Spice up your inner life!
By bringing your herb garden indoors

By Marion Owen, Fearless Weeder for PlanTea, Inc. and
Co-author of Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul

FEATURE ARTICLE:

Tom Hanks' "Power of Four" solution

More good stuff:

Marion's online catalog

Who is Marion Owen?

FAQs about PlanTea

Search Marion's articles, tips and recipes

Why grow organic?

News and press releases

Read love letters

How to link to this site

Need a speaker?

How to contact Marion

Visiting Alaska?
Come to Kodiak Island!

Go to home page

Marion's UpBeet Gardener
Newsletter has been
replaced by Marion's blog
which you can find at:
www.marionowen.wordpress.com

For gardeners who like to cook, there's nothing like fresh herbs. But when the growing season ends, does it mean you have to resort to grocery store herbs?

No ma'am! By bringing a few herbs indoors, you can continue to enjoy a year-round, flavorful bounty.

Here's how to do it:

The best time to pot up most herbs is before the first frost. Start by selecting the healthiest looking plants to bring indoors. Then dig them up--gently now--causing as little root damage as possible. Divide the plants if necessary. Some perennial herbs that make the transition to indoor conditions fairly easily include chives, garlic chives, thyme, mint, winter savory, and lavender.

Chives adapt well to indoor living conditions

Pot the herbs up in fresh, commercial potting soil and water them well. Don't skimp on soil quality. Herbs in pots need a reasonably rich soil mix with good drainage. Here's an all-purpose soil recipe for herbs:

Surviving the great indoors

The indoor environment can be quite a shock to plants that are accustomed to cool nights, breezes, rain, and direct sunlight. To help with the transition, you need to reverse the "hardening off" process. Begin by setting the plants out of direct sun for about a week. This gets them used to the lower light conditions indoors. After a few days, bring the plants inside for a few hours, then return them outside. Repeat this "in and out" routine for 5 to 7 days, then bring them indoors for good. Believe me, this will make a big difference in how well the survive the great indoors.

Once inside, isolate your herbs (and that means quarantined!) for a couple of weeks before introducing them to the rest of your houseplants. There's nothing worse than causing an infestation caused by overlooking a bug or two.

When it comes to light, herbs need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. (Exceptions are parsley, rosemary, thyme, and mint, which can tolerate partial shade). Supplement with flourescent lighting if necessary. A simple, inexpensive shop-light arrangement works just fine. Hang the lights about 6 inches above the plants and give them 14 to 16 hours of light each day. Turn the plants, especially if they're on the windowsill, so they enjoy even lighting conditions.

Herbs need 14 to 16 hours of light per day

A few more tips: Mist plants occasionally, provide good air circulation, and don't crowd the pots together. Herbs are extremely sensitive to dry, stagnant air. Stale air sets up the perfect conditions for pests and fungal diseases. Try to keep your herbs happy with fresh air by cracking a window, setting up a small fan, or by opening doors for good ventilation. If your herb plants become dusty or dirty, you might find my house plant cleaning tips helpful.

Growing herbs indoors also presents a wonderful opportunity to start new plants from cuttings. They make great gifts, plus you'll have a crop of seedlings ready to transplant in the spring. (To start your own herb plants from seed, visit my seed starting tips).

Fertilizing indoor herbs is a little bit of a balancing act. On one hand you want your herbs to be healthy and productive, but not so leggy that they lose their flavor and scent. Feed them monthly with an organic plant food such as PlanTea.

Herbs work hard as houseplants. They add a certain charm to the indoor environment, giving you flavor, fragrance, and sometimes flowers. With a little extra space, you'll never have to be without fresh herbs again.

Isn't that a wonderful thought? Cheers,

PSST! For more indoor and outdoor gardening tips, click here.