How to Grow Herbs for Zone 8?

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USDA hardiness zone 8 follows the coastline of the United States across the south and down the east coast. The zone is known for short, mild winters and long growing seasons. Winter temperatures in zone 8 rarely fall below 10 degrees. Because of this, herbs are well-adapted to grow in zone 8, and many can be left outdoors year-round in the ground or in a container. Herbs that will not survive zone 8 winters should be replanted each spring and treated as annual plants.

  1. Select a sunny location in well-drained soil to plant herbs in the ground.
  2. Break up your soil with a rototiller to a depth of 12 inches.
  3. Spread soil amendments over your soil in a 4-inch layer. Typical soil amendments include compost and peat moss. Organic amendments such as this will improve the drainage of clay soils and help sandy soils to retain moisture. Mix the amendments into the soil with your rototiller.
  4. Prepare a potting soil mix for containers using 1 part peat moss, 1 part sand and 1 part compost. Never use garden soil in containers. The soil contains microbes that can harm plants.
  5. Place a pottery shard at the bottom of a container to cover the drain hole. This will keep soil from washing out of the container. Fill the container with potting soil. Leave an inch of space at the top of the container for water to collect.
  6. Open a planting pocket in the soil or the container for herb seeds using a dowel rod. Space seeds according to the directions on the back of the seed packets. Plant at the recommended depth. If there are no instructions, then plant herb seeds in the ground approximately 18 inches apart and twice the diameter of the seed. Use one herb seed per 4-inch pot, two herb seeds in a 6-inch pot or four herb seeds in a 12-inch pot.
  7. Plant transplanted herbs by opening a planting pocket in the ground or soil that is twice as wide as the root ball of the herb but no deeper. Place the root ball into the soil and cover with dirt. Pat the soil to remove any air pockets from around the root ball.
  8. Check your herbs daily and water them to ensure that the soil remains as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Check herb plants twice daily in the middle of summer. Summer temperatures in zone 8 can climb above 100 degrees. Regular watering will help herb plants to stay healthy.

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