TIps for a successful repotting of an overgrown herb garden.
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Josh has a large pot of mixed herbs that he keeps close to the kitchen has become a bit full so he is giving it an update.
The horseradish is swamping all the other plants, so he pulls everything out and starts again.
A perennial member of the Brassicaceae family, Horseradish is grown as a root vegetable; the long roots are grated and used as a spice and condiment. It’s dead easy to grow in a home garden, but it has a tendency to take over, so caution should be exercised when planting it into a garden bed.
Remove: Josh will move the horseradish to its own pot, and introduce some new edible herbs into this prime pot-plant real estate on the deck.
He removes the chives, oregano and any other shallow rooted plants from the top of the pot, taking care not to damage roots too much. These are set aside on damp newspaper in the shade, to keep the roots cool until they’re replanted.
Refresh: Josh also removes about 10% of the soil to make room for some fresh potting mix.
Replant: Consider the growth habits of your herbs before you plant. Place taller plants like chives and parsley in the centre, and lower-growing, trailing plants, such as oregano and thyme, at the edges, where they will cascade over the pot edges. Herbs being replanted will benefit from a trim before going back in.
The pot is crowded but that’s OK if you’re picking regularly and can keep the plants small by cropping leaves and stems.
Backfill with potting mix, ‘jiggle’ the plants into the pot to settle the soil and treat them to a drink of dilute seaweed solution to reduce transplant shock.
Re-home: The horseradish will grow from small pieces of root, so the larger clumps are simple to divide. Josh trims off the stems and long roots of the pieces he has chosen to replant, the replants them with the crowns sitting just above the soil surface.
Remember to save yourself some horseradish root for eating later! Fresh is best, so as soon as it is harvested it should be washed, peeled and finely grated. Pop grated root into a jar with a drop or two of vinegar – this will last for a month in the fridge.
Filmed on Whadjuk Country in Perth, WA
Featured plants:
Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)
Curly-leafed parlsey (Petroselinum crispum cv.)
Sage ‘Tricolour’ (Salvia officinalis cv.)
Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
Common sage (Salvia officinalis)
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
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