Herbs are easy to care for and can be harvested almost all year round. This makes them a popular choice for raised beds. Find out below which herbs you can plant in your raised bed and when.
Which herbs can you plant in raised beds and when?
Suitable herbs for raised beds include basil, coriander, savory, dill, cress, lavender, lovage, marjoram, parsley, pepper, rosemary, chives and thyme. Planting and harvesting times vary depending on the herb, so harvesting is possible almost all year round. Pay attention to location requirements and crop rotations.
Herbs are weak eaters
Almost all herbs require only a few nutrients and are therefore classified as medium to weak eaters. Due to the nutrient supply on the raised bed, it is advisable to follow a crop rotation:
- In the first year, mainly heavy feeders are grown.
- In the second year, medium-feeding plants are mainly planted.
- In the third year, weak eaters predominate.
- In the fourth year, green manure is grown and processed to provide the raised bed with nutrients again.
Herbs should therefore be grown primarily in the second and third years. Of course, you can also plant a little parsley between your cabbages (heavy feeders) in the first year, but the heavy-feeding plants should predominate. In the second or third year, you can definitely just plant herbs on your raised bed. The following herbs come into question:
| Herbs | Pre-culture | Direct sowing | Harvest time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basil | March to June | May to July | July to October |
| leaf coriander | March to May | May to July | July to October |
| Savory | February to March | March to June | June to September |
| Dill | April | May to July | July to September |
| Garden cress | All year round | March to October | The entire frost-free year |
| Lavender | February to mid-March | May to July | Mid-May to mid-September |
| lovage | March to May | May to July or September/October | March to November |
| Marjoram | March to April | May | July to September |
| parsley | February to May | April to May | May to December |
| Pepper | March to April | June | August to October |
| Rosemary | February to May | April to June | May to September |
| Chives | Mid-January to mid-April | Mid-March to mid-May | July to November |
| Thyme | February to mid-May | May to mid-June | Mid-April to mid-November |
What should you consider when growing herbs on the raised bed?
Also pay attention to the location requirements of each herb and which herbs get along well. As Mediterranean herbs, lavender, rosemary and thyme need a lot of sun, although parsley and garden cress can burn in the blazing midday sun. Make sure there is sufficient water supply, as raised beds dry out more quickly than beds on the ground.
