Basil, thyme, sage. These are indispensable herbs, and they grew in abundance on our front stoop all summer. It's too cold outdoors now, but we don't like paying $2.50 per packet at the supermarket.
Fortunately it's not difficult to grow these herbs indoors - even in a tiny kitchen.
One big pot, some potting soil, and a few herb plants are all you need. You should also have a sunny spot; the herbs will need plenty of direct sunshine.
Step-by-step pictures below...
posted originally from: AT:Kitchen
Some of you already have your container garden moved inside, and new plant projects going for the winter. This project is not for you, already gifted with a green thumb! This project is for those of us who just need a little push to get anything green in our house at all in the winter! Any advice on growing herbs indoors? Please share below!
Pot and tray - $211. Pot and tray - Buy a large, deep plant pot. This one is at least 7 gallons. Make sure there is at least one small hole in the bottom for drainage. If you have easy access to some stones or gravel, put a few inches of stones at the bottom of the pot to promote drainage.
Also make sure you buy a plastic or ceramic tray for under the pot to keep drained water from dripping on the floor.
Herbs - $92. Hardy herbs - Choose a variety of herbs for this pot. We chose cooking herbs - sage, sweet basil, and caraway thyme. We liked the different sizes and heights; sage grows tall, while basil is more bushy. The thyme is a creeper, growing flat to the ground. It has a tendency to take over its environment, so we will trim it back regularly.
Choosing herbs: We had a hard time finding herbs until we went to a nursery. They had just a few hardy specimens left, including the sage and thyme. Sometimes Trader Joe's has basil, too. We used three small basil plants, one tall and leggy sage, and a small thyme creeper. This may have been too much; if they start crowding each other and pruning doesn't help we'll pull out a basil.
Potting soil - $53. Soil and water - Fill the pot up with soil, stopping about 3 inches from the top. Moisten the soil lightly but thoroughly with water and mix it until evenly wet. It shouldn't be dripping wet - just loosely muddy.
Dig a small hole, deep down. Remove one of the plants from its nursery container. Gently loosen the soil around its roots. You don't want to tear the roots apart - just loosen them up a bit. Put in the hole and pack about an inch of dirt over top of the root ball. Repeat for the other plants, giving them several inches of room between each other. Water again when finished.
Water when the leaves look droopy.4. Water and sun - Put the pot on its drainage tray. Place anywhere it can get full sun. You'll need as much weak winter sun as you can get. Don't overwater; pour in a cup of water wherever and whenever leaves look droopy.
For cooking, cut leaves and stems off the tops first - not the sides.
Time, not including shopping: 20 minutes
Cost: $35-$50, depending on the cost of the pot and amount of plants
Related Links
• Self-Watering Pots for Your Herbs
• Recipe: Herb Butter
• Good Tip: Growing Lemongrass
• How to Store Fresh Herbs
I guess this isn't necessarily "green", but in NYC (for those interested) you can get a substantial discount on fresh herbs at the big Manhattan Produce outlet in Chelsea Market. For under $1 you get a nice clump the size of those plastic-encased bunches that run $2.50 at Whole Foods. No plastic packaging, either.
view the opoponax's profile
You can fit even more herbs into the pot if you do it with a strawberry pot. That's why I have for most of my herbs at my apartment.
view bohemiangirlpdx's profile
Is there a suitable substitute for sunlight? Darkness permeates my hovel, but I'd like to grow strawberries. They aren't evil, but I'm willing to give a little for free tasty treats!
view Lord Kakabel's profile
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view Jaco Viljoen's profile
I love your post! You have inspired me to try the herb garden in my house. I am going to use a strawberry pot and a variety of herbs. Thanks
view pumpkinpatch's profile
Lord Kakabel, get one or two fluorescent lights from Home Depot and then give your plants about 14 hours of artificial light per day. For about $15, I picked up two 15(-ish) inch tubes that helped me germinate seeds and grow basil. I bought a shoe rack from Target for another $10 to hook the lights onto. It's a nice set-up!
view MeghanD's profile
It's been my experience with herbs that woody herbs like sage, thyme and rosemary don't like the same soil conditions as soft herbs like basil. Basil doesn't like to be dry, but sage does. It's hard to regulate that in one pot. You might be better with several pots. Just a thought.
view Carol K's profile
Love your post. I was looking for herbs other than Basil every time I stop by Union Sq farm market but I guess I'd have to wait for spring? I just moved into a very sunny apartment with a spacious kitchen window sill so I can't wait to try this!
I have a rectangle pot the size of 2 dozen egg cartons stacked. would that be too small?
view purplepops's profile
You could also reuse an old round cake pan or pie pan on the bottom instead of gravel or in addition to the gravel. I hammer a good number of holes in the pan and place it upside down in the bottom of the planter. I've done it with some old fishing pals and it worked really well.
view sugarm0mma's profile