My aunt's garden in Tucson showed me how stupid I was about herbs

Honestly, I was at her place last summer and she had mint, basil, and rosemary just growing wild in old yogurt containers. Ngl, I used to buy those tiny plastic packs for $4 each. What's the easiest herb for a total beginner with a sunny window to start with?

3 comments

3 Comments

hernandez.troy2mo ago

My buddy tried growing basil on his fire escape last year and killed it in a week, totally overwatered the thing. He switched to mint in a coffee can and that stuff just would not die, even when he forgot about it for a few days. Honestly, mint is basically a weed that smells good, you almost have to try to kill it. Just give it some dirt, a pot with a hole in the bottom, and that sunny window. It grows so fast you'll feel like a pro.

gracea192mo ago

Wait, is a coffee can really the best idea though? Mint spreads like crazy through its roots, and a metal can will rust out from watering it over time. That rust gets into the soil and can actually hurt the plant. A cheap plastic pot with holes is way better, it won't rot or rust. Plus, if you use a coffee can, you absolutely have to punch drainage holes in the bottom first, or the roots will just sit in water and rot.

juliahall1mo ago

My windowsill basil died in three days last spring because I kept watering it like a houseplant, felt so dumb. Then my neighbor gave me a sprig of mint from her yard and I stuck it in a random plastic cup with some dirt, now I've got mint taking over my whole kitchen. That stuff grew like crazy even when I forgot about it for a whole week during finals. I actually had to give away plants to three different friends because I had too much. Mint is pretty much the only thing I haven't managed to kill, and I've killed plenty of those $4 herb packs from the grocery store.