How to look after a indoor herb garden
Location is the most important choice you’ll make in setting up an indoor herb garden. Herbs need at least 6 hours of bright sunlight, which may be tough to get during the winter months. To ensure plants are getting plenty of light consider the following:
- Southwest facing windowsills offer the most light.
- A corner with two windows (one facing south and the other west) is ideal.
- Supplement with HID grow lights if your home doesn’t get enough natural light.
Growing medium is a better choice than garden soil for your potted herbs. Choose an organic growing medium that is loose and drains well. You can purchase a commercial mix or make your own:
Soil Mix – Use equal parts compost, sterile topsoil and builder’s sand. An all-purpose organic fertilizer can be added to this mix.
Soilless Mix – Combine 4-6 parts peat moss, 1 part perlite and 1 part vermiculite. If adding nutrients, blend 1/2 cup each bone meal, oystershell lime (raises pH) and cottonseed meal/canola meal per 8 gallons of potting mix.
Water your plants enough to keep the soil moist without over-watering (roots will rot in a soggy container). Let the top of the soil, or growing medium, dry out completely between waterings and check moisture levels often. A soil moisture meter can help eliminate over and under watering by measuring moisture at the root level. It’s also a good idea to plant herbs in separate containers, or make sure that plants grown together have similar watering needs.
Tip: Mint, parsley and lovage do best in fairly moist soil, whereas rosemary, thyme and sage prefer soil that is only slightly moist.
Seeds of annual herbs (basil, coriander, dill and oregano) can be started indoors and grown year round. Place a collection of popular culinary herbs in a sunny kitchen window and they’ll be available when needed. Perennial herbs, like chives, parsley, sage, sweet marjoram and thyme, can be started from seed, but it is often easier to purchase young plants from a nursery. Because perennials grow for more than one season, it’s best to keep them outside in pots during the summer and bring them in before the first frost.
Growing medium is a better choice than garden soil for your potted herbs. Choose an organic growing medium that is loose and drains well. You can purchase a commercial mix or make your own:
Soil Mix – Use equal parts compost, sterile topsoil and builder’s sand. An all-purpose organic fertilizer can be added to this mix.
Soilless Mix – Combine 4-6 parts peat moss, 1 part perlite and 1 part vermiculite. If adding nutrients, blend 1/2 cup each bone meal, oystershell lime (raises pH) and cottonseed meal/canola meal per 8 gallons of potting mix.
Water your plants enough to keep the soil moist without over-watering (roots will rot in a soggy container). Let the top of the soil, or growing medium, dry out completely between waterings and check moisture levels often. A soil moisture meter can help eliminate over and under watering by measuring moisture at the root level. It’s also a good idea to plant herbs in separate containers, or make sure that plants grown together have similar watering needs.
Tip: Mint, parsley and lovage do best in fairly moist soil, whereas rosemary, thyme and sage prefer soil that is only slightly moist.
Seeds of annual herbs (basil, coriander, dill and oregano) can be started indoors and grown year round. Place a collection of popular culinary herbs in a sunny kitchen window and they’ll be available when needed. Perennial herbs, like chives, parsley, sage, sweet marjoram and thyme, can be started from seed, but it is often easier to purchase young plants from a nursery. Because perennials grow for more than one season, it’s best to keep them outside in pots during the summer and bring them in before the first frost.
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