Growing Herbs IndoorsGrowing herbs indoors is a wonderful way to include fresh herbs in your daily cooking all year. TastierRecipes.com Grow and use herbs indoors year round- or start herbs indoors from seed in spring, and then transplant to your outdoor herb garden. They can also be transplanted to containers. Planting herb seeds is fun ,but also economical. The seed packets are only $1.50 which will be enough to plant a few flats of herbs. Compare that to buying the potted plant from a nursery – from $4.00 to $6.00 per plant. Quite a savings! When is a good time to plant herbs indoors?If you're planning on keeping your herbs indoors year round- then you can plant your herbs anytime of year.Keep in mind that they need a sunny spot for about 4-6 hours or so .You can order seeds online or at your local nursey. The seed packets for the current year/season usually are available in stores in the spring where I live in the Midwest. If I plan on growing herb gardens outdoors, then March is when I usually start my herbs indoors from seed. This gives them some time to grow strong enough to transplant outside. The process is quite simple and definitely rewarding! A general rule of thumb is to start your seeds about 6-8 weeks before you anticipate replanting them outside. There are many Herb Garden Kits on the market that you can purchase to grow your herbs from seed. They are perfectly fine to use. It may be more expensive, but is also more convenient with everything packaged together. I used a plastic tray with a greenhouse dome, and bought the herb seeds , seedling mix, and plant stakes separately. The peat pots are a great invention. They eliminate "transplant shock". Transplant the pot and all directly into the ground ( after the frost) or into a container filled with potting soil. The seedling mix should be light sterile and free draining.Ask at the store if you're not sure. (Regular potting soil is too heavy to use.)
Here's what you need to get started .
Growing Herbs Indoors........ Step by StepStep 1. Read all of the labels and directions on the back of the seed packets and the kit if you are using one.If you're planting a few different kinds of herbs, then make sure that they need similar requirements for sun and water. Step 2. Place the peat pots in the tray Step 3. Pour some of the potting mix into a bucket and add warm water just to moisten. Step 4. With a large spoon, fill the peat pots ¾ full with the moistened mix. Step 5. Use your index finger to poke holes into each pot.
Step 7. Cover the seeds lightly with the moist mix. Tamp down gently. Step 8. Use plant markers to identify your herb plant. Add the date that you planted them too.
Step 10. Put the cover on the tray and place in a warm sunny room, in indirect/direct sunlight. Step 11. Keep tray covered until the seeds start to germinate.
If planting your herbs outside, remember to acclimate the plants slowly to the outdoor elements.
Taking Care of the HerbsOnce your herbs are established in the containers,there are a few things that you can do to keep them alive and healthy.When growing herbs indoors they need a few things to keep them happy. 4-6 hours of sunlight every dayA south facing window is ideal. If you don't have this much light and still want to have an indoor garden- then you may have to purchase grow lights or lamps. Do not over water!This may be the number one cause of failure in growing indoors because mold contaminates the soil and kills the seeds. Plant your indoor herbs in the right size pots or containers to accommodate root growth and with proper drainage. Use good quality potting soil or mix for growing herbs indoors;add some sand or gravel for better drainage. Fertilize your plants with liquid fertilizer- don't overdo it. Follow the package instructions. Pinch off the flowers as they start growing in . This will give you better cooking flavor and oil retention.
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