Guest guest Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 Growing Herbs Indoors Herbs can be grown indoors on suitable window-sills. Southern windows are best, just make sure they get a little shade, as not too over do the heat and sunshine, especially in mid day when sun is brightest. When growing indoor herbs be sure there is plenty of light. On other window-sills be sure you turn the pots for even lighting during the day. (if you do not have sun, you can use grow lights or as I do soft type shop lights). Below are a list of herbs for beginners, the containers that are best to use and a very brief tip on how to care for them. There are, many other herbs that can be grown indoors but this will get you started. This is a wonderful way to always have these herbs fresh and handy for use! Seeds can be brought so much cheaper and grow much more than buying them dry or already grown. Plus you have fun doing it! Basil- Grow in Provence pots. Requires the sunniest position and tolerates dry air. Prevent if from flowering to get long life from this herb. Bay- Large pots or tubs; Prefers filtered sun and rich soil in a cool place, I add a bit of vegetable food to this now and then. Chervil- Grow in Troughs; Enjoys some sun but not the hot midday sun. Be sure it has moist cool soil. Chives- Pots; Keep well fed and watered. You can pot this up from divisions from your garden. Lavender- Large pots or tubs. Buy the dwarf varieties for indoors. Enjoys direct sun. This is my favorite, and smells so good! Lemon Verbena- Tubs; Likes filtered sun with rich soil in a cool spot. Marjoram- Pots; Choose sweet marjoram if you are planning on keeping this herb in a warm room. Mint- Pots; Enjoys some sun but not the hot midday sun. Pot in moist, cool soil Parsley- Pots; Choose the compact variety. It does well in a room temperature about 60 degrees. Tarragon- Pots; Takes full sun but will tolerate light shade Thyme- Troughs or pots; Keep in full light and water sparingly Rosemary- Large pots; Likes a bright situation so reflected light can be used. Be sure however, that the room is cool, about 60 degrees. Sage- Troughs, Large pots; Select a variegated kind for indoor color. Sage likes direct sun! Now that you have chosen which herbs you are going to grow indoors, here are some tips! The important think is knowing the temperature, watering feeding and lighting to give proper caring. Temperature- Most herbs prefer a warm temperature about 60-74 degrees. Herbs will tolerate the temperature range of 45-75 degrees, but they will not thrive for long. Watering- Make sure all your containers can adequately drain. Be sure not to over-water indoor herbs. Water in the mornings, so that the excess moisture evaporates during the day. Air is very important for potted herbs and over-watering can cause root-rot fungus to thrive. If necessary place a small fan beside your indoor herbs. Feeding- Herbs need feeding with a weak fertilizer every two weeks in the spring and summer, but in the winter you can reduce to a monthly feeding! Use half the recommended dosage of fertilizer at all times. Lighting- There are special grow lights, however, I use the regular 'soft shop' (75wtt) fluorescent lights. These will improve the growth of your indoor potted herbs if you don't have good window placement and lighting. Be sure the lights are about six to ten inches above smaller herbs and twelve to sixteen inches above the larger herbs. You do not want to overheat them! Sneak preview the all-new .com. It's not radically different. Just radically better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 Hey, Thanks for the info. I just started some herbs, and the dill, thyme, basil and sage just started to sprout. I have to grow indoors, since we have an abundance of cottontails and squirrels here, and they get into EVERYTHING. I also have the privilage of having a south-facing corridor with huge windows all the way down. I will try the larger herbs in tubs, and what would you suggest for the dill to grow in? Sharon. , chelsea <chelsea_cheetah wrote: > > Growing Herbs Indoors > > Herbs can be grown indoors on suitable window-sills. Southern windows > are best, just make sure they get a little shade, as not too over do the > heat and sunshine, especially in mid day when sun is brightest. When > growing indoor herbs be sure there is plenty of light. On other > window-sills be sure you turn the pots for even lighting during the day. > (if you do not have sun, you can use grow lights or as I do soft type > shop lights). > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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