If you’re starting a herb garden in your yard, zone 6 is the best gardening zone to be in. It’s hard to get plants to do anything in lower zones because their roots are just too shallow. But when you’re planting herbs, they don’t need deep roots. So make sure that your planting area has good drainage if you’re planting herbs in a deeper zone.
Most culinary herbs need about 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. Since an herb is growing in a container, it needs this light to be healthy. However, most can handle more direct sunlight, as long as it’s getting at least 4 hours a day. Most will even tolerate more sunlight, with some herbs such as Rosemary, basil and lavender thriving in full sunlight (6 hours).
All oregano, whether it’s for cooking or potpourri, will do better in cooler zones. Keep your plants cool by using shade cloths to block direct sunlight and keep containers cool. Don’t put your oregano plants in direct sunlight because that can cause them to rot. Also, oregano, like most herbs, will do better in partial shade. It’s best if you could plant your herb in one spot and have the rest of your garden shade the area.
Watering is another important factor to consider when you’re starting an indoor herb garden. Herbs can have drought tolerant traits, but they also require a lot of water. If you want your herbs to thrive, you’ll need to water them on a regular basis.
The soil that you’re planting in will also be an important consideration. Thyme will do well in a medium to heavy clay soil that has good drainage. Many farmers prefer to use compost as their soil, but the quality of soil in your region may not be good enough for these gardens. Clay soils are good for storing moisture, especially during the hot summer months, but they tend to dry out quickly after that. Thyme likes the soil type of well drained clay because that helps keep its fragrance alive longer.
On the other hand, chives grow best in a light to medium-drain state, so you should plant them in slightly looser soil with lots of drainage. Thyme will do very well in a well-drained soil with lots of sunshine. When choosing chives, pick a variety that’s good for growing outdoors, such as the Verona variety. If you live in a part of the country that has heavy frost, you’ll need to start planting them later in the year, while the thyme will do fine in milder climates.
The final consideration for what herbs grow in zone 6a is whether you want to grow any flowers or roots. Most people choose to grow mint, basil, and oregano because they’re attractive flowers, but there are some herbs with beautiful roots that can be planted as well. Rosemary is one example; you could place your pots near the Rosemary plants in your herb garden if it were a Rosemary plant. You don’t have to restrict yourself to just flowers when you start planting in this zone; many herbs do equally well with both roots and blossoms. Mint, for instance, will do well if you put some of its buds into a pot next to some of your indoor planting dates.
There are some important considerations to make before you begin planting, especially if you want to grow some herbs indoors. First, make sure that your pots are large enough to hold all the plants that you plan to put inside them. Also, keep in mind that herb plants can take over easily if they aren’t kept in check, so you should make sure that you trim any overgrown plants away from the main specimens before you put them inside. If you follow these suggestions, you’ll end up with a healthy indoor garden that will reward you with all kinds of tasty flowers and tasty herbs throughout the year.