What is better when you are cooking than using fresh herbs? Although herbs can now be purchased at the local grocery store, they are often costly and not as fresh as those you grow yourself. You don’t have to be intimidated when it comes to starting an indoor garden. Many local grow shops sell grow kits specifically designed for use as indoor window herb gardens. From the containers to the correct soil; your local grow store can help you get started growing indoor today.
Tips for Success with Your Indoor Herb Garden
- Lighting. Proper lighting is essential for any garden to grow especially when growing inside. Whether you are growing in a greenhouse or windowsill the grow lights you choose can affect how your herb garden grows. An ideal location for growing herbs is a southern facing window that receives between six to eight hours of direct sunlight. We all know that this is just not possible in all homes. If you find yourself in need an additional lighting small grow light setup can be purchased inexpensive at local grow stores. Some herb kits include an attached LED light setup for this specific situation.
- Temperature. The ideal temperature for an indoor herb garden ranges from sixty-five to seventy degrees which is a common range for most home environments. Gardeners looking to decrease the rate of growth can lower the temperature in the environment to sixty degrees without affecting the health of the herbs. Take special care to ensure plants are not touching the window glass. Too much heat can occur when leaves touch the pane of glass which will cause them to die; the opposite, leaves touching drafty, freezing panes of glass can also cause major damage to occur to the herb plant.
- Watering. Watering is essential to gardening but too much water is just as bad as too little. In order to keep balance when watering an indoor herb garden is to allow the pot containing the herb to dry out a little between watering. You can test the soil with your fingertip. If the plant soil is dry two inches down, then slowly at water to the pot. Most herb gardens do well with a small watering regularly every two to three days.
- Containers. The proper pot or garden container makes a big difference in the success of your herbs. Consider the following when choosing a container:
- Drainage: Indoor herb gardens need adequate drainage. Most plants, especially herbs do not thrive in standing water. The pot or container you choose must have holes for proper drainage.
- Overflow Catch: Because proper drainage is so important your herb garden should be set on a tray that allows the water that flows out of the plant to be contained. The last thing any homeowner wants to clean up is the water/soil mix from a pot that has overflown.
- Size: Choose the correct size pot for the herbs you are growing. Some herbs require wider containers whereas some require deep containers. Perform a bit of research to determine what type of pot is best for the herbs you are interested on growing.
- Material: The type of material your containers are made from will depend on the level of humidity in your home. Ceramic holds water whereas clay dries out quickly. If you have a home that is already considerably dry choose a ceramic pot or a container that is non-porous.
- Space: Just like people require their own space, herbs do too. Each herb plant should have its own special home. Unless the kit you choose is specifically setup to properly contain multiple herb plants it is crucial to keep them separate from one another. Separate containers allow each to be growing in the best grow medium for them along with the proper nutrients and water.
- Air Circulation. Proper air circulation is a must when growing herbs indoor. If plants are grown to close to one another the spread of disease and insects increases because they don’t have proper air flow. It is also important to re-arrange the order of the herbs to prevent a stagnant environment from occurring.
