I have been growing herbs for a long time but some of them just don't last very long or look very good
Sage I can get it to spout and it lives for a short time or I buy a plant and it gets leggy and the leaves turn black. I have killed a few just transplanting them.
Greek oregano will grow for awhile but I have to keep it in a pot in full sun. In the ground it just shrinks and thins especially if the sun is blocked by other plants.
Thyme. I am always buying new plants. I propagate them from layers but they don't last in the ground.
They do the best in my alkaline gardens and worse in the garden with pH 6.4.
I do tend to over water and I use a well drained mix, 50/50 peat lite.
Hmmmmm.......I can just mention what I do, not always successful, trial and error etc. I do have long hot summers, cold (well 20 is cold) winter temps, 50+ inches rain.
Most of my herbs are in pots, and that being large 16". Soil mix my usual mentioned too many times to repeat. If no rain, watered 2 x week. I try to remember to 'fish' every 2 weeks or so (Alaska brand non stinky). This for oregano that one needs to grow for harvesting. Others fished less often, or whenever.
Sage. I have several, and add a couple more every season. In general short lived perennial, as in several years. They can get scraggly which means cutting back to help fill out. I had a couple in too much shade this past season, well they didn't get moved, tree got bigger. I know one shouldn't let flower as it hurts vegetative growth, but I tend to ignore that. I love the spring blooms as do the bees. After flowering cut that stem back to encourage new growth.
Oregano. I keep in containers, not ground. It is easier to keep contained cleaned, and harvest. Mine do better with some shade, not full all day sun. They also need more water than the other herbs, and as mentioned fished for active growing. My biggest problem is the caterpillars from H--- that take up housekeeping. When they get bad, and beyond normal Bt, cut back and let grow out fresh.
Thyme. There are several, regular and variegated lemon. Mostly sun, in pots. Those are 10 and 12" that can get moved around if needed. Thyme is slow growing. They also get the caterpillars from H----. There are usually a couple pots under Bt treatment at any given time and not harvested. Sometimes is too much and bye-bye. In spring I check which ones made it through and go through the routine again. Sigh. I don't do well starting thyme from seed to get healthy clumps, so that is one I buy a few good starts every spring. Have some sprouting now, and will see how they do. As it is slow growing, need lots of plants if one plans to harvest on a regular basis (other than a few springs for meal time.)
Most of my herbs are in pots, and that being large 16". Soil mix my usual mentioned too many times to repeat. If no rain, watered 2 x week. I try to remember to 'fish' every 2 weeks or so (Alaska brand non stinky). This for oregano that one needs to grow for harvesting. Others fished less often, or whenever.
Sage. I have several, and add a couple more every season. In general short lived perennial, as in several years. They can get scraggly which means cutting back to help fill out. I had a couple in too much shade this past season, well they didn't get moved, tree got bigger. I know one shouldn't let flower as it hurts vegetative growth, but I tend to ignore that. I love the spring blooms as do the bees. After flowering cut that stem back to encourage new growth.
Oregano. I keep in containers, not ground. It is easier to keep contained cleaned, and harvest. Mine do better with some shade, not full all day sun. They also need more water than the other herbs, and as mentioned fished for active growing. My biggest problem is the caterpillars from H--- that take up housekeeping. When they get bad, and beyond normal Bt, cut back and let grow out fresh.
Thyme. There are several, regular and variegated lemon. Mostly sun, in pots. Those are 10 and 12" that can get moved around if needed. Thyme is slow growing. They also get the caterpillars from H----. There are usually a couple pots under Bt treatment at any given time and not harvested. Sometimes is too much and bye-bye. In spring I check which ones made it through and go through the routine again. Sigh. I don't do well starting thyme from seed to get healthy clumps, so that is one I buy a few good starts every spring. Have some sprouting now, and will see how they do. As it is slow growing, need lots of plants if one plans to harvest on a regular basis (other than a few springs for meal time.)
Thanks for the reply. Most of the herbs are in pots to contain them. I may be watering too much since I water mostly every day. I don't fertilize herbs very much and I get very few pests except snails and slugs. I usually find them eating the roots on the thyme. I keep thyme and sage on my nursery bench because when I put them on the ground they die a lot faster. Sage actually lives longer in the herb garden with a pH of 7.8 then in my garden. But I am in a cooler, wetter place 4 miles away and my soil pH is 6.4 at home.