Guidelines For Growing Your Herbs In Pots
Growing herbs in pots can be a GREAT WAY to garden. The amount of care needed to grow them inside or outside is much the same, and they will do well in window-boxes or hanging baskets. The basic requirements for plant life to survive and flourish are: sunlight, nutrients, and water. I say ‘nutrients’ because plants can be grown without soil in a hydroponic setup. A hydroponic system is basically a ‘liquid soil’, which supplies the plants with the nutrients needed for growth.
SUNLIGHT - when selecting a location to grow your herbs, choose a place that has ample sunlight, for your herbs will enjoy this much better. If lack of sunlight is a problem there are other sources of light than just the sun. Some gardeners like to use ‘grow lights’, which are an artificial means of producing light, which work tremendously well.
SOIL – herbs definitely like a well drained soil that is not too rich. For potted herbs, a fantastic soil can be made by adding one part perlite with two parts potting mix. To the bottom of your pot, add an inch of small rocks, such as pebbles, which will help with water drainage. You can also supplement your indoor herb soil with 1 teaspoon of lime per five inch pot.
WATER – potted plants need to be watered more often than plants in the ground, so keep an eye on them. At the same time, you want to avoid over watering them as the roots can become soggy and start to rot. Not a good situation!
Most herbs are frost sensitive, so you want to make sure you bring your herb pots in before the first winter frost. Growing your herbs in pots allows for this mobility. A few herbs like mint, chives, and tarragon, will actually do better if subjected to a light frost. By doing this, they will actually produce fresher foliage upon new growth. You can leave your annual herbs inside all year long, but you would do well to move your perennial herbs outdoors during the warmer months.
If you adhere to some of these basic guidelines, you will create a fantastic indoor herb garden. Certain herbs will grow better than others in containers, but rest assured, all types will grow well. Watch out for the mint herb, as it will take over your garden if it is not contained within a pot of some sort. You can keep your indoor herb garden right in your kitchen for easy access to fresh herbs while cooking. Foliage picking is encouraged! Any gardener will tell you plants grow better after a pruning. For peak herb health, other factors to keep in mind are periodic light feeding and yearly repotting. You can use your herbs fresh or dry and store them for you and your friends to use later.
