These 7 herbs you can grow indoors for the winter will spice up any dull winter meal. If you enjoy making your own tinctures and teas, you also enjoy the opportunity of having fresh herbs right at your fingertips. You may have your favorite herbs in your garden and simply do not have room to keep them indoors. Or, you may have a very large backyard and be unable to have a shed or container garden. Whatever the reason, here are a few suggestions for container gardening and how to care for your herbs.
Basil is an herb that you should definitely have in your garden. The lovely fragrant flowers are small and grow easily from a single plant as long as it receives plenty of sunlight. Since basil prefers a sunny location, you will want to plant it in a container that gets at least 6 hours of sunshine each day. If you are not able to provide this much sun, at least try to place the flower between late afternoon and early evening sunlight. You should also place it about one to two feet away from your home or other elements.
Another herb that you should consider planting in a container is mint. Mint grows well in pot style gardens and can even be used in regular garden. It is fairly easy to take care of mint. Just provide it with plenty of light and as little water as possible. You should place it about half to full sun.
One herb that you should consider growing indoors is sage. This herb has a beautiful bitter taste to it when young but as it matures it turns into a lovely fragrant oil that is quite wonderful to smell. In fact, sage is a perennial herb that requires full sun. It will grow for three to four years. If you live in an area that doesn’t get much sun, you may want to choose another herb to grow in your indoor garden.
Parsley is another herb you should consider growing in your indoor garden. This herb grows easily and is quite common in many gardens. However, it is also a perennial herb that will require regular watering. Parsley needs partial shade and can be planted in a pot if it gets too much sun.
There are several herbs you can grow indoors and some of them are listed here. Garlic, dill, and fennel are all easy to maintain plants. They do require partial shade to thrive and do well in a container garden. Thyme, Rosemary, and sage also do well in an indoor garden.
Sage, chives, and oregano are all annuals that do well in a pot garden and do well in the summer. These herbs will grow well if you plant them in a sunny window. Rosemary is a perennial that grows well with very little sun or no sunlight at all. It needs to be fertilized every couple of weeks during the growing season and then only a light watering once a month throughout the fall. It does not grow well with dry soil.
Lemon balm and mint are two other easy to maintain and popular herbs you can grow indoors. Lemon balm is used in dishes such as salad dressings and is excellent when used in place of lemon juice. Mint is great for cooking and has a strong flavor. When grown in a container garden, mint will spread over the entire area.
Chives is a perennial herb that has a mild taste. In fact it is the number one ingredient found on sandwich fillings. Chives like a lot of sunlight and a moist soil. It will grow just about everywhere except the soles of your feet. They need lots of sunshine.
Most garden soils are too dry. They need water to be successful. So, before you plant anything make sure the soil is moistened. For the first few months after planting just give the plants light, about six hours of light per day. After the first few months to make sure you water your herbs frequently.
There are many herbs you can grow indoors from oregano, basil, chervil, dill, parsley, and thyme. You can also grow herbs like lemon balm, mint, Rosemary, basil, marjoram, and chives in a container. Each of these will do nicely in a small container indoors. They are not as hardy as some of the herbs and require more frequent watering. The mint will take more water than the others.