Herbs are great fun to grow indoors. They're the perfect companion for the curious cook who isn't afraid to take a few chances. Start with a sunny windowsill and a few herb seeds and -- snip-snip, you have an instant gourmet meal. Well, it may not be quite that simple, but fresh herbs are still a great asset to have in the kitchen.
To get your herb garden started without any major problems, make sure to choose healthy plants, or grow your own from seed. This means that you should inspect plants before you bring them home and discard any that show signs of insect activity. If a plant looks suspicious, pass. Other things to keep in mind are:
- Give plants plenty of room. Plant descriptions and seed packets will offer spacing recommendations, and even though potted plants don't typically grow to full size, give them generous accommodations.
- Water plants regularly and make sure the pots drain thoroughly after watering. One of the biggest plant killers is stagnant water hanging around long enough to rot plant roots.
- Turn plant pots frequently to keep plants growing evenly on all sides.
- Go light on the fertilizer. Most herbs like moderate to poor soil. Remember, more houseplants are killed with kindness than through neglect.
- Wait for plants to reach 6 to 8 inches (15.24 to 20.32 centimeters) in height before harvesting any leaves, and only take about a quarter of the plant or less at any one time. After you've snipped an herb's leaves, wait for that much or more to grow back before harvesting again. If you're a parsley or oregano fanatic, it might be a good idea to keep more than one plant going at a time.
Now that you have a thriving indoor herb garden, it's time to start growing your vegetables indoors, too. Yes, indoor tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce! You'll be a household farmer in no time.