Whether you are a gardener or a gourmet chef, you are bound to be hooked on having fresh herbs at your disposal. If you haven’t got into the herb craze yet, you are missing out. In modern recipes, you will find that fresh herbs such as basil, parsley or oregano are emphasized; however, even in traditional recipes, substituting fresh herbs for the bottled type will make your dish so much better.
Herbs are also used for medicinal purposes and for spiritual reasons. Some are even grown for their beauty or their aroma. No matter how you use them, it is good to know about growing herbs indoors.
There are six simple steps to planting an herb garden indoors
- Learn about herbs
- Decide your method for growing herbs
- Select the herbs you wish to grow
- Choose the location for your herbs
- Purchase containers for the herbs
- Prepare the soil and plant the herbs
Learn about herbs
There are some things you need to learn about herbs before starting your herb garden. Reading a book about herbs or researching them at the library or on the internet is a good idea. Consulting gardening experts may be useful.
You need to know what certain herbs are used for and whether or not growing them will benefit you. There is no need to grow herbs that you won’t use, unless you are growing them for aesthetic purposes. You might consider that herbs that can be preserved make great gifts as well. Some herbs can be dried and put it decorative containers, or can be preserved in bottles of vinegar or oil. These make practical gifts that are sure to be appreciated, so if you grow more herbs than you can personally use, they won’t be wasted.
Another thing you need learn is about the growing conditions for each individual herb that you are considering. Knowing the requirements for sunlight, temperature and watering are important. You should also take into account whether the herbs are perennials or annuals and what kind of soil they grow best in.
Decide your method for growing herbs
Herbs can be started from seeds or from clippings. This is possible, but more time consuming that purchasing the plants. If you want access to fresh herbs immediately, purchasing the plants is best. However, if you want to the challenge, buying seeds may be for you. If you had herbs planted before, you may have been able to preserve the seeds from them so it is cost effective to use the seeds to produce new plants.
Select the herbs you wish to grow
After learning about herbs and deciding your method for growing herbs, you will be ready to select the herbs you wish to grow and to purchase them. Seeds and plants are available in many variety stores, gardening shops and nurseries. If you can’t find what you want, be sure to look for mail-order companies in gardening magazines or on the internet.
Choose the location for your herbs
Choosing a location for your indoor herb garden is essential to success. The herbs need to be located where their natural growing environment can be simulated. Most herbs require sunlight, so putting them a window is usually a good idea. If you can’t arrange them for adequate sunlight, using grow lights to compensate for sunlight is an option. If you use containers, you can also set them outside in the sunlight when possible.
Purchase containers for the herbs
An indoor herb garden usually uses the same concept as container gardening. There are some herbs that can be planted in the same container; however, it is best to plant each herb in a separate container unless you know that the two herbs will grow well together. If you plant two herbs together in the same container, be sure that the conditions that the herbs require are similar.
In selecting containers, it is valuable to know how far apart the herb plants need to be planted. That will help you to decide the size of the containers. Clay pots, plastic containers and hanging baskets may be appropriate for your herbs. Most herbs require moist soil, but drenching the roots can inhibit their growth. When purchasing containers, make sure that they had the ability to drain well.
Prepare the soil and plant the herbs
When growing herbs indoors, it is fundamental to understand that growing the herbs inside is exactly like growing them outside. The soil and planting procedure is the same, for each herb, as it is if you are planting them outside. For each herb that you are planting, be sure to lookup the recommended procedure for planting them. This will include the depth and spacing as well as the soil attributes.
