- You can start almost any herb seed in a 4-inch-diameter pot. This gives the seeds enough room to sprout and grow while ensuring that the soil stays evenly moist and warm. Only plant one seed per 4-inch pot, pressing each seed down into the soil with your thumb. Water the seeds with about 1/2 cup of water whenever the soil feels dry. Place the pots in a warm, sunny windowsill.
- It is possible to maintain certain herbs in 4-inch pots throughout their growth cycles, but you must keep them thinned. This means you should plant herbs that you plan to use a lot. Parsley, in particular, requires very little space and can thrive in a 4-inch pot as long as it has proper care and thinning. Plants will continue to grow and spread as long as they can reap nutrients from the soil. Be prepared to dry your own herbs if you plant something like mint, which is invasive.
- Some herbs require transplantation when they reach a certain size. Tarragon, according to Container Gardening Tips, requires a 12-inch pot after it reaches about 6 inches in size. If not repotted, tarragon will not thrive. Though it doesn't get very large, this little herb needs plenty of space to stretch out its roots.
- Some herbs, like basil, require less than 4 inches of space to grow. According to the National Gardening Association, basil requires a pot only 2 inches in diameter after its first true leaves form. For this reason, basil may make a practical companion plant to other herbs in a slightly larger pot. You could, for instance, plant basil and cilantro together in a 6- to 8-inch pot. This gives you a simple one-pot garden, saving other pots for other herbs.
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