Growing Clump Perennials
Herbs are versatile plants that can be grown anywhere.
They can be grown in gardens, paddocks and containers.
Ideal growing spot for herbs is a spot that will
receive 6 – 8 hours a day of full sun. Well drained soil is essential. Herbs
are not heavy feeders so a good feed of preferably compost or some other type
of fertilizer is recommended once a year.
Most perennial plants are easier to grow from already
established plant. 50 to 100ml pots purchased in spring time are ideal to
transplant into your herb garden. Plants will need to be watered once they are
planted to help them to become established. Once they are established then
occasional watering may be necessary. Some herbs will require more water than
others. Perennial herbs are best feed in spring, with the compost or fertilizer
being added around the base of each plant.
There are 2 basic types of clump perennials Expanding
Clump Herbs and Perennial Crown Herbs
Expanding
Clump Herbs
These herbs are prone to spreading, though at a slower
rate than spreading herbs. The result of their growth is a dense growth in the
form of a clump that gets bigger every season. Weed control is not such a
problem for these herbs.
Examples are nettle, Lemon Balm, Dandelion, Comfrey
and Oregano.
This group of herbs regenerate at or below ground
level and they usually need to be cut back to stimulate new growth from the
shoots at the base. Some of them like nettle will form runners. A few of them
will only regenerate from crowns that are continually expanding and dividing.
Propagation
Large runners can be planted in furrows and then
covered. For crown divisions small clumps or pieces of crown root can be
planted into the garden or rows. Keep the transplanted plants well weeded. Grow
for this group is more pronounced in spring time, they may take a year or two
you will be able to have a good meadow crop.
Herb
|
Climate
|
Soil Type
|
Propagation
|
Planting
|
Spacing
|
Bergamot
|
Cool to mild
|
Lighter soil with lots of moisture and fertile
soils
|
Divide from rhizomes
|
Autumn or early spring
|
150-300mm
|
Roman or Lawn Chamomile
|
Quite hardy
|
Good drainage with lots of water
|
Divide from spreading clumps
|
Autumn or early spring
|
50-100mm
|
Comfrey
|
Tolerates many conditions
|
Needs adequate water and drainage
|
Grows from root division
|
Autumn or early spring
|
900mm
|
Dandelion
|
Cool to mild climate
|
Will tolerate poor drainage, light to medium fertile
soil
|
Grown from seed or from pieces of the root
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Hops
|
Full sun with shelter from hot winds
|
Needs good drainage and lighter soils. Likes fertile
humus rich soil
|
Suckers or cuttings that are 150mm long
|
Autumn preferred or spring
|
900-1200mm
|
Lemon balm
|
Grows well in many places
|
Lots of moisture and fertile soils
|
Cuttings or seed
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Mugwort
|
Grows well in many places
|
Lots of moisture and fertile soils
|
Cuttings or seed
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Nettle
|
Will grow in well exposed sites and full sun
|
Likes good drainage, does not like water logging,
grows in wide range of soils, likes light to medium loams
|
Normally grown by rhizomes
|
Autumn or spring
|
900-1200mm
|
Oregano
|
Like full sun, will tolerate wind
|
Light to medium loam with moderate fertility
|
Normally grown by rhizomes or seed
|
Autumn or spring
|
900mm
|
Skullcap
|
Full sun with no wind
|
Needs drainage and fertile soil
|
Seed or vegetative propagation
|
Autumn or spring
|
900mm
|
French Tarragon
|
Cooler site in full sun and wind
|
Good drainage in medium loam fertile soil
|
Small rhizomes
|
Autumn or spring
|
900mm
|
Valerian
|
Cool climate with full sun or semi-shade
|
Lighter fertile soils
|
Rhizomes or runners which give new crowns
|
Autumn or spring
|
900mm
|
Sweet Violet
|
Cooler climate in full sun (shade cloth)
|
Fertile medium loam soil
|
Stolons and runners
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Perennial
Crown Herbs
Perennial crown herbs have a crown at ground level
which may divide and slowly expand. These plants will basically stay in the
same place and not spread, only get bigger in size. Some species have crowns
which will not divide and most of this group is dormant during winter dieing
back to the crown.
Examples are wormwood, ladies mantle, marshmallow,
vervain, elecampane, garlic, alfalfa and red clover.
The focus of regeneration for these plants is on the
crown.
Propagation
Many of these plants can be propagated by dividing the
crowns. Some of them will break away easily, though some species will need to
be cut apart. Crown divisions are planted directly in the ground from late
autumn to early spring. Spacing will vary from species to species. Normally the
roots will not regenerate by themselves, only the crown. Non-dividing herbs
such as red clover and alfalfa will need to be grown from seed. Weeds can not
be a problem, especially if these herbs are grown in rows, as they do not they
are not aggressive about space.
Other perennials are woody perennials such as thyme,
sage, hyssop ands rosemary. These herbs are best grown from cuttings and
layering.
Other perennials are trees and shrubs and short lived
perennials.
Herb
|
Climate
|
Soil Type
|
Propagation
|
Planting
|
Spacing
|
Agrimony
|
Cool to mild
|
Lighter soil with lots of moisture and fertile
soils
|
Seed or root division
|
Autumn or early spring
|
600mm
|
Alfalfa
|
Quite hardy, full sun and wind
|
Lighter soil with pH of 6 moderate fertility
|
Seed
|
early spring
|
600mm
|
Globe artichoke
|
Tolerates many conditions
|
Needs adequate water and drainage
|
Easier grown from seed
|
Autumn or early spring
|
1500mm
|
Chives
|
Full sun or semi-shade
|
Well drained very fertile soil
|
Seed or clump division
|
Autumn or early spring
|
450-600mm
|
Elecampane
|
Wide range of climates, it will stress in heat and
wind
|
Likes fertile humus rich soil
|
Root or clump divisions
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Fennel
|
Grows well in many places
|
Semi fertile soils, it can spread and invade
|
Seed
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Garlic
|
Full sun, wind is OK
|
Good drainage with medium to light fertile loam soil
|
Crown division
|
Mid-autumn
|
300mm
|
Ginseng
|
Needs 80% dappled shade
|
Likes good drainage and fertile soils
|
Normally grown by root division
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Goats Rue
|
Wide climate range, prefers mild climate
|
Good drainage in wide range of soil types
|
Seed and clump division
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Lemongrass
|
Needs hot summer for good growth and full sun
|
Wide range of fertile soil types
|
Crown division
|
Autumn or spring
|
300-400mm
|
Marshmallow
|
Full sun or semi-shade
|
Grows in waterlogged areas in wide range of fertile
soils
|
Seed and crown divisions which are easier
|
Autumn or spring
|
450-600mm
|
Meadowsweet
|
Cooler climate with mild summers
|
Fertile heavy and waterlogged soils
|
Crown division
|
Autumn or early spring
|
900mm
|
Motherwort
|
Full sun or semi-shade
|
Wide range of fertile soil types
|
Crown division
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Pasque flower
|
Full sun or semi-shade
|
Wide range of fertile soil types
|
Can be hard to get started
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Greater Plantain
|
Very hardy plant
|
Wide range of fertile soil types
|
Crown division
|
Autumn or early spring
|
600mm
|
Pokeroot
|
Hardy plant can be a weed
|
Wide range of fertile soil types
|
Seed or crown division
|
Autumn or spring
|
1200mm
|
Red clover
|
Full sun will tolerate wind
|
Needs good drainage on wide soil range
|
Direct seeding
|
Autumn or early spring
|
600mm
|
Vervain
|
Full sun and wind is OK
|
Good drainage to light to medium moderate fertile
loam
|
Crown division or by seed
|
Autumn or early spring
|
900mm
|
Wood betony
|
Milder climate in full sun
|
Well drained medium loam fertile soil
|
Seed and crown divisions
|
Autumn or spring
|
600mm
|
Wormwood
|
Very hardy plant
|
Wide range of fertile soil types
|
Crown division or cutting
|
Autumn or early spring
|
1500mm
|
