Isn’t it wonderful to simply reach out and snip a few fresh basil leaves to toss into a sauce for a great taste, or pluck a bunch of mint to flavour the evening cocktail? Fine herbs are perfect for adding flavour and brightness to cooked dishes. To have them year-round, you can of course freeze or dry your last summer’s harvest, but you can also grow your own little herb garden indoors all year long.
Whether from seed or seedlings found at a garden center, you can plant herbs in just about any type of container. No, growing herbs in a pot is not that easy, but by choosing the right varieties, you’ll be able to have great crops to use in your favorite recipes.
Temperature and humidity
Most herbs don’t particularly like heat. If your room is around 20 ºC, that’s fine. If you are growing in the kitchen, which is likely considering the usefulness of your plants, keep them away from the stove or other heat sources. Since they also like humidity, if you are able to keep the relative humidity between 40 and 50%, your herbs will be happy.
Light
Herbs need plenty of light to grow healthily. If you are lucky enough to have a south-facing window to place your herb containers near, you won’t need supplemental lighting. If not, get an LED grow light that will replicate sunlight and help your plants grow better. Add a timer and you won’t even have to worry about turning your lights on and off!
Caring for indoor herbs
To keep your herbs beautiful and healthy, water them regularly and be sure to remove dry or dead leaves regularly and harvest often. You can also spray water on and around the foliage of your herbs to increase the humidity level in the air. Proper fertilization will give them the boost they need to produce abundantly. Seaweed is excellent for feeding herbs.
Which varieties to choose?
Of course, you should choose herbs that you like to avoid waste. Think about what you like to cook and make your selections accordingly. Also, it is important to know that some herbs work better or are easier to grow indoors than others.
- The very popular basil is quite demanding and will require closer monitoring
- The vigorous mint must be planted alone in its pot since it is rather invasive
- Cilantro is capricious, inside and out
- Rosemary will survive for a few weeks, but needs to be kept cool. Avoid hot rooms at all costs and prefer seeds to young plants.
The easiest varieties are:
- Yellow laurel
- Chives
- Parsley
- Lemon thyme
Growing herbs indoors is really interesting and allows you to eat fresh food all year round. Even if it requires a little work, it is worth it. Ask our in-store specialists for advice on what equipment to use and the best varieties for you.
