bee fan you might even like to add the Bee Bar accessory which encourages non-stinging bees to lay eggs in its walls and promotes pollination of your plants.
In hot countries Basil will need some shade, but in more temperate climates Basil will happily grow with six to eight hours of full sun each day. The soil should be moist but not wet. Mulch helps to retain water. And if you’ve started your Basil indoors, you may need to help it acclimatise when you first put it outside.
Fertiliser will help your Basil grow healthily, particularly if you’re removing leaves to eat daily. And Basil is really too delicate to handle any frost.
Pests and Bugs
Basil is really easy to grow, but like any plant can have issues with pests and bugs. If you want to know how to grow basil you might come across any of the following.
Aphids, or greenfly, and whitefly are the biggest nuisances for Basil, and especially on plants grown indoors. Outside snails and slugs like Basil as much as you do, and will chomp on the leaves while you sleep. One way to stop pests is to spray the entire plant with a soap and water solution. Use two teaspoons of washing up liquid to a gallon or 4.5 litres of water. Or use a horticultural soap.
Basil leaves are also susceptible to powdery mildew, but the risks can be reduced by the proper spacing out of your Basil plants. Damaged leaves should be removed immediately.
Preparing and using fresh Basil
Basil is really easy to grow, but like any plant can have issues with pests and bugs. If you want to know how to grow basil you might come across any of the following.
Aphids, or greenfly, and whitefly are the biggest nuisances for Basil, and especially on plants grown indoors. Outside snails and slugs like Basil as much as you do, and will chomp on the leaves while you sleep. One way to stop pests is to spray the entire plant with a soap and water solution. Use two teaspoons of washing up liquid to a gallon or 4.5 litres of water. Or use a horticultural soap.
Basil leaves are also susceptible to powdery mildew, but the risks can be reduced by the proper spacing out of your Basil plants. Damaged leaves should be removed immediately.
How to grow Basil is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Bay
How to Grow Bay
Used for its striking appearance and its strong flavours, bay is one of the oldest plants in cultivation.
It’s a staple in any herb garden is used fresh or dried in soups and stews. Because bay is a tree that’s easy to shape and can grow as high as 8m, it’s a topiary favourite too. For flavouring, bay leaves can be harvested at any time of the year.
Bay is a relatively straightforward plant to care for too. It can be planted in the ground and does equally well in a pot. Read on for more on how to grow bay.
Planting
Bay is commonly found in garden centres and can be planted throughout the early spring and summer months, typically from March to June. Young bay plants can be planted as soon as any frosts have passed.
If you’re planting your bay in the ground, dig in some compost and if you are planting your bay in a pot, a soil-based compost also works. In both cases you might want to add some grit for drainage. Your bay needs regular water but won’t thrive if its roots become waterlogged, so ensure adequate drainage for the roots. Young plants should be sheltered from full sun and wind if possible as these are more delicate.
Water the plants well and often for the first few weeks while the plant settles.
Growing
Except in drier climes, any bay that’s in the ground should get enough water from rainfall. Don’t allow your bay to dry out but any excess should be allowed to drain away as a bay doesn’t like its roots waterlogged. Add a little plant food every month. If your bay is in a pot, then you will need to repot it at least every three years. Once bay has established it can handle full sun.
But if you’re concerned about how to grow bay during the winter the following should help. Frost and freezing conditions can severely damage bay. Move your plants inside if you can, or use the shelter of a porch. If temperatures drop below -5° the roots can become susceptible. If you can’t move the tree, consider wrapping it in a fleece or bubble wrap.
In the summer you can prune, in the spring cut back to rejuvenate the plant.
Problems growing Bay
Plants do get problems and part of understanding how to grow bay is dealing with them when they arise. For the most part growing bay is fairly trouble free. Frost damaged leaves, those that are black or brown, can be picked off or trimmed in the spring. Yellow leaves can be a sign of waterlogged roots or not enough nutrients.
If you discover discoloured and curled up leaves or those that are sticky bay leaf suckers could be the problem. Sap-feeding bay leaf suckers are winged insects that attack young bay foliage, but can be dealt with by removing the offending leaves. Bigger outbreaks might require pruning. Vine weevils or scale insects can cause similar symptoms.
Preparing and using your Bay
Fresh bay leaves are used in cooking can be harvested throughout the year, picked as required. If you want dried bay leaves, dry out individual leaves or entire sprigs in a warm place, then store in an airtight container up a to a year.
How to grow Bay is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Chervil
How to Grow Chervil
Chervil is a more refined tasting relative of parsley and is used with a wide range of dishes. Its gentle aniseed flavour adds zing to salads and is a primary ingredient in Fines Herbes, one of the three standard herb mixes in French fine dining.
Chervil is a perfect addition to any VegTrug and even thrives in cool, shady areas where other plants can’t. VegTrug’s deep v-shape is perfect for the long root of chervil. In the hottest climates, grow chervil during the winter – it might not survive the hot summer temperatures. Read on for more information about how to grow chervil.
Planting
Chervil is sensitive to hot climates and thrives best in cooler climates and seasons. In the UK you should sow between March and August. In hotter climates you’ll need to sow during the winter months. If the soil is too warm, chervil won’t germinate. If you want a growing-season long harvest, sow your chervil every two to three weeks, in areas where temperatures stay above freezing and below 20°C.
Once established chervil doesn’t like to be moved either, so when you’re thinking about how to grow chervil successfully it’s ideally grown from seed in the garden or a container like a VegTrug. Chervil grows well in deep pots and containers as long as you keep the soil moist and well fed with the right nutrition. Chervil’s root is long so the container depth is important.
Sow your seeds in shallow drills, roughly 1cm deep and 30cm apart. Make sure the soil is well-drained and that you’ve got two months without frost ahead of you.
Growing
You might not see the first seedlings for around two weeks and to get the best from your plants keep them watered regularly. And as mentioned chervil thrives best in a shady spot. Extreme temperatures can cause established chervil to turn to seed.
On the subject of seed, chervil is a fruitful self-seeding plant. So, unless you want your VegTrug completely filled with Chervil you should remove some of the flower to prevent the seeds spreading too much.
Chervil can be grown in winter too, and not just in hot climates. Cover with a VegTrug cold frame in the winter.
Once the flowers appear you won’t be able to eat the leaves, so sow regularly if you want Chervil throughout the growing season.
Pests and Problems growing Chervil
Part of successfully understanding how to grow chervil means dealing with the possibility of pests, bugs and other problems.
Aphids, or greenfly, can be a problem for chervil growers, especially on plants grown indoors. Snails and slugs can be an issue too. To help prevent greenfly and birds getting at your precious plants and seeds there’s a helpful mesh cover available for your VegTrug.
You could spray your chervil with a soap and water mixture of two teaspoons of washing up liquid to a gallon or 4.5 litres of water. Or try a horticultural soap.
Preparing and using your Bay
Chervil is a foundation in the herb mixes that make up classic French cooking. It’s great raw in salads too.
You should only have to wait around nine weeks before you can cut the first leaves ready for cooking. But regular cutting will encourage better growth.
Chervil delivers its best flavours when the leaves are young and once they change to a bronze or purple colour they will be too bitter.
How to grow Chervil is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Chives
How to Grow Chives
Chives are a low maintenance hardy perennial – it reproduces itself from small bulbs – and grows to 30cm tall. Whilst chives will grow almost anywhere, they seem to have a better flavour if grown in sunny, dry situations.
With a mild onion taste and lovely purple flowers, chives taste good and look good too. They’re great in stews and soups, chives are also wonderful chopped into salads, bringing that lovely onion flavour. Read on for more information about how to grow chives.
Planting and Sowing
Chives are easy to grow and thrive well in the ground or a plant container, like a VegTrug. They’re perfect for a windowsill too. In the UK, you can sow chive seeds in March to May and harvest them from June and into September, but don’t harvest them until their second year.
To start with seeds, plant a few seeds in small pots, water them and cover with a propagator. Or if you’re using a VegTrug try a greenhouse attachment or greenhouse cover. Chives germinate in temperatures of around 20-25°C and you should see the first seedlings in around three weeks.
Once they appear you can remove the cover and let them grow. You won’t need to thin the seedlings out unless there’s excessive crowding.
When they reach around 5cm you can transfer your young plants to a larger pot and it’s best to choose cooler areas until they are ready to be moved to their final growing conditions, at around 10cm, either the ground or a large container.
Plants from garden centres can be put outside straight away.
Growing
The secret of how to grow chives successfully is in planting them in fertile soil, that’s got good drainage. In summer months and hot climates make sure to water them regularly and remove any faded leaves or flowers. They’ll grow in sun or partially shaded areas. When looked after, your chives will grow year after year, dying in winter and growing again in spring.
Chives should be propagated by division every three to four years. In the spring or autumn tease the bulbs apart and replant into rich soil, about 8in (20cm) apart.
Keep them watered, but not waterlogged, and your chives should reach around 30cm tall.
Pests and Problems growing Chives
Chives don’t suffer too much with growing pains, but as with any plants there are some issues to look out for.
Aphids, or greenfly, can be a problem for chives where there are new shoots. You can help control greenfly by using the helpful mesh cover that’s available for your VegTrug. You could also try a horticultural soap.
Leek rust can be a problem when you’re looking at how to grow chives.
This fungal disease shows itself as bright yellow spots. Small occurrences won’t hurt and you can just remove the offending leaves. But there’s no cure and if you discover a lot of Leek Rust, you should just get rid of the affected plants, but not in compost as this can spread the disease further. It’s best to avoid planting leeks and onions in the same spot for three years.
Giving the plants plenty of space will help prevent the disease spreading and lowers the risk of the disease developing in the first place.
Preparing and using your fresh Chives
Cut your chives from the base of the plant, which encourages more leaves to grow. The flowers are edible but the stems from flowering parts aren’t, so remove them. Chives can be frozen, at the expense of some flavour, but like most herbs are best served fresh.
How to grow Chervil is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Coriander
How to Grow Coriander
Coriander is an easy-to-grow herb that comes in many varieties. Its leaves, stalks and seeds are popular for their tangy and aromatic addition to salads, curries, Chinese and Thai foods.
Some varieties are cultivated to produce more leaves, while others will produce more seeds.
Coriander leaves are often referred to as cilantro and it’s been linked to medicinal uses too (although there’s insufficient scientific evidence), including improving stomach disorders. Read below for more on how to grow coriander.
Sowing
You can sow coriander from seeds or from pots from spring to autumn, but coriander can sometimes be slow to germinate so crushing the seeds just a little can help. You should start to see seedlings anywhere between 7 and 20 days. Sow in full sun.
If you still want to be eating tasty home-grown coriander well into the winter, you can sow coriander seeds in autumn, using cloches or a polytunnel to protect the plants from the cold.
Plant your coriander where you want it to grow; it quickly develops a deep taproot that doesn’t respond well to transplanting. Sow seeds 1.5cm deep after all danger of frost has passed. When plants emerge, thin them to 10cm apart and mulch to conserve moisture and deter weeds. Once you’re comfortable with how to grow coriander, you can ensure a steady supply of leaves by sowing succession crops every three weeks until late summer.
Growing
Keep a close eye on young plants to make sure they don’t dry out. Coriander doesn’t need a huge amount of water, but the roots do need to be kept moist. And keep any weeds at bay so they don’t compete for the nutrients, but generally coriander won’t need additional nutrients.
Pests and Bugs
While coriander is straightforward, it can have issues with bugs and problems. While you’re learning how to grow coriander you might come across any of the following pests.
Aphids are among the biggest nuisances for plants grown indoors and on windowsills. One way to stop pests is to spray the entire plant with a soap and water solution. Use two teaspoons of washing up liquid to a gallon or 4.5 litres of water. Or use a horticultural soap.
Outside snails and slugs will feast on the leaves too, so either cover with netting or use another form of control, such as eggshells to hinder snails and the like.
Preparing and using your fresh Coriander
Coriander’s leaves, the seeds and the stems can all be eaten. Picking young leaves will not only give you the tastiest herbs, but it will also encourage the growth of newer, fresher leaves too. The flowers can be eaten, or left to form delicious seeds.
You can also dry out the seeds and the stems. Keep them in an airtight container, ready to add some tanginess into your favourite dishes as and when you need them. Or you can take up the leaves, stem and seeds, chop finely and freeze the lot.
How to grow Coriander is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Dill
How to Grow Dill
Tasty dill is an easy-to-grow herb that is famed as the main ingredient of dill pickle. Its leaves, stalks, flowers and seeds are all edible and used in soups, salads and fish dishes, while the eye-catching yellow flowers attract a host of wildlife including bees and butterflies.
Dill weed, as it’s also sometimes known, has been linked to medicinal uses too and has huge quantities of flavonoids which are known to be beneficial to heart health and cholesterol (although there’s insufficient scientific evidence of dill’s effect on humans). Read below for more on how to grow Dill and enjoy this pretty herb.
Sowing
You can sow dill seeds straight outdoors in your VegTrug once the frosts have passed. In the UK you can start sowing outdoors in April. But you can also plant them earlier in trays or under cover. Again, if you plant dill in trays, wait until the risk of frost has passed before transplanting them. Dill does best in a sunny area that’s protected from the elements.
To make life easier place your seeds in 1cm deep rows, spread thinly. Dill roots are sensitive and will go to seed early if the roots are damaged when you thin out the young plants. And if you want a regular supply throughout the summer, sow regularly.
Growing
The deep v-shape of our classic VegTrug is perfect for dill’s long taproot. When it comes to how to grow dill well, remember to keep the soil moist, particularly in hot climates or seasons. Dill is sensitive to heat, but don’t overwater the soil or let it get waterlogged. Dill also attracts bees naturally and you can even add a Bee Bar to your classic or wall hugger VegTrug planters to encourage solitary non-stinging bees to lay their eggs.
Cutting new leaves regularly will help your dill thrive and can help prevent the plant from flowering too soon.
Pests and Bugs
Dill, like any plant, can have problems with pests and bugs.
While learning how to grow dill, you’ll more than likely find a few butterfly caterpillars taking a bite out of your dill in the early days, but for most people the sight of the stunning black swallowtail butterflies is more than worth it.
Aphids, or greenfly, love the sap on young leaves, and snails and slugs might also make an appearance. A horticultural soap can help with greenfly, or cover the plants top make things difficult for snails and slugs.
Preparing and using your fresh Dill
The leaves are suitable for fresh use until the flowers start to appear. Once this happens you’ll need to dry the leaves for storage. Make sure your dill is fully dry, then store in an airtight container.
You can also collect the seeds by placing a small bag with holes for air over the flower head and shaking the seeds into it. Leave the bag in place for a week or so before removal.
How to grow Dill is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Garlic
How to Grow Garlic
A popular Mediterranean herb, garlic is easy to grow. Go for named varieties from reputable garden centres and you can get a good yield. Don’t try to grow bulbs from supermarket garlic, as these bulbs carry a risk of disease.
Garlic comes in two types – softneck or hardneck. Hardneck has a stronger flavour and produces larger but fewer cloves. It flowers easily too. Softneck only flowers if it’s stressed but produces more cloves and stores for longer. Softneck is also more at risk from prolonged cold.
Read more about this popular Mediterranean herb in our ‘how to grow garlic’ guide.
Sowing
Garlic is different in that it’s sown from individual cloves rather than seeds. Some varieties can be sown in spring and others in late autumn or early winter. This is because, despite its Mediterranean roots, garlic needs a period of colder weather to thrive. Most varieties need a month or two of temperatures between 0°C and 10°C. When the weather heats up make sure your garlic gets full sun.
Garlic won’t like heavy wet soil and could rot in these conditions in winter, so start off by planting a single clove in a pot and growing in a cold frame.
If you’re planting garlic in your VegTrug, sow a clove every 15cm and create plenty of drainage. Put them deep enough so the tip of the clove is a couple of centimetres below the soil. Also make sure the pointed tip is at the top and the flat part of the clove is at the bottom.
Growing
Garlic is straightforward to grow. Water regularly in the hotter months and use a good nitrogen feed throughout early and mid-spring. Allow garlic full sun and keep weeds away so your garlic isn’t competing for nutrients and light. Remove any flowers that appear. Once the foliage starts to turn yellow you can reduce the watering as the bulbs are almost ready for harvesting. You can pick garlic in July or August.
Pests and Bugs
Part of the onion family, garlic can suffer onion white rot. This disease is in the soil so you can’t do a lot about it. The problem with onion white rot, when you’re learning how to grow garlic, is that it’s hard to spot until you dig up the plant and see a white fluffy coating on the bulbs. You might see the leaves dying but it coincides with the time the leaves would die back anyway.
If this happens remove all the affected plants and dispose of them in the bin, not on a compost heap. Growing your garlic in a VegTrug, using soil that’s not from the garden can help.
Leek rust is another fungus that affects this family. Rusty blisters appear on the leaves but it won’t affect the bulbs. You can help stop the disease spreading by removing those affected.
Pigeons also love freshly sown garlic cloves. So once you’ve planted the bulbs it’s a good idea to cover with nets until the young plants are 5cm tall.
Preparing and using your Garlic
Garlic is used sliced, thinly chopped, crushed with a little salt or roasted whole. When the leaves turn yellow you can lift the bulbs, taking care not to damage them. Dry the cloves in a well-ventilated place and store, ready for use. Softneck varieties will last longer in storage.
How to grow Dill is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Mint
How to grow Mint
From tea to potatoes, ice cream to a garnish for roasted lamb, mint comes in a range of varieties and is a favourite flavour across the world. It’s easy to grow from root cuttings and what’s more, mint attracts the insects that benefit your whole garden.
But you will need to keep an eye on those expanding roots. Read more on how to grow mint in our guide below.
Sowing
You can sow mint from seeds but it’s so easy to grow that you might as well use a cutting from a root or plant. To start, plant small pieces of root 6cm deep and 15cm apart in late April early May or early September, in the UK. Choose well drained soil too because mint needs moist, not waterlogged soil.
The best way to plant mint is within a small bottomless container inside your VegTrug. This is because mint roots expand vigorously and will overrun everything else if given the chance. You should also make sure the top of the pot is above the soil, to stop shoots getting out over the top.
Finally, it’s best not to plant any different mint varieties too close to each other as they could easily lose their specific flavours. Top dress with compost in the autumn.
Growing
Mint grows fast, and to get the best from your plants thin them regularly. It can grow up to three feet tall in the right conditions. When you’re planning how to grow mint in your VegTrug, remember to keep the roots under control. Runners can even find their way through cracks in pots.
Mint likes sun in the morning and some shade during the afternoon and if you want to pick your mint for a long period, remove any flowering buds as soon as they appear. You should allow some plants to flower which will encourage pollination.
Mint can survive in light frosts and will even grow in climates that have warmer weather during the winter season. If your winters aren’t mild, then cut the stem to ground level and cover with mulch.
If you’re growing your mint in a VegTrug, then you should divide out the plants every three years and ensure there’s plenty of drainage – adding stones will do the trick. You can add a little plant food a couple of times throughout the season too. Don’t let your mint dry out.
Pests and Bugs
You know how to grow mint properly, but like any herb mint can develop problems. Mint can get rust, a fungal infection which shows as small yellowish orange or black spots or blisters that form on the leaves. Rust can lead to the death of the whole plant. Small outbreaks can be dealt with by removing the affected leaves but if the outbreak is big, you should remove the entire plant and dispose of it. Don’t put it in with the compost as the infection can spread.
Mint also gets mint beetle, a small green beetle that feeds on mint plants. Its larvae are found as tiny black dots. Large quantities can overwhelm and kill plants but as mint grows so quickly you shouldn’t need to worry too much. Any beetles can be removed by hand.
Preparing and using your Mint
Mint is at its best when fresh, although it can be chopped and added to water for freezing in ice-cube trays. Picking your mint often will help encourage new growth. Pick from late spring through to autumn and add to a dish as required.
How to grow Mint is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Nasturtium
How to grow Nasturtium
Nasturtium comes in a range of varieties. There are those with bushy leaves for borders, or trailing varieties that are perfect for containers and climbing. There’s a nasturtium for every garden.
They grow fast and are enjoyed for the array of colourful and pretty flowers these easy to care for plants produce. What’s more the plant and flowers are edible, adding peppery tones to salads and soups.
Read more below on how to grow nasturtium easily.
Sowing
Nasturtium needs warm soil, full sun and you can plant nasturtium outside after the first frosts have gone or plant earlier using a VegTrug greenhouse cover. Well drained soil is essential but unlike many other plants and herbs nasturtium thrives in poor quality soil.
Sow them as seeds directly into 1.5cm deep holes, and about 12cm apart. When the first shoots appear, separate them to about 30cms apart. If you want to start them indoors in pots place one seed in a 9cm pot then plant outside towards the end of spring.
Growing
Once you learn how to grow nasturtium, it requires very little care. You can leave them alone and they’ll actually do brilliantly. Too much care, in the form of fertilizers and overwatering means you’ll likely get too much green and not the stunning array of flowers that come with this plant.
Remove dead heads for a longer season of those beautiful, bright flowers and if they’re in pots or containers keep them watered and the soil moist, but well drained. Outside they probably won’t need watering at all, or rarely. Nor can they handle too much humidity or overly dry climates. Nasturtium prefers daytime temperatures around 20-30°C.
If you’ve chosen a climbing variety you can train them to climb garden features. The bushy varieties are great in borders. Choose a trailing variety for your VegTrug and prune, probably, twice throughout the season. Cut between 15 and 30cm off long stems and remove dead flowers.
Pests and Bugs
As with any plant you’ll possibly have to deal with a host of bugs and pests. If you’re looking at how to grow nasturtium, it’s worth looking at a few of the main culprits, like these below.
Nasturtium actually attracts bugs and pests so you can use it to lure them away from your other plants, although it will be at the expense of your lovely nasturtium. Often cabbage white butterflies lay their eggs on the nasturtium leaves and the hatching young then eat the leaves.
Aphids are also a particular problem for nasturtium and they can also suffer bacterial leaf spot, which shows as small brown or black spots. Allowing for ample airflow and watering using a drip method can reduce the chance of this happening. Waterlogged nasturtium can suffer root rot, so make sure there’s good drainage.
Preparing and using your Nasturtium
Similar to watercress, nasturtium gives salads a slightly hot, peppery flavour and the leaves, seeds and flowers are all edible. The seed pods are pickled and used in place of capers and you can collect the ripe seeds, dry them out and sow them again the following year.
How to grow Nasturtium is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Parsley
How to grow Parsley
Parsley is hugely versatile and comes in flat leaf or curly varieties. Curly parsley is darker, has a milder taste, and is traditionally found in the UK, but in reality flat leaf is the more commonly used in dishes around the world.
It’s super easy to grow and makes a great starter plant. What’s more, if you can get your kids to learn how to grow parsley and then try their own horticultural efforts, parsley is packed with vitamin C and iron.
Sowing
Parsley is slow to germinate and can take six weeks, but once you learn how to grow parsley you can enjoy it throughout the growing season. You’ll just need to keep sowing it every few weeks, starting in the spring. If you’re putting your seeds straight into the ground, place them in rows 1cm deep and at least 15cm apart. With a VegTrug, sow your seeds thinly and cover over with a little compost.
Parsley likes a sunny but partially shaded area.
When your new parsley plants are strong enough, thin them out so there’s a 2cm gap between each one.
You can even plant Parsley at the end of the season and bring the plants indoors during the winter months.
Growing
Parsley needs plenty of water and it’s especially important to keep it watered in hot months. Cut back any yellowing lower leaves and remove flowers to increase your harvesting time. Parsley will flower in its second year of growth unless you remove all the flowers. Cutting the leaves will also encourage more to grow.
The same process applies if you’re thinking about how to grow parsley in a VegTrug, but you should also feed the plants with a fertiliser every few weeks.
Pests and Bugs
Young parsley plants can come under attack from slugs and snails. There are various methods for discouraging snails and slugs from eggshells to sawdust and horticultural soap. But because parsley is a member of the same family as carrots, it can also suffer from carrot fly.
Carrot fly larvae hatch and tunnel into the roots of the plant, but sowing seeds in late spring, after the larvae hatch, can help. If you harvest parsley before mid-August you should avoid the second wave of larvae too. Planting parsley near strong smelling onions and garlic can help keep the fly off the scent.
Preparing and using your Parsley
Keep parsley on the menu throughout the season by sowing regularly. That way you can pick your parsley and have it fresh as you need it. Parsley’s at its best that way too. Cut the stem at its base to encourage new growth.
If you want to store your parsley, dry it and keep it in an air-tight jar, in a cool place, or chop it and freeze it, ready to add to your salads or sauces.
How to grow Parsley is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Rosemary
How to grow Rosemary
With its striking blue flowers and recognisable needle-like leaves, rosemary is both tasty and pretty. Rosemary has a pine-like fragrance and this evergreen herb has become a favourite seasoning, most popularly with lamb. Chopped up it makes a refreshing tea that’s used to aid digestion. Bees love it too.
Read more about this versatile Mediterranean herb in our ‘how to grow rosemary’ guide.
Sowing
Rosemary loves the sun and to thrive will need six to eight hours of full sunshine a day. But it’s best to keep it sheltered too. Plant seeds or young plants in the spring or autumn, in well-drained soil. Clay soil might need a little extra drainage added for rosemary to be successful.
It’s even better in a VegTrug because rosemary does well in containers. Rosemary can handle frosts, but young plants can fail if the roots become waterlogged during those frosty colder months. In winter, keep your container well drained and place the rosemary undercover with a VegTrug greenhouse cover or if it’s in a pot, bring it inside.
Growing
Once you’ve planted your seeds, you’ll need to know how to grow rosemary to keep yourself in fresh supply. Luckily, rosemary needs little attention, just cutting back every so often to keep the plants fresh and full. Leaving rosemary uncut might create a more twig-like plant. Add the cuttings to a lamb dish or dry them out for another time. Keep it well watered in the warmer months and add plant food every so often. You’ll need to cover them in the winter or bring them inside. Adding mulch will protect them too.
Pests and Bugs
Frost can be a problem for younger rosemary plants. In the winter cover with horticultural sheets, apply mulch to protect from frosts.
Scale insects and Rosemary Beetle are other pests that you might encounter. Scale insects are often found on the underside of the leaves. They suck the plant’s sap and their secretions encourage mould.
The Rosemary Beetle is a colourful red and green metallic beetle. The beetle and its larvae will quickly eat the leaves.
You can pick the beetle off by hand and with scale insects you can try biological controls, such as removing affected leaves and introducing natural predators before using pesticides.
Preparing and using your Rosemary
Once you know how to grow rosemary properly, you can enjoy it all year round but using fresh growth during the warmer months definitely tastes best. Cut off a branch and add it to a roast or add a few fresh leaves to a tomato soup. If you want to store your rosemary, dry it in a warm, airy space and keep the leaves in an air-tight jar ready to throw into a garnish or butter whenever the fancy takes you. Rosemary doesn’t freeze well though.
How to grow Rosemary is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Sage
How to grow Sage
Who doesn’t love a little sage and onion? Sage is a versatile herb, with a powerful flavour. Add a few leaves to a dish or make a healthy tea. Who doesn’t love a little sage and onion? Sage is a versatile herb, with a powerful flavour. Add a few leaves to a dish or make a healthy tea.
It’s packed with nutrients and antioxidants and it looks good too, so you won’t need to confine it to a herb garden. What’s more sage is really easy to grow. It can be planted in the ground or a container like a VegTrug.
Read on for more about how to grow sage.
Sowing
Sage is easiest when it’s grown from small plants and sage does well in pots or containers. In the ground, just plant them around two feet apart. If you want to grow from seeds or cuttings, plant in the spring in small pots. You can sow sage outside a couple of weeks before the final frosts. It likes the soil to be between 15°c and 20°c and in a sunny, but sheltered place. From seed you should see the first shoots in two-to three weeks. Add grit or sand drainage to heavy clay soil if needed.
Sage is a member of the mint family. Mint and cucumbers compete for the same nutrients and sage will also prevent cucumbers from growing so keep these well apart. Sage, however, grows well with carrots, tomatoes, parsley, strawberries and rosemary.
Growing
Healthy sage will grow between 12 and 30 inches high, just keep your young sage plants watered regularly and make sure the soil is well drained. Most herbs don’t thrive when the roots are waterlogged. A classic VegTrug is a perfect container when it comes to how to grow sage, because it’s raised which allows for drainage. Don’t let your sage dry out though, especially in the early days. In any case, full sun will really pack flavour into those pretty leaves.
Trim sage after flowering to encourage new growth but existing woody stems won’t produce new growth. Using slow release fertilisers at the start and end of summer will help sage thrive. In winter some leaves might become damaged, so cover with a fleece.
Pests and Bugs
Bugs and diseases are part of the growing cycle and although sage is relatively hassle-free, if you want to know how to grow sage well, you should be aware of the potential problems too.
Sage can suffer from powdery mildew, a fungal infection that appears as a white powder on leaves, stems and fruit. Keeping humidity levels low, removing infected leaves (but dispose of them carefully and not in the compost, where it can spread further0 and spacing out plants can help. Mildew doesn’t like direct contact with water.
The Rosemary beetle is a red and purple metallic-looking beetle, whose larvae will strip leaves and plants. The beetle can be seen and thus removed by hand. Red spider mites are tiny mites related to spiders and often a quick blast with a mist hose setting will remove them.
Capsid bugs are sap-suckers that are found on sage. Generally speaking healthy sage can handle them in normal numbers.
Preparing and using your Sage
Harvest sage as and when you need the leaves. It will grow all year but is best in the summer. It’s got a powerful flavour so only a small amount is usually required. Dry your sage in a warm, ventilated place and store in an air-tight container. Or add chopped leaves to ice cube moulds and freeze in water. Pop one out as you need it.
How to grow Rosemary is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Tarragon
How to grow Tarragon
A favourite in French cuisine, the subtle liquorice taste of tarragon gets added to fish, scrambled eggs and is one of the four main ingredients in the famous French herb blend ‘fines herbes’.
There are a few tarragon varieties, but with its stronger flavour, French tarragon is considered the tastiest.
Read more about this versatile herb in our ‘how to grow tarragon’ guide.
Sowing
Tarragon doesn’t seed well, so the best way of approaching how to grow tarragon is from small plants or by taking straight from a root ball or making cuttings from existing plants. Tarragon does well in containers too, so is perfect for your VegTrug. Start your planting in the middle of spring and position in a sunny but sheltered place. Make sure the soil is well drained too. You can plant tarragon right through to the end of summer.
Growing
Tarragon will last two to three years, dying back to the ground in winters (you may need to cover the plants with a fleece in colder or more exposed areas). After this divide the roots to create
Keep it well watered in the warmer months and remove any flowers, doing both encourages leafy growth. Don’t allow the plants to become waterlogged, however, as this may damage the roots. As long as you remove flowers as they appear you’ll get a constant supply of fresh leaves to use in dishes throughout the growing season – usually into the early autumn.
Pests and Bugs
Tarragon can suffer powdery mildew, but the risks can be reduced by the proper spacing out of your plants – aim for between 45 and 60 inches between them. Powdery mildew is a mist-like coating on the leaves and any with signs should be removed immediately. Watering from above can also help, as powdery mildew doesn’t like contact with water.
Tarragon can also suffer from orangey or black blisters, known as rust. Remove any plants immediately but don’t put them in the compost as the fungal spores can infect the compost and spread to any areas where you use the compost.
Preparing and using your Tarragon
Once you know how to grow tarragon, you’ll get steady supply of aniseedy-tasting leaves for those favourite chicken and fish dishes. Like most herbs, tarragon is best served fresh, but can also be dried and stored in air-tight containers.
Cut the shoots and remove the leaves, then add them to whatever you’re cooking.
How to grow Tarragon is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.
How to grow Thyme
How to grow Thyme
Thyme is a great herb that’s easy to grow and does well when left alone. It’s brilliant when used in cracks between rocks and paving and grows well at almost any time of year, just give it some full sun and you’ll be enjoying the fragrant herb in your dishes all year.
The leaves keep their flavour, even after flowers have appeared. There are around 200 varieties to choose from and most produce stunning white, pink and purple tube-like flowers.
Read more about this popular Mediterranean herb in our ‘how to grow Thyme’ guide.
Sowing
It’s from the Mediterranean, so thyme needs sunlight, not shelter and because it’s relatively hardy it can be planted at any time of the year and will grow enough to produce those tasty leaves. In winters you might need to add a layer of mulch just to give it a helping hand.
When it comes to how to grow thyme some argue that it’s quite tricky to grow thyme from seed, instead choosing to grow from a cutting or planting a young thyme plant. From seed you’ll need to propagate your thyme in a small pot and plant outside around six weeks later when the roots have established enough.
Thyme will thrive in pots or a container, like a VegTrug, as long as the soil is light and well drained. If thyme stays wet there is a chance it will rot. But other than that, thyme’s happy when left to get on with things. Because thyme likes poor quality soil, it won’t necessarily grow well with other plants that need good-quality soil.
Growing
While thyme plants are fairly robust and can handle droughts, be sure not to let them dry out for too long a period in hotter months.
Once the flowers have appeared, trim your thyme back. This will encourage new growth, otherwise you’ll get wood-like growth.
Pests and Bugs
Thyme is a pretty carefree plant, but as with all herbs and vegetables can suffer from one or two issues. When you’re learning how to grow thyme you might come across the Rosemary beetle, a distinct and colourful red and green metallic insect.
The beetle and its larvae will quickly eat the leaves. But it’s quite easy to spot and you can pick the beetle off by hand.
And as mentioned if your thyme stays wet the roots can suffer rot. Use well drained soil and consider bringing the plants indoors during winter months.
Preparing and using your Thyme
You can pick thyme at any time, but it’s at its tastiest in the summer before the flowers appear. Thyme also dries well. Dry them fully and store in an air-tight container. When harvesting be sure to keep two-thirds of the plant behind.
How to grow Thyme is part of the VegTrug Grower’s Guide.