Starting an Indoor Herb Garden

I love planting herbs indoors during the winter months. Beginning gardeners can try out their green thumbs with a small indoor herb garden. These homegrown ingredients will freshen their homes and spice up their recipes. Tentative gardeners often fret about what to plant. Selecting those first seeds can be an exciting and nerve racking experience. Beginners fear that their garden will be too high maintenance, or that they will somehow kill their plants in the first month. It can be overwhelming to see the sprawling gardens tended by advanced gardeners. Beginning gardeners should start small. Herbs are an excellent plant to begin with. They can easily be grown indoors with little maintenance. Herbs usually thrive best in temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees, so they make an ideal plant for indoor window gardening. The unique flavor of homegrown herbs will spice up even the most mundane meals, and they will smoothly introduce new gardeners to the world of dirt, water, sunlight, and fresh food.

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Indoor Garden Lighting

The key to successful indoor gardening is placement. The biggest challenge will be getting enough exposure to the sun, so placement of the herbs could be the difference between an abundance of tasty seasonings and a brown withered plant. Windows with southern exposure provide the most lighting. If the natural sunlight is limited or the plant is struggling, indoor gardeners can give their herbs a boost by buying a grow light.

Indoor Gardening Supplies

An indoor herb garden will need pots that drain easily, potting soil, and sand. Aim for half soil and half sand when preparing the pot. Water the herbs immediately after planting them, being careful not to over water. Most herbs should only be watered again once their soil has gone completely dry. Herb gardeners should invest in some fertilizer to encourage growth in their plants.

Indoor Herb Kits

Indoor herb kits have been designed for those still feeling shy about the first steps in their garden. These kits can be ordered online or purchased at a local gardening store. The kits will usually provide a variety of seeds, gardening trays or pots, soil, and a booklet or CD ROM of instructions and gardening tips.

Selecting Plants for the Indoor Herb Garden

• Basil is a popular herb for indoor gardens. Healthy basil plants requires more sunlight than other herbs, usually between 12 to 16 hours a day.
• Parsley makes both a delicious seasoning and garnish. Parsley plants need a warmer environment than most other herbs.
• Italian herbs, such as sage, oregano, or rosemary can give regular recipes a European twist. Indoor herb kits are available with an Italian herb specialty.

Beginning Indoor Herb Gardeners

Starting out with a simple indoor herb garden can open up the world of green thumbs and fresh foods.  I know it makes a world of difference in the taste of our food when I throw in fresh herbs versus dried herbs!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and good luck growing your indoor herb garden! For more gardening tips you can follow the links below.