Growing Herbs in a Small Garden Box
Growing your own herbs for cooking is fun because you can pick a handful whenever you need them, before they wilt. A single garden box about 30 cm wide can produce enough for a family of four to use two or three times a week. Even if you have never handled soil before, herbs are a low-failure beginner crop.
| Section | Key summary |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Even if you have never handled soil before, herbs are a low-failure beginner crop |
| What to prepare and how much it costs | You do not need to buy expensive tools from the start |
| Start with these three seedlings | Basil: loves sunlight and grows quickly, which makes it rewarding |
| Getting started | Fill the box about 80% full with potting soil and press it lightly by hand to level it |
| Tips for keeping them healthy longer | The most common mistake is watering too often |
What to prepare and how much it costs
You do not need to buy expensive tools from the start. The three essentials are a box, soil, and seedlings; most other items can be replaced with things you already have at home. The table below gives a baseline for the total budget.
| Item | Use | Approximate budget |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangular planter box (at least 25 cm wide) | Space for roots to spread | 8,000-15,000 KRW |
| 10 L horticultural potting soil | Drainage and nutrients | 6,000-9,000 KRW |
| 2-3 types of herb seedlings | Basil, mint, rosemary, etc. | 2,500-4,000 KRW each |
| Saucer | Catches drained water | 2,000 KRW |
| Spray bottle and small trowel | Watering and transplanting | 5,000 KRW |
The total budget is around 25,000-40,000 KRW. Starting from seeds is cheaper, but germination takes 2-3 weeks and the failure rate is higher, so for a first attempt, buying already-grown seedlings is recommended. The difficulty level is two out of five stars; if you can manage watering a potted plant, you can handle this.
Start with these three seedlings
- Basil: loves sunlight and grows quickly, which makes it rewarding. Good for pasta and salads.
- Mint: almost impossible to kill. However, it spreads aggressively, so plant it in its own pot if possible.
- Rosemary: a herb for lazy growers because it does not need frequent watering.
Getting started
- Place gravel or nonwoven fabric over the drainage holes at the bottom of the box so soil does not leak out, then set the box on a saucer.
- Fill the box about 80% full with potting soil and press it lightly by hand to level it.
- When taking seedlings out of their pots, do not shake off the soil around the roots; move each one as a whole and leave at least 10 cm between them.
- Press the soil around each seedling to remove gaps, then water slowly until the soil is thoroughly moist.
- Keep the box by a window or on a veranda that gets at least 4 hours of sunlight a day, and check the soil surface every day for the first week.
- Water only when the top 1-2 cm of soil is dry, and once the stems grow taller than 15 cm, pinch off the top shoots so the branches spread sideways.
Tips for keeping them healthy longer
The most common mistake is watering too often. If the soil is always wet, the roots rot and the leaves turn yellow. Make a habit of watering only when the soil feels dry two finger joints deep.