Gardening
Gerald Filipski
Indoor Herbs
One of the nicest things you can do for yourself or give as a gift is to grow
indoor herbs. Being able to take a snip of a fresh herb to add to your
favourite recipe is a simple pleasure normally reserved for harvesting from
your outdoor garden. You can easily grow your own herbs indoors with very
little effort. If you start now, you should also be able to have a nice herb ready
for Christmas gift giving or for adding extra flavour to that special holiday
meal. Personally, I like nothing better than receiving a homegrown gift.
You can start with either seeds
or living plants. I prefer to use
the living plants because it
allows you to get things going far
more quickly since herb seeds
can be hard to germinate. It
is simple to take a trip to your
local greenhouse and fi nd good
selections of herbs from which
to choose from that are already
happily growing.
Your choice of pots may
require a little extra thought,
because the herbs will be
prominently displayed in
your window. There are some
unique containers on the
market now that can make
a striking statement in any
home décor. You might also
consider using containers that
have been recycled from other
purposes. Old teapots, old tea
tins, or even cake tins can all be
repurposed for plant pots that
make a statement.
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Most herbs will require from
four to six hours of direct
sunlight daily to perform their
best. An unobstructed south,
west, or east exposure will
provide the best light for your
plants. Some herbs such as mint,
watercress, and chervil require a
bright, north-facing window. If
your windows do not receive full
sun, you may want to consider
using an artifi cial light source
such as a gro-light. Regardless
of your light source, you should
turn your plants frequently to
make sure all sides get good
light exposure.
Be careful during cold weather
days to ensure that your herbs
are not too close to the glass.
They can be easily damaged
by getting too cold or can even
freeze from touching the window.
You will need to pay attention
to water and humidity
requirements. Diff erent herbs
require diff erent levels of
moisture. For example, basil,
parsley, mint, chervil, and
arugula do best if kept moist
but not wet. Let Mediterranean
plants such as rosemary and
lavender dry out slightly before
you water again. As a general
rule for most herbs, water when
the top of the soil feels dry, and
then allow to dry out again before
watering. The choice of pots will
aff ect the amount of watering as
well. Plastic or ceramic pots will
retain water better and you will
need to water less often. Terra
cotta, on the other hand, tends
to allow the soil to dry out more
quickly requiring watering
more frequently.
If you are using repurposed
containers, just make certain
that you drill a few holes for
drainage. For repurposed
ceramic containers like glazed
teapots, you will need to use a