A Beginner’s guide to indoor Herb Growing
There are lots of herbs that you can grow all the way outdoors on a windowsill. If one has never grown any plant before then the best way to learn is by the doing. Here are the Hackney Herbal’s main points to get you started with this season.
1. Sunlight
The herbs require the sunlight to be able to grow. The leaves of plants, during the process of photosynthesis, capture the sunlight and transform it into the energy that is required for the plant’s growth. Therefore, devote some of your time to find out which is the window in your home that gets the most direct sunlight. Thus, you may diversify your herbs during the day as the sun shifts across the sky to fully benefit from them.
2. Pot size
Usually, the bigger the pot, the more space the plant gets, and therefore the larger it can grow and the more you will be able to gather from it. I would advice using a pot that is at least 10cm deep, because it is good for growing plants. You can put each herb in its own pot or design them all together in a rectangular window box giving at least 5cm between each plant. No matter the container you will use for your herbs, it has to be the one that has drainage holes. You can then keep your pots on a tray or a saucer so that they do not spill all over when you water.
3. Compost
The best mix of covering or grit and peat-free compost for indoor herbs is 1 part topsoil and 3 parts of peat-free compost. Or you can also go for a compost mix that is ready to use on its own or you can buy a premade potting compost mix and use that on its own. The coarse soil provides some framework for the plant roots and thus, it improves the drainage preventing the herbs from getting waterlogged.
4. Watering
Indoor plants generally need less water than the outdoor plants. Herbs need to be watered one or two times a week and be sure to check the compost when it starts to dry out. If your plant seems to be wilting and falling over, then it has probably gotten a little bit dehydrated.
5. Harvesting
While you are doing the harvest you should be cautious that you do not take out more than one third of the plant at a time. Thereafter, the plant will get the time to grow again before you cut it again. Regarding the herbs such as mint, basil and thyme always make a cut above a couple of leaves. In case of the herbs like coriander, parsley and chives, cut a whole stem from the base of the plant.
6. Plant Choice
The old saying “Right plant, right place” is still valid and it is a very important thing to be followed in order to avoid any disappointment with the herb growing. Plants that will withstand the indoor life are the basil, coriander, parsley, chives, calendula, mint, and thyme. As to the other bigger herbs like rosemary, sage and lavender, they are likely to have a hard time if you try to grow them indoors. It is always worth trying out but also you need to be cautious because the herbs that grow in shrubs will require a lot of care and it will be difficult to take care of them indoors. So, all the herbs mentioned above can be easily grown from the seed or you can buy a small plug plant to get a head start.
7. Continuous harvest
To have a continuous and quality supply of healthy herbs throughout the summer, it is wise to repeat sow herbs so that when one plant begins to flower (the end of its life cycle) you can replace it with another seedling. Besides, when you grow herbs in small pots indoors you can also assist them on their way by using a nitrogen-rich liquid feed. Remember to adhere to the table of dilution rates on the product because over-feeding can be harmful to the plant.
