Nature's Gifts For Health Series- Part 3-Growing Your Herbs Indoors

[Kelli Roig]

Whether you live in a mansion or in a one bedroom flat, you can have your herbs and  eat them too...

Naturally, the ideal place for your indoor herb garden is in the kitchen, since, hopefully, you’ll be using them to flavor your foods and make wonderful home remedies for whatever ails you. 

For those of you who don’t have a sunny spot in the kitchen, not to worry. Herbs will grow anywhere the sun shines...I once grew them on the windowsill in a sunny bathroom.

So: Step One: Find the best spot for your herb garden.

• Place them in a sunny spot near a window where they’ll get at least 4 hours of sun daily. 

Windows that face south or southwest are your best shot at sun, though east or west-facing windows will also work. Windows that only face north, however, are just not bright enough.  

• If you’re not sure whether a spot gets enough light, try this: On a day when the sun is shining or partially shining, turn off all the lights and once an hour or so check to see where the natural sunlight comes in. Check for how much sun the spot (s) get throughout the day.  

• Give your herbs good drainage and make sure all your pots have drainage holes. The worst thing you can do to your herbs is to let them sit in water, as the roots will rot.  

Moisture passes right through a clay pot, so if you’re using clay make sure you have a non-clay saucer or pan under it to protect your surfaces. For indoors, plastic, rubber and metal pots work well, provided they have a way to drain.  

Just as clay pots help with drainage, they dry out quickly too. So, if you live in a dry climate, like the Southwest, for instance, or if you’re growing your herbs in the winter, when the heater causes the house or apartment to get especially dry, it’s best to use a glazed or plastic container. They’ll retain the moisture, while allowing the excess water to drain properly.  

• Use a premium potting mix (the best you can find) to pot your indoor herbs. 

Indoor herbs are happy with typical indoor temperatures, and you can grown them any time of the year.

• They prefer temperatures around 65 to 70 degrees F—so if you’re comfortable, they probably are too. At night, temperatures near a window may drop to 55 or 60, but most herbs like that, too; just keep their foliage from touching against glass to protect them from frostbite. 

Remember that the air next to a window will be cooler in winter (or hotter in summer) than your average indoor temperature, so adjust your plants accordingly.

• Dry air, whether from air conditioning or heating, is hard on most herbs, so give them a weekly shower in the sink and they’ll reward you later.

Don’t be too concerned if your indoor herb plants are more spindly than outdoor ones, you’ll still get plenty of good clippings. They’re just working a little harder to get that sunshine. 

If you’re cutting clippings regularly, be sure to fertilize with a compound made just for herbs at least once a month.  

Try growing some of these, they are indoors-friendly and delicious: 

• Chives
• Lemon Balm
• Marjoram
• Mint: Choose Apple Mint, Chocolate Mint, Orange Mint, Peppermint, Spearmint or Sweet Mint...yum
• Oregano: Choose Greek Oregano or Hot & Spicy Oregano
• Parsley: There's Flat Italian Parsley or Curled Parsley
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme: Choose German Thyme or Lemon Thyme (my favorite)

• Basil is a bit trickier to grow, because it does best indoors if the temperature is kept in the 70’s day and night. So, if you have plenty of sun and warmth indoors, basil should thrive.  

Basil leaves fade and start drooping quickly in cold air, so just don’t keep them on a cool windowsill. 

Enjoy!

Coming up: Collecting, Drying And Storing Your Herbs

©K.Roig RN/HealthyWomenThrive.Com

[Jenny]

Last year I had a wonderful crop of basil and made pesto (for the first time). Good stuff! 

This year I'm thinking of doing more plants in containers. I also (continue) to try to use odd ball things like egg cartons, milk cartons and now empty TP rolls to start seedlings... 

[Kelli Roig]

LOL, you wouldn't believe some of the "things" I've used as planters! Hey, as long as they drain, the herbs don't care! Yum to the Pesto...Love it!