Wouldn’t it be grand to have an indoor herb garden at your disposal?  Just think what you could do with all of those herbs!  You could make tastier meals, improve your health and performance, and maybe even commune with nature in your own home.  What are some ways to go about creating an indoor herb garden?

First and foremost, you have to ensure that enough light hits your plants so that the herbs can grow.  This will require large windows with plenty of sun.  Experienced herbalists say that a south or southeast window is best.  Herbal plants will require at least five hours of sunlight a day.  Keep these sensitive fellows away from drafts & air vents.  

Choosing a Container and Mix

When it’s time to plant your indoor herb garden, you can buy your favorite plants from the local nursery in town or order these packages online.  When choosing a container, remember that you want to find one that is at least six inches deep, perhaps as deep as a whole foot.  Bigger is better than smaller, since you could always plant multiple herbs in a larger container.

However, anything less than six inches may not be enough room for one plant to grow.

You want to use a soilless potting mix to prevent soil diseases from developing.  Use only light mix and be sure that it can drain well.  Workers at the nursery should be able to point you in the right direction of potting mixes.  You want about three inches (or a little less) of potting mix in the container.  After making this layer, add the plant in.  Now fill in the rest of the potting mix and firm the container gently.  

How Much Space Do You Need?

When planning your indoor herb garden, try and leave about an inch of space from the very top of the plant container so it can be easily watered.  Be careful not to over-water, as this can be especially damaging to herbal plants.  You should feed the plant once a month with fertilizer.  The fertilizer type should be for “edible” plants.  After this, you sit and watch the plant grow (well, not continuously…you can do other things!) giving time for acclimation.

Pay attention to the labels of the plant as well as any advice given by the nursery.  They may tell you to put certain plants in the center where they will receive the most sun, while others can survive off to the side somewhere.  (For example, oregano is known as an herb that requires lots of sun)  

What if you live in an apartment where there are extra dark blinds or no convenient windows?

You don’t have to keep plants under direct sunlight—you can actually use a fluorescent light (provided it’s about 18 inches above the herbs).  However, it’s also a good idea to take the plants outside once in a while so they can get a touch of real sunlight.

These tips well help you indoor herb garden grow quickly and in good health, bringing your herbs straight to the kitchen from the kitchen!