How to Build an Indoor Herb Garden
You can grow herbs indoors if you lack garden space, have poor-quality soil or live in an area where winter temperatures freeze the ground. An indoor herb garden allows you to show off your green thumb year-round and harvest fresh produce whenever needed. Select a few commonly used herbs to grow in a hanging basket, pot or container placed near a sunny windowsill to add color to the area and fragrance. Provide the herb plants the right indoor conditions so that they thrive and grow healthy. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pots or containers with saucers
- Drill (optional)
- Gravel
- Sand
- Perlite (optional)
- Potting soil
- Sphagnum peat or compost
- Grow light (optional)
- Watering can
- Spray bottle
- Water-soluble fertilizer
Instructions
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Prepare the containers or pots, choosing ones that are about 5 inches in diameter. Make sure each has adequate drainage holes in the base, or drill these if necessary, because herbs prefer well-drained soil. Place a saucer under the pot to catch excess water. Add an even layer of gravel to the base of the pot or planter before filling it with soil to improve drainage.
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Mix one part sand or perlite with two parts potting soil. Add this lightweight, loose and well-draining mixture to all the pots, alternating this mix with equal amounts of sphagnum peat or compost and sand for each pot. Fill each pot until an inch below the rim.
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Plant the herb seeds or seedlings into the prepared containers. Space seedlings 5 to 7 inches apart to allow room for them to grow and spread. Sow seeds 1 inch deep and 3 inches apart. Most herb seeds germinate in two to three weeks.
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Place the pots in a sunny location, such as a south- or west-facing window, for maximum sunlight with temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Herbs are sun-loving plants that require at least six hours of direct sunlight every day. Supplement poor or inadequate lighting with a grow light hung 8 to 12 inches above the tips of the herbs. Turn it on for 12 to 16 hours a day, and raise it to provide the required distance as plants grow.
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Water the herb seedlings gently to ensure an evenly moist soil. Water at the soil level to prevent wetting the foliage, which makes the plant susceptible to fungal diseases. Mist each plant using a spray bottle up to two times a week to raise humidity levels.
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Feed the herbs a water-soluble fertilizer at half the recommended strength every two weeks in the growing season. Prune the plants so that they grow compact and bushy.
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Tips & Warnings
Grow individual herbs in 5-inch peat pots or two to three kinds in a large planter. Line the pots on a sunny windowsill, or place them on a rack near the window.
Each herb has different watering needs. For example, rosemary and mint require frequent irrigation compared to dill and oregano. If planting different herbs in one container, combine those with similar watering needs.
Rotate the pot or container every three days so that each plant receives sunlight and grows upright and erect.
Deter pests such as spider mites, aphids and whiteflies with an antibacterial spray over the herb plant.
Avoid feeding herbs full-strength fertilizers that may affect their flavor.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit potted french parsley image by Tamara Kulikova from Fotolia.com
