Take the guesswork out of growing herbs indoors with this simple guide.
These tips will help you start your plants off right and keep them thriving indoors.
Light
Outside in the garden,herbs grow best in full sun.
Credit: Carson Downing
To grow herbs indoors, place them by the sunniest window you’re free to.
A south- or southwest-facing window that lets in direct sunlight is best.
Givepotted indoor herbsa quarter-clockwise turn once a week to expose all sides of the plant equally to sunlight.
Credit: Adam Albright
This will encourage more even growth.
Watering
Water is both a friend and an enemy of herbs.
Plants need water to grow, but too much water rots the roots.
If the soil feels dry, it’stime to water.
If it feels moist, hold off for another day or so and check again.
Water evaporating from the tray will raise humidity right around the plant.
Another alternative is touse a plant humidifiernearby.
Temperature
Herbs like the same temperatures that people do, roughly 65 to 75F.
Keep basil in a spot that stays about 70F.
Choose a balanced, all-purpose plant food, or a liquid fish emulsion.
Apply the plant food at half the recommended rate every other week only when herbs are actively growing.
It’s better to give your plants too little fertilizer than too much.
However, plastic and glazed ceramic containers hold more moisture than terra-cotta, which is porous and breathable.
Herbs often do better when grown in terra-cotta pots.
Always verify the container holding your herbs has a drainage hole.
If you have a saucer underneath, pour off any extra water that collects there to avoid waterlogged soil.
Garden soil is too heavy and doesn’t have enough air pockets between particles.
Dont plant too early as it could lead to leggy or weird-looking herbs, thus affecting their flavor.
Likewise, dont do it too late in the season as they wont have time to growand tasteproperly.
