Growing An Indoor Herb Garden

Growing herbs indoors is simple and enjoyable. Simply select a spot in your home with ample sunlight or prepare artificial lights to either supplement or fully provide the light your herbs will need. Compact fluorescent lights can supply all the light your herbs need if used within two feet of the plants. Depending on the number of plants you plan to grow, you may need more than one light.

Choose a container that will provide ample room for the mature plants and that will give your herbs proper drainage. A 16 inch rectangular pot will have enough room for about four herb plants.

You can start your herbs from seeds in the same pots where you plan to grow them or you can start them in seedling pots. You can also buy established herb plants at local gardening centers. One note: herbs are very sensitive when it comes to transplanting. It is probably best for beginning gardeners to start the seeds in the pots where the mature plants will remain.

Some of the easiest herbs to grow are rosemary, oregano, chives, basil, cilantro and parsley. However, most herbs are easy and forgiving plants and should prove no problem to the dedicated indoor gardener.
Plant your herbs as you would any other plant and water as needed. Many herbs, such as rosemary and oregano, are Mediterranean plants and prefer a drier soil. To test to see if your herbs need water, poke your finger into the soil around the plants as far as it will go. If the soil at the bottom of the hole is dry, your herbs need water. Watch your herbs carefully for signs of drying. If the leaves begin to look wilted or become too dry, then you are not giving your herbs enough water.

Herbs need very little fertilizer. Use a fertilizer formulated for house plants and follow the label directions carefully, applying the fertilizer only once every two or three months.

Fresh herbs are a delightful addition to any kitchen. They give off a fresh scent and add great flavor to your cooking. And they are so simple to grow and maintain that anyone can have an indoor herb garden.

Potting And Repotting

The first step in repotting indoor plants is to make sure the new containers are clean and free of insects and disease. Even if the containers have never been used before, it is a good practice to wash them well with regular dishwashing liquid and a couple of teaspoons of bleach. Rinse the pots thoroughly with clear water until all traces of the bleach smell are gone.

Use a good commercial potting soil. Garden soil is not suitable for indoor plants although you can mix in up to one-half pure compost with the potting soil. There are also commercial potting soils now that contain timed release fertilizers which are excellent for use in repotting indoor plants.

The soil should be dark and moist with no clumps or rocks. If necessary, put the soil through a sieve to break up hard lumps and sift out any rocks or debris. If the soil is dry, place the soil is a bucket or pan and water it lightly, mixing the soil around in the bucket or pan to get it all moistened. Let this moistened soil stand for an hour or two to make sure the moisture is evenly distributed. If you add too much water, just let the soil dry for a day or two before potting your plants.

Transplanting

With the moist, sifted soil, fill the pot about one-third with soil. Grasp the plant by its stem and gently slide it out of its existing pot, dirt and all. Then place the plant, with the dirt, into the new pot, pressing it down lightly.

The plant’s existing dirt and root ball should come up to about one inch below the rim of the pot. This will allow you to water from the top of the pot occasionally or consistently, if you desire. The plant’s stem should not be covered with dirt or it will rot and the plant will die.

If the plant sits too low in the pot, take it out and add more dirt to the bottom of the pot until the plant’s root ball and existing dirt sits about one inch from the rim of the pot.

Carefully fill in soil around the plant to about one inch below the rim of the pot, making sure to keep the existing dirt and root ball level with the new dirt in the pot. Press the soil firmly but gently down as you fill the pot to prevent air bubbles and excess settling.

Water carefully from the top, making sure that the water doesn’t sit on top of the soil.

When your indoor plant has become root bound it will stop growing. Grasp the plant by the stem and slide it from the pot, dirt and all. It the roots are tightly packed and covering the outside of the dirt and growing out through the drainage holes, the plant is root bound and the roots will need trimmed before you repot it.

With a sharp pair of scissors or pruners, cut away about half of the tightly packed roots. Then loosen the remaining roots on the outside of the dirt so that they will grow down into the soil of the new pot and repot normally.

Planting Cuttings

When you have taken cuttings from other plants and rooted them in water there comes a time when they need to be transferred from the water to soil.

Fill the new container about one third full of the potting soil and place the cutting inside the pot, holding it so that the bottom of the roots drag slightly onto the soil. If the stem of the cutting does not come to about one inch from the rim of the pot, add more soil until it does. Then carefully fill the pot with soil, holding the cutting straight and lightly packing the soil around it up to about one inch from the top of the pot.

Water carefully from the top, making sure that the water does not stand on top of the soil.

Choosing The Right Container

Size

It is important to choose a container that will give your indoor plants plenty of room to grow and small enough that the plant will not put all its energy into expanding its root system to fill the available space. For example, when transplanting a four inch potted plant into a new pot, the new pot should be no more than two to four inches larger. When transplanting a twelve inch potted plant, the new pot should be no more than four to six inches larger. When you grow your indoor plants from very young plants, you may need to transplant three or four times before the plant reaches its mature size.

Drainage

All plant containers should contain drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. Plants that are not allowed proper drainage will suffer from oxygen deprivation and the diseases that can affect roots when they are kept too wet. Clay and pottery pots are excellent containers for indoor plants because the pots absorb some moisture; however plastic containers also work very well. Whatever material the container is made from, it must have proper drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.

If the container you have chosen does not have drainage holes, drill or cut several holes about the size of a pencil into the bottom of the pot to allow excess water to drain. Space the drainage holes evenly all around the bottom of the pot to allow for even drainage.

It is best to purchase a large saucer with your plant pot. This will allow you to water your plants from the bottom, if you choose, and will also keep freshly watered plants from dripping on to furniture and floors.

Room Temperature For Indoor Gardening

Not all plants have the same temperature requirements. Carefully read the instructions that come with your plant for any specific temperature requirements. As a general rule, most house plants do well in day time temperatures of 65° F to 75° F and 50° F to 60° F night time temperatures. These temperatures can vary as much as plus or minus 10 degrees for most plants. Plants with different temperature requirements will generally have that noted prominently in the printed planting instructions that come with the plant.

Major temperature fluctuations are harmful to indoor plants. Try to keep the temperature as stable as possible in the rooms where your indoor plants live.

The leaves will turn yellow and fall off on plants that are grown in temperatures that are too cold. A plant that is grown in temperatures that are too hot will be small and will have weak stems and leaves.

Fertilizing Tips For Indoor Gardening

Most indoor plants will not require frequent fertilizing. A good application of fertilizer every two to three months should be sufficient for most indoor plants. Do not fertilize new plants for at least two months because they will have already been fertilized at the nursery. Carefully read the printed instructions that come with your plant or research on your own to make sure you know the fertilizing needs of each particular plant.

There are many good commercial fertilizers on the market made specifically for house plants. Carefully follow the label directions when fertilizing your plants and you will avoid over and under feeding your indoor plants.

Plants that have been over fertilized will have dried or burned leaves. If you feel you have over fertilized your plants, water them thoroughly from the top and discard the drained water for two to three weeks.