Tips for Growing Herbs Indoors

There’s a lot to be said about growing herbs indoors. First and foremost they are right there in easy reach to pick the required amount for your cooking requirements. No running out in the rain or the dark in order to get those few leaves which will add the special something to the dish. They also are constantly in view, so you are able to keep an eye on their health and attend to them when needed.

Indoor herbs give you, not only edible delights but depart such beautiful aromas around the kitchen or where-ever you have them settled. A large tub on the patio near the door is a welcoming fragrance for visitors.

Here are some tips for growing herbs indoors:

• Choose healthy seedlings from your garden center and definitely start with the herbs you know you are going to use.
  
• Anything can be used as a container (you don’t have to buy special pots) but do make sure it has excellent drainage.
  
• Ensure that the potting mix is correct, ask at the garden center which is the right one.
  
• Placing your herbs is crucial. Most will require a moderate amount of light so check the best window sill, near a glass door or under a skylight. During the summer months it’s great if you can take your herbs outside periodically, it will do them the world of good.
  
• If your plants start growing long stems and the leaves start to fade or simply fall off, this usually indicates that the plant is not getting enough light. Shift the plant or, alternatively, you could look at a florescent light or specially designed plant lights.
  
• Watering is essential, however, most herbs don’t like too much. Rule of thumb is to keep the soil moist so once every couple of weeks should be plenty. This will depend entirely on exactly where you have placed them as they will dry out quicker in a hotter area of the house. If the leaves begin to go yellow, it’s a sign that you have over-watered.

• Speaking of water, I have an old large jug that I keep outside to catch the rain.  I then use that as a supplement to tap water
  
• If the air inside is too dry then simple misting of the leaves will give them the moisture they need. Keep the misting bottle handy to the plants and do it at a certain time each day
  
• In order to keep the pests at bay you could add a little soapy water to the misting bottle. If you do see insects hovering about put a bit of tepid, soapy water into the sink, hold the base of the plant and tip it upside down in order to swirl the water around it. You will lose some of the soil doing this, so make sure to put some more back into the pot. This doesn’t hurt the plant at all, but will remove the bugs.

Herbs do grow well inside as long as some simple and basic rules are followed.