Question
Hey there. I've recently moved into a garage apartment, and am stuck without much land to garden in, but i've recently been gardening at the last organic outpost (a pretty reasonably sized garden with an emphesis on building community and local food sustainability here in houston) and want to garden some at my place. luckily there's an awkward little breakfast nook in the kitchen that i think'll be perfect for this.

i was hoping to build two planter boxes, each 2.5'x3' to put there. there're two windows that would be bordering them, one facing north and the other getting a great deal of the morning sun. i was also thinking i might have to use an indoor plant light. i was planning on growing primarily culinary herbs, but havn't decided exactly what or how mcuh space i'd need to give between each.

anyways, my problem is that i dont really know much about gardening indoors, or in confined spaces. or really too much about gardening except for the basics.

any tips you could give to someone starting their first indoor garden?

Answer
Dear Mike:

Since you indicated an interest in herbs. I read this article recently and I think it will provide some tips for you as well as a reference website.  Shown below is the entire copyrighted article by Mary Hanna:

Herb Gardening Indoors

by Mary Hanna

Here are some tips for herb gardening indoors that will simulate the conditions in an outside garden. For Herb gardening indoors the growing climates need to be pretty much the same as the conditions outside.

Get your herb plants from a good garden center nursery who will have plenty of garden advice to help you with your inside garden. You will need some garden equipment like a small digging garden tool, garden gloves, organic fertilizer and some small gardening containers. You probably already have most of these garden supplies in your garden shed.

Soil is the most important aspect of growing herbs indoors. Use only top grade potting soil with an organic fertilizer mixed in. If you think it is too fine a soil, use a little perlite. Fertilize while potting the herbs and they should be happy until spring. If you have an herb that is not growing vigorously add a little organic liquid fertilizer to the water.

When you go to transplant the herb, go one inch up in the size of the gardening container. If the plant is in a two inch pot, go to a three inch gardening container. Leave the roots alone and be careful not to bruise the stem. Don't plant oreganos, mints, lemon balm or bee balm with other plants because they will overgrow everything. Pot these herbs in a garden container all their own. Some people swear that you must put garden stones in the bottom of the gardening container, but I dispute that opinion. I feel that the garden stones take valuable space away from the herb roots.

When it comes to light, all herbs must get 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day on your window sill. If your window doesn't supply that much light then purchase garden grow lights and hang them three inches above the plants. If you live in a very hot climate shade the herbs during the hottest periods. If you live in a very cold climate keep the herbs away from the cold glass panes.

When it comes to watering, don't let the herbs dry out but don't drown them either. An inexpensive water meter from your garden center nursery will help with this important step in growing your herbs. Always use room temperature water so as not to shock the herb's roots.

If you follow all of these steps you will have a healthy herb garden all winter.

This article may be distributed freely on your website, in your ezines and in your eBooks, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged. Copyright ?2005 Mary Hanna. All Rights reserved.


About the Author
About the Author: Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives full time in Central Florida which allows her to garden and grow herbs inside and outside year round. Contact: [email protected] or visit her garden site http://www.gardeninglandscapingtips.com

Good luck with your indoor garden!!

Regards,

Mack Jean
AllExperts
Master Gardener
Tennessee