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Why Recycled Containers Are Perfect for Herbs

Herbs are the ideal first crop for anyone with limited space, limited time or limited confidence. They are forgiving, they crop quickly, and most of them actively prefer the cramped, well-drained conditions that a tin or a crate can offer. Best of all, a supermarket punnet of basil costs more than a whole packet of seed that will keep you in pesto until autumn.

Using recycled containers also solves a practical problem. Herbs need good drainage and modest root room, which is exactly what an old olive oil tin, a wooden wine crate or a battered enamel jug provides. You avoid buying plastic pots, you give a second life to something destined for the bin, and you end up with a windowsill that looks pleasingly unlike everyone else's. There is no need for special equipment beyond a hammer, a nail and a bag of peat-free multi-purpose compost.

Choosing and Preparing Your Containers

Almost anything watertight can be made to work, provided you give it drainage holes. Depth matters more than width, so match the container to the herb.

• Shallow (8–12cm): old baking tins, muffin trays and sardine tins suit thyme, oregano, marjoram and winter savory, which all hail from rocky Mediterranean hillsides.
• Medium (15–20cm): baked bean tins, coffee tins, jam jars and small wooden crates are ideal for basil, chives, dill, coriander and mint.
• Deep (25cm or more): a large olive oil tin, a metal bucket or a stout wooden box will keep parsley happy, as it sends down a long taproot.

To make holes in metal, turn the tin upside down on a firm surface and tap a nail through with a hammer in four or five evenly spaced spots. Aim for holes about 5mm across. For glass jars, the safest approach is to use them as a cachepot: stand a smaller plastic pot with drainage inside, and tip out any water that collects. Rust is inevitable on untreated tins; expect two or three seasons, or paint the outside with a metal primer and an oil-based topcoat to extend its life. Wooden crates benefit from a coat of linseed oil, and a piece of old compost bag or bubble wrap lining the base slows the rot.

Compost, Drainage and Feeding

Fill your containers with peat-free multi-purpose compost, which holds moisture well and has enough nutrients for the first six weeks or so. For the Mediterranean herbs — thyme, rosemary, oregano and lavender — mix in grit or perlite at roughly one part to three parts compost. They will sulk and rot in rich, soggy conditions.

Skip the traditional layer of broken crocks or gravel in the base. It does not improve drainage; it simply raises the water table inside the pot, leaving roots sitting closer to the wet zone. Good holes, a saucer or tray to catch run-off, and a compost that drains freely are all that is needed.

Start feeding once plants have been in place for about six weeks. A dilute liquid seaweed or tomato feed every fortnight through spring and summer is ample. More feeding than that produces soft, flavourless leaves, which is the opposite of what you want from a herb.

The Best Herbs for a First Attempt

Some herbs are far easier than others, so begin with a handful of reliable performers.

• Basil: sow in late spring on a warm windowsill. Pinch out the growing tips regularly to keep plants bushy and prevent them bolting.
• Mint: never grow from seed, as results vary wildly. Buy a supermarket pot, split the rootball into two or three pieces and pot each into its own container. Keep it isolated, because mint spreads aggressively.
• Chives: tolerant of shade and light frost, and they will come back year after year if left in a decent-sized tin. Snip leaves rather than pulling them.
• Parsley: slow to germinate but worthwhile. Soak the seed overnight before sowing and expect three weeks before you see anything.
• Thyme and oregano: buy a small plant rather than sowing seed, and let the compost dry out between waterings.
• Coriander: sow a few seeds every three weeks for a continuous supply, as it runs to flower quickly in heat.

Planting Up and Everyday Care

Water the compost before planting, then firm plants in gently so the roots sit at the same level they were in their original pot. Leave a 2cm gap below the rim so you can water without it sloshing over the sides. Space plants according to their final size — a single basil plant wants a whole bean tin to itself.

Light is the deciding factor for flavour. Most herbs want six hours of direct sun a day, so a south-facing windowsill or a sheltered patio wall is ideal. Turn containers a quarter-turn every few days so stems grow straight rather than leaning towards the glass. Water in the morning where possible, aiming at the compost rather than the leaves, and check twice daily in midsummer — containers dry out fast. If you are going away, stand pots in a tray of water on a gravel bed, or group them together in the shade to reduce evaporation.

Harvest little and often. Never take more than a third of a plant at once, and always cut above a leaf joint so new shoots break away below the cut. Regular picking is what keeps herbs productive and prevents them turning woody.

Overwintering and Troubleshooting

• Leggy, pale seedlings: not enough light. Move them closer to the window or add a cheap clip-on grow light.
• Yellowing lower leaves and a sour smell: overwatering. Let the compost dry out and check the drainage holes are clear.
• Bare, woody stems on thyme or rosemary: trim lightly after flowering, never into old wood, which rarely reshoots.
• Autumn protection: move tender herbs such as basil and coriander indoors before the first frost, and raise containers onto pot feet so winter wet drains away from rosemary and lavender, which hate sitting in cold, sodden compost.

Start with two or three containers this spring, learn what your light and your watering can will support, and add a tin or two next year. By the time summer arrives you will be cutting your own herbs for very little money and rather more satisfaction than a supermarket ever provides.