I don't know of a chart for herbs, sorry. However I can tell you from growing all of those other than parsley that they spread like weeds.

Basil comes in various varieties and they grow to different sizes, same with the others. Just look at the recomended spacing on the seed packet. If the plant spacing differs from the row spacing just use the plant spacing.

The trouble with these herbs is that if you don't remove them once they flower they will soon set seed and after than they are all over the place. Another name for 'herb' is 'edible weed' ;-)

2 years ago I grew some dill in a container on my deck. This year I had dill growing under the deck in the rocks all over the place. I don't mind it as it saved me from having to grow it elsewhere, but I am just saying that initial spacing is meaningless. They will spread where they like.

If you want small patches then use containers. Otherwise just dedicate a certain sized area in the bed for each one and pull out any seedlings that sprout outside that area.

My Basil plants grew very large last year. Only 1 per sq foot. Mint was bushy, but presents another problem. It sends out runners. It would easily take over if given a chance. You can either cut and remove them or place a plastic ring around it. Other herbs do the same thing...

Here is a link that might be useful: My Square Foot Gardening Website

My brother doesn't grow mint, it just grows... everywhere. Like Justaguy, it's in the cracks of his concrete patio and he has to keep pulling it like weeds.

I love it though, he has a mini-hedge of mint between his patio and his raised bed garden. Whenever I go over I give it a kick to brush my foot through the hedge and it smells like mint for a good five minutes.

His herb garden is a jumble of herbs. It's 4x4 but he doesn't follow SFG. The basil was huge, and grew together. The rosemary is insane but at least that mostly goes up. The rest just grows together so I'm not even sure what it is.

That said, if you want it managable (if that's even possible), I'd suggest 1 per SF. Let us know how it goes.

Sinfonian

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden in progress...

Thanks so much for the replies.

The only spaces I've seen are parsley and tyme 4:1, oregano anywhere from 1:1 to 1:4 and basil 1:1

Good luck.

I would recommend putting the thyme and other low, creeping herbs at the corners and sides so they can spill over the edge. I put 2 basils in one sq ft this summer but I harvested almost every day, so the plants never got very large. Same with cilantro. The other herbs that I use less often (sage, dill, etc.) I kept at 1 per sq ft and they seemed happy. Hope that helps.

It will vary on the type of plant and the zone.

I've grown sweet basil in 9b as 1 per square inside a a tomato cage to keep it upright.

My parsley went crazy and overtook 4 squares and affected the nearby sage, thyme, oregano and rosemary from getting light. I had to keep moving them around.

V.

I was re-reading the book and it mentioned herbs. Basically it said if you harvest continually they don't overgrow the square, but if you don't, you need 1 per SF minimum. There you go. My brother didn't harvest regularly and they overgrew his 4x4 bed. So I guess it depends on how much you use your herbs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden in progress...

I put many of my herbs in decorative beds near the house to circumvent their "messy" factor (parsley, sage, chives, basil). Makes it easier to hem them in with "structure - either bed edges,or virtual walls like shrubs and irises.

I agree it depends on the herb. I did 4 per square which was fine for some but cilantro, parsley, and basil dominated so I will cut that back to 2 per square or even one. I also planted marigold and it grew so fast and big that it spoiled the taste of the basil toward the end of the season- I will plant that in individual pots this year..