How to Grow Herbs in Tropical Conditions

Overview

While herbs and spices are often used interchangeably, they are different plants. Herbs are plants that grow in the temperate regions of the world, while spices are grown in tropical regions. Typically, only the leaves of herbs are used while spices may come from any part of a plant. Herbs grow well in a wide range of soils and conditions, but will not tolerate wet soil. An herb grown in wet soil will develop root rot. The best solution for growing herbs in tropical conditions is to use containers. You can move these containers under cover when it rains to prevent the soil from becoming too damp.

Step 1

Place a pottery shard in the bottom of a container. Fill the container to within 1 inch of the rim with potting soil.

Step 2

Hollow out a planting pocket or drill hole in the soil for your container herbs. Place the root ball of the plant into the soil, or plant the seed twice as deep as the seed’s width at the widest point. Cover the seed or root ball with soil.

Step 3

Check the container daily by inserting your finger into the soil as deep as your second knuckle. Water the soil so that it is as damp as a wrung-out sponge any time the soil becomes dry. Add a balanced, liquid organic fertilizer (10-10-10) to the water in the amount directed by the packaging. Fertilizer amounts will vary depending on the fertilizer brand.

Step 4

Keep containers outdoors from early fall until late spring. Move the containers indoors during the hottest part of the summer. In tropical regions, the temperatures are too hot for growing container or garden herbs during this time.

Step 5

Place the containers in a location that receives between 6 and 8 hours of sunlight daily. Don't put the herb containers in a location where they are rained on to avoid over watering them.

Step 6

Continue to keep herbs trimmed back so that they continue to grow and do not slip into a flowering stage.