10 Herb Plants That Are Difficult To Grow

The indoor herb garden has taken a huge leap in popularity over the last decade or so. In fact, it is probably because of the popularity of growing herbs indoors. The growing process for most herbs is relatively easy and usually requires only basic supplies and equipment.

However, many indoor growing plants require more attention than the average home gardener would typically give. So we had a team to test out which herbs would be the hardest to grow at home, at least for them.

They had originally intended on starting their herb garden with herbs they knew nothing about. Luckily, they discovered that lavender, one of the most difficult to grow, and survive in a regular garden.

The team was able to quickly conclude that growing lavender was not as difficult as many might think. With some basic tools and know-how, anyone can grow any variety of lavender and most of the others.

Lavender

The most successful and common way of growing lavender is by growing it from seed. It is very difficult to grow lavender from cutting. Most seed plants bloom during their second year. If you plan on growing lavender from seed, the first year will be spent developing the desired size and shape of the plant as well as creating a favorable environment for blooming.

After the year is done, you will need to make sure the soil and the plant itself stay in good health. One way of ensuring that the plant and the soil stay healthy, is to make sure your garden has regular watering. Drought-tolerant plants do not do well in dry, nutrient poor soil.

Dill

The first thing you need to keep in mind when growing dill in containers is that the required depth of your containers must be equal to or greater than the root height of the plant. Dill grows a very long tap root, which means that any container should be deeper than 12″ (30 cm.) – this is the bare minimum. 

Many indoor gardeners mistakenly plant their seedlings too high. This causes their roots to go directly up out of the soil, where they may not do well. So plant your seeds anywhere from six to ten inches deep is a great place for your seeds to grow, especially in growing dill. For this reason, make sure you make your seedlings’ pots as deep as possible.

Coriander

Growing coriander is a popular choice for herb gardeners because of its pleasant flavor and aroma. Coriander’s hardiness allows it to handle hot, dry summers and mild winters. It can also handle drought conditions that would reduce the growth of other herbs. This makes it a perfect herb for growing in areas that receive little or no rainfall. Plant coriander in a sunny location and keep it away from weeds.

Prepare the soil by digging it well and adding organic matter, like well-rotted compost or well-composted manure, to it. Then, rake the ground so that it is level and then sow seeds at 4 inches distance each. If you’re growing coriander with its seeds, grow them in full sunlight. Coriander is still best sown in a garden, but if you don’t have any garden space, than pots or planters is an ideal choice for a beginner.

Basil

Growing basil can sometimes be a little difficult. For best results use any container with holes on the bottom. Lately there have been many people are using the window boxes for growing basil all year round. Using a well draining soil is essential in order for your basil to grow well.

Most people prefer to start their basil planting with small to medium-sized pots, so they can take it indoors during the winter. As long as the area is given time to settle and get used to the new growing conditions it will be easy for you to harvest your basil and enjoy the delicious flavors throughout summer and winter.

Rosemary

The three necessities for growing Rosemary are bright sunshine, good soil, and proper air circulation. You can grow Rosemary as an annual, if you live in a mild frost-free zone or put it in a large pot that you bring inside well before the first frosts. Rosemary will tolerate some shade, but it loves to get a lot of sunlight and the flowers will produce yellow blooms if left to grow in the shade.

Cuttings take very little time to germinate and bloom, and you can even propagate the cuttings from the older, established plants by replanting them outdoors. Rosemary will thrive in a location with good drainage, so spend some time watering and checking on the soil every few days.

Mint

Mint is one of those perennial garden plants that you just cannot live without. It thrives in almost any type of soil; the real trick to growing mint is ensuring that the soil is rich with nutrients. As far as fertilization is concerned, putting compost on the surface of the soil will ensure that the soil is well-fitted to accept nutrients before anything else.

If you are new to gardening or simply haven’t attempted growing mint yet, a little bit of patience is required. Make sure that the potting mix that you choose is high in nitrogen and it needs to have good drainage,  and shouldn’t be acidic in nature. It is best to plant mint away from other herbaceous plants.

Parsley

Growing parsley in a container is an easy way to get the health benefits from one of the most popular herbs grown in the United States. This perennial plant will leave your food filled with flavor all year long.The shiny green leaves of this herb have a mild lemon flavor. You can chew on the fresh parsley when it is young, as the flavor of this herb stays on better with the flavor when it is young.

The plant has a bulbous head that grows from the base of the plant to the top of the leaf. The leaves are full of flavor and when they are removed from the plant they look just like spinach. This perennial herb grows best in full sunlight and well drained soil.

Oregano

The easiest method to plant oregano is with seeds. Sow some seeds in a seed starter tray and cover with a thin layer of potting soil. After the seedlings appear, you can transplant the young plants into a larger container and plant them in the spot where you want to grow oregano.

Grow the seedlings in a sunny location, away from too much shade. Once they are established, supplement their diet with a good, rich fertilizer. You can also alternate mulches with the natural mulches made of sphagnum moss.

Sage

Learning how to grow a lot of herbs at home, even the notorious, climbing, evergreen sage plant, can be quite a challenge. There are certain growing tips you can follow when attempting to garden sage. If you already have an established garden of some kind, you may already have the basic gardening know-how to succeed.

If not, you will need to get some basic sage plant growing tips. But with the proper care and attention you can easily master the art of growing sage. When growing garden sage, it’s important that the soil is well draining and the plant gets plenty of direct sunlight, and is watered regularly. 

Lemongrass

Growing lemongrass is a time-consuming process that can easily be accomplished in a few weeks if you are willing to invest a bit of hard work. The best way to grow this herb is from seed because it doesn’t grow very large. Growing it from cuttings takes longer but can yield excellent results if you start out with small pieces that can easily be pruned. Lemongrass thrives best if it gets about twice as much sunlight as shade. 

One other thing to remember when growing lemongrass plants is to water them often. They also don’t like to have their roots soak in water, so if you can keep them in a sunny window or even a well-drained pot, it will be much easier for you to take care of them. Another thing to remember is that they don’t like a lot of fertilizer.