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10 Herbs you can grow indoors

Mike

Might know the answer
Messages
977
Location
Kentucky
Planting Zone
6b
In case you didn't know, a kitchen windowsill makes for a perfect garden which you can grow great tasting herbs right in the comfort of your home.

You can start growing herbs indoors right now and even throughout winter to add that "just picked" taste to your food, even if outside is covered in snow. Even better, you don't need any special grow lights or any of that fancy stuff. Herbs do just fine in a bright window. Below are some of the best herbs for growing indoors on a windowsill and some techniques you will need to keep them healthy and happy until you decided to plan them outside.

1. Basil - Start basil from seed and place the pot in a south facing window, basil likes lots of sun and warmth.

2. Bay Leaves - A perennial that grows well in containers all year long. Place the pot in an east or west facing window, but be sure it does not get crowded—bay leaves needs air circulation to remain healthy.

3. Chervil - Start chervil from seed in late summer. It grows well in low light but needs temperatures between 65°F and 70°F to thrive.

4. Chives - Dig up a clump of chives from your garden at the end of the growing season and pot it up. Leave the pot outside until the leaves die back. In early winter, move the pot to your coolest indoor spot, such as a basement or crawlspace, for a few days, then finally to your brightest window.

5. Oregano - Your best bet is to start with a tip cutting from an outdoor oregano plant. Place the pot in a south facing window.

6. Parsley - You can start this herb from seeds or dig up a clump from your garden at the end of the season. Parsley likes full sun, but will grow slowly in an east- or west facing window.

7. Rosemary - Start with a cutting of rosemary, and keep it in moist soilless mix until it roots. It grows best in a south-facing window.

8. Sage - Take a tip cutting from an outdoor plant to start an indoor sage. It tolerates dry, indoor air well, but it needs the strong sun it will get in a south-facing window

9. Tarragon - A dormant period in late fall or early winter is essential for tarragon to grow indoors. Pot up a mature plant from your outdoor garden and leave it outside until the leaves die back. Bring it to your coolest indoor spot for a few days, then place it in a south-facing window for as much sun as possible. Feed well with an organic liquid fertilizer.

10. Thyme - You can start thyme indoors either by rooting a soft tip cutting or by digging up and potting an outdoor plant. Thyme likes full sun but will grow in an east- or west-facing window.

What herbs have you had success with growing indoors?
 
S

Slowngreen

Guest
Ive been growing chives for a couple years in the house. Takes nothing other than a little water and they are always ready when I need them. Is Dill something that can be grown as easily?
 
M

Melissa

Guest
I have never grown Melissa (lemon balm) inside, but it has done so well in a container on my deck, and always has done well in my mothers garden in Vermont, that I can not imagine it being too bad to keep. It would need a sunny window. I recommend to grow it in a container of some kind if you are putting it outside. It is like Mint, actually from the mint family, and will take over what ever it is allowed to. I have seen it in half wine barrels with other herbs and it does very well. I have to admit it is the one herb I tryto grow no matter where I live.

it must be the name...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_officinalis
 
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Slowngreen

Guest
Ive never heard of that herb Melissa, Melissa, lol. Have/do you eat it?
 
M

Melissa

Guest
Much like mint it can be used in a lot of things. It has been used in some ice teas. Snapple I think it was used it once, and the one that has the lizard on it. I forget the name. Much like lemon grass it has the lemon flavor. When you bruise the leaf it has a lovely lemon scent. I actually love just having the lemon scent in the air. And the small white flowers draw in a variety of pollinators.

It is a fun herb for me, well especially cause of the name. And my mother would refer to me as the sweet little flower that grew in the woods as a kid. So always has treasured memories. It turns out that I plant things that bring treasured memories from my childhood, and more recent past.
 
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Hangman

Guest
add dill and mint to the list both can be grown in doors just fine
 
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sreece

Guest
Very helpful info for what to grow and how to propagate each herb for indoor gardening. Thanks for putting it all in a nutshell! I have grown basil inside so I would have it for cooking in the wintertime, but haven't experimented with any of the others. I'll be more adventurous this coming winter.
 
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LeahT

Guest
I recently received an Emily's Garden and plan on putting it on my Grandmother's tea cart in my dining room. I couldn't decide what to grow in it, until now. There are so many choices so little room. Thank you for the concise list and tips on growing herbs indoors.
 
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