Growing Herbs in a Jar

I have this little obsession with vintage mason jars.  Okay well canning jars in general.  With that in mind, can you imagine all the little crafts one could do with canning jars?  Looking at the cute ideas on Pinterest, I just had to try the mason jar herb planter.  I did have a few questions about how practical using the jar actually would be: How would the water drain? If it didn’t drain how would you prevent it from growing mold?

I will tell you its all pretty easy and using a jar for a planter is not only stylin it is practical.  For my tester plant I grew Oregano.  I wanted to see if it would actually grow and thrive.  I planted my little Oregano in May and now in late August, my little plant has grown quite a bit and is one happy little herb.

Growing Herbs in a Jar

 

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Ingredients

• Quart size canning jar
• rich dark soil
• rocks, marbles
• activated charcoal
• oregano, rosemary, chives, thyme, cilantro, basil, lemon balm or mint

Instructions

1. Wash the jar out with soap and warm water just to give it a good clean start. Carefully place small rocks in the bottom of the jar. About 2 inches is ideal for soil drainage. Then place a layer of activated charcoal on top of the rocks, about ½ inch deep and sprinkle the soil on top of the charcoal.
2. Carefully separate the roots from the soil or the starter herb. Place the plant inside while holding it up. Fill the jar carefully around the edges. Make sure not to pack the soil down. You do need the air space for easy drainage. Water your little lovely herb just a touch and sit it in a sunny spot. Make sure not to over water your plant. The rocks are the only drain system, so a small amount of water is all the plant needs.

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I do stress the use of the activated charcoal since it acts as a cleanser.  The charcoal really helps with mold prevention. Please don’t skip that part, it is vital for a healthy plant.

Have fun with this!  Paint the jar, fill it with fun colorful rocks and marbles, or whatever your heart desires.  I had my little one help me with placing the soil in the jar.  It was messy but having a fun time is always a little messy.