Whether you live in a big city or someplace that gets cold 9 months out of the year plants and greenery can be a real refreshment for any home.
They purify the air in your home. They give you fresh herbs all year round. They are convenient to care for. They add a little green life to your kitchen. In other words, you can’t go wrong putting a herb garden indoors.
There are so many ways to grow those greens: from elegant hanging gardens to high tech potted herb kits. Even if you live in a tiny apartment, there are tons of smaller-scale options that will liven up your windowsill, office shelf and — of course — dinnertime menu.
Follow these steps that will ease the process of maintaining your garden:
Choose such herbs like mint, rosemary, bay leaf, savory, oregano, chervil, or basil because these are some of the easiest to grow indoor.
Provide adequate light. Place them in the sunniest part of your kitchen—the herbs will need approximately four hours of sun each day. Whenever the light levels are low, give them a boost. Two or three fluorescent lights above your plants will greatly increase growth and yield.
Select the proper soil. Some herbs grow better in poor soil, as they can develop a stronger flavour. The oils in herbs make them special. Very fast growing herbs often grow plain leaves and stems more quickly than they can produce tasty essential oils.
Know when to water. If the surface of the soil feels dry, you need to water. Another way to tell is to pick up the container and check how heavy it is. Your herbs like their soil to drain fast. It is best to water thoroughly but less often. Water the container until some water comes out of the bottom, but don’t over-water.
Correctly select your containers. You need to have containers with holes in the bottoms, and you need to add a layer of broken roof tiles (slate is ideal) or other small flat stones, or a centimetre or so of perlite or gravel to the bottom of each container as you transplant.
Use your herbs when they’re ready. As soon as the herbs have grown enough leaves to be pinched without affecting their growth, you can begin using some of the herbs. So trim as needed, or preserve in olive oil for use at a later date.
