If you can offer herbs a sunny location, there is a wide choice. Here you will find particularly suitable sun-loving herbs and learn more about their requirements.
Herbs not only have he alth benefits, they also give many dishes that certain something. But not every herb grows at every location. If you pay attention to a few things, such as light and nutrient requirements, nothing stands in the way of a lush herb harvest from your own garden. This article introduces you to some sun herbs and their soil requirements.
Herbs for the sun with low nutrient requirement
The vast majority of herbs for the sun with low nutrient requirements are so-called Mediterranean herbs. Native to the dry and warm Mediterranean region, they are easy to grow in suitable locations. For example, our Plantura organic herb and seed soil is suitable for cultivation, some of which can be mixed with sand to imitate the natural local conditions of the herbs.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Rosemary is a perennial, evergreen small shrub that is usually 70 to 150 cm high in Germany will. It does well in direct sunlight and loves poor soil. In addition, it only needs a little water. Its needle-like leaves have many uses in cooking - from simple rosemary potatoes to ratatouille. Rosemary is also suitable as an herb for grilling.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris): Like rosemary, thyme originally comes from the Mediterranean region. This is reflected, among other things, in the very similar location requirements, but the two sun-loving herbs also complement each other perfectly in the kitchen. At 10 to 40 cm, thyme grows smaller than rosemary and its leaves are also significantly smaller. Away from the kitchen, various healing effects are attributed to thyme, for example against colds, coughs or gastrointestinal complaints, which earned it the title medicinal herb of the year 2006.
Oregano (Origanum vulgare): The Mediterranean oregano also prefers dry, nutrient-poor soil and is a typical herb for sunny locations. Oregano is perennial, although in our latitudes it often has to struggle with the cold. However, there are species that can withstand temperatures down to -15 °C, so that overwintering cultivation can also be successful here. In suitable locations, oregano can reach heights of growth of up to 65 cm, but it is also suitable for cultivation in pots as an herb for sunny balconies.
Savory (Satureja): Savory also prefers warm, sunny, lean and rather dry locations. There are two main types that are widespread here: the annual summer savory (Satureja hortensis) and the biennial to perennial winter or mountain savory (Satureja montana) . As its name suggests, savory harmonises perfectly with all kinds of bean dishes. But savory can also be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen with its tart, slightly hot taste. It is ideal for meat and fish dishes or for refining herb butter and quark.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): Lavender is known from the lavender fields in Provence, which has a Mediterranean origin and the sun need of the perennial show semishrubs. With us, lavender can be grown in rather nutrient-poor, calcareous and permeable soils. Lavender blooms between May and September and develops its ornamental and fragrant purple flowers. The leaves and flowers are used in the kitchen, but lavender is also often used in medicine thanks to its calming, sleep-inducing and antibacterial effects.
Tip: In addition to lavender, there are a few other herbs to fall asleep that you can also grow in your own garden.
Sage (Salvia officinalis): The leaves of the common sage are elongated oval, covered with white trichomes and exude thanks to the contained essential Oils have an intense fragrance. sheare indispensable for many Italian meat dishes due to their pleasantly bitter and spicy taste. The genus Salvia is very species-rich, so there are some differences in taste: Some varieties taste like lime, marzipan or peach. The sage comes from the Mediterranean region and prefers permeable, barren soils. Our Plantura organic herb and seed soil should be mixed with about 30% sand for optimal conditions for the sage.
Curry herb (Helichrysum italicum): The scent and taste of the curry herb is immediately reminiscent of an Asian spice mixture, even if the sun herb is part of it does not occur at all. Like most of the other species mentioned here, the curry herb has its home in the Mediterranean region. It grows best in permeable, lean substrates and does not tolerate waterlogging. With its silvery-grey leaves and yellow flowers, the curry herb has a certain ornamental value in addition to its distinctive taste.
Tip: In addition to these herbs, many other heat-resistant plants are also suitable for sunny locations.
Herbs for the sun with higher nutritional requirements
The following herbs have slightly higher requirements and need a lot of nutrients and sometimes a lot of water. Only when it comes to care, most are quite frugal. A nutrient-rich substrate, such as our Plantura organic universal soil, is recommended for cultivation in pots. It provides the plants with all the nutrients they need and, with its relatively high pH, also creates an environment in which the sun herbs thrive.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum): Basil is often lumped together with rosemary, thyme, oregano and co. Basil originally comes from the forest areas of the subtropics. This explains why basil likes it rather moist and warm and doesn't take the blazing midday sun so well. Basil is an annual and is therefore a good herb for sunny balconies. There are many different varieties of real basil, for example cinnamon, aniseed, lemon or Thai basil. Some varieties can even be overwintered. You can find out more about this in our article Overwintering basil.
Dill (Anethum graveolens): Nowadays, dill is mainly associated with cucumbers and fish. In the past, however, it was mainly used as a medicinal herb, because it is said to support wound healing and have a pain-relieving effect. Dill prefers wind-protected locations with humus and nutrient-rich soil. Since it is an annual, dill is also a good herb for sunny balconies.
Chives (Allium tuberosum): Externally, chives resemble normal chives, but the taste is in no way inferior to garlic - but without it to leave its typical smell everywhere. In addition, chives are easy to care for and can be harvested almost all year round, which are just a few advantages over its big brother, the real garlic. There is also nothing wrong with growing in pots, so chives are a good fit for sunny balconies. It thrives best in humus and nutrient-rich, evenly moist soil without waterlogging. If you want to use our organic universal soil for cultivation, you should mix it with some clay flour (bentonite), which improves the water retention capacity, among other things. Herb and growing soil is only suitable for cultivation.
Laurel (Laurus nobilis): Bay laurel is sensitive to frost, so it is best to cultivate it in pots where it is on a frost-free place that is as bright as possible can be overwintered. A suitable substrate is humus-rich, nutrient-rich, but still permeable soil. For example, you can mix our Plantura organic universal soil with some sand. The laurel should not be confused with the laurel cherry, as these are slightly poisonous. In contrast, the leaves of the laurel are used in many ways in our kitchens and as a medicinal plant.
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis): Like rosemary, oregano and thyme, hyssop also belongs to the mint family and is a perennial subshrub . The hyssop prefers sheltered, sunny locations with calcareous and nutrient-rich soil. If these conditions are given, it is very easy to care for. For optimal growing conditionsmake sure you mix 10 liters of Plantura organic universal soil with a heaped planting shovel full of Plantura garden lime to increase the pH value. In addition to a wide range of uses in the kitchen and as a medicinal herb, the cultivation of hyssop also has a very practical use, because its strong scent drives away snails and other pests.
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus): The annual plant is a real all-rounder. Nasturtium is a fast grower, ground cover, and has decorative foliage and beautiful flowers that are extremely tasty. It prefers sunny locations, but also thrives well in semi-shade. Nasturtium grows best in pots or in beds in slightly moist, nutrient-rich substrates.
In no garden is there only room for herb beds in the sun. If you're interested in growing herbs elsewhere, check out our Shade Herbs and Partial Shade Herbs articles.