Growing Herbs Indoors – Part Three

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Introduction

In the two parts before this blog post, we showed you how to get set up to grow herbs indoors, and how to get started growing herbs indoors. We shared how to plan for an indoor herb garden, what you need to get started, how to choose the herbs to grow, and how to get started growing them.

In this part, we will give you…

Some Tips for Successfully Growing Herbs Indoors

Planting Your Herbs. When you plant your herbs in the pots, be sure to trim them carefully so that you stimulate them to grow. For example, with chives that you may have taken from your outdoor garden, trim the roots a little, but cut off about half of the tops and save the cuttings for use in your own food preparation. With thyme you’ll probably trim the roots very little, but you may need to trim the tops a bit to stimulate new growth.

A similar process for planting applies for herb plants you buy. You carefully remove them from their small planting pots. Then, plant them in holes you’ve made in the pots in which they will grow indoors. The holes should be large enough to easily accommodate the plant’s roots and deep enough so that its foliage will not be buried in the soil.

Place the plants gently in their new homes, and gently put some of the soil around them. Then, gently press the soil down around the plants and water them carefully. By “carefully” I mean do not over water them because many herb plants, such as tarragon, do not like to have their roots in standing water. While watering, watch for some water appear on the dish or tray under the plant. When the water appears on the dish or tray, stop watering the plant.

When you start new herb plants from cuttings in water, watch carefully to see when roots appear. Once there are roots, the cuttings are ready to be planted.

To plant the cuttings, poke a hole in the soil that is deep enough for the roots and a part of the cutting’s stem. Gently place the cutting in the hole and gently push the soil into the hole. Press the soil firmly but gently enough to not disturb the roots. Then water the new plant the same way you watered the herbs you transplanted from your outdoor garden.

Watering Your Herbs. Water the plant whenever the soil feels dry to the touch, but continue to water it carefully so you do not over water it. Remember to stop watering when you see water appear in the dish under the pot.

Spraying Water Mist on Your Herbs. Fill a spray bottle, and set the sprayer on fine spray. How do you make this adjustment? Turn the nozzle on the sprayer until you get a fine spray. Then, once or twice a week, spray your herb plants with it. They will love the moisture and it will keep them refreshed from the dry heat indoors.

Proper Lighting for Your Herbs. Provide enough light for your herb plants. You should be able to provide a location that has at least six (6) hours of natural light or sunlight available each day. When growing your herbs in a window, be sure to turn the plants every few days to expose the other side to the natural light or sunlight.

If you use a grow light, you’ll need to provide between 14 to 16 hours of its light each day. That’s the reason you’ll need an automatic timer that you can set to ensure that the grow light remains “on” for the proper length of time.

Growing Temperatures for Your Herbs. The temperatures for your herbs are important. Try to keep constant temperatures around 60 degrees, but no higher than 70 degrees. The temperatures in this range are ideal for growing herbs indoors. Also, be sure that there is good air circulation in the room where you are growing your herbs. I use my sun porch during the winter and I always keep a ceiling fan running at its lowest speed.

Fertilizing Your Herbs. You may find you need to fertilize your herb plants periodically. If you grow plants organically, you may want to use some of the compost you have made. Or you can use a weak solution of fish emulsion. If you use a standard fertilizer, get something that dissolves in water easily and prepare a weak solution of it as well. Then, use the weak solution fertilizer of your choice once every two weeks.

Controlling Salt Build-Up in Your Herb Pots. Salts often build up in a potted plant’s soil. To control this build-up, you will need to rinse and drain your herb plants once a month. Simply place the potted plant in a sink and thoroughly water it. Allow the excess water to drain out completely. This procedure will remove the salts that have built up in the pot and keep your plants healthy.

Controlling Pests in Your Herb Plants. Occasionally, you may have to deal with insect pests trying to infest your herb plants. Often these are white fly or mealy bugs. Make a solution of dish soap and water in a spray bottle. Then, spray any infected herb plant thoroughly until the plant is dripping. Be sure to spray the underside of the leaves as well as the tops. Often the insects hide on the underside of the leaves. Repeat the spray weekly until the pests disappear.

Also, I have found that making a peppermint tea and adding it to the soapy water solution helps to chase away other bugs that may bother your herb plants.

If the herb plant is in a small pot that you can easily handle it, here’s a trick you can use for treatment. First find a bowl or pot large enough in which to dip the entire herb plant. Make a solution of soapy water, similar to the one in the spray bottle.

Then, use some paper or cardboard and cut it in the shape of your herb’s pot. Make a notch all the way to the center of your cutout. Next, fit the cardboard around the base the herb plant by inserting it into the notch. Holding the cutout securely around the base of the plant while turning the pot upside down will keep the soil in the herb plant’s pot.

Hold the cutout in place, turn the herb plant upside down and swish the herb plant foliage in the soapy solution. Repeat this process weekly until the pests disappear.

If the pests are persistent, find and use a non-toxic organic pest control product to help you rid your herb plants of these pests.

Also, another way to prevent or control insect infestations is to place sticky traps throughout your potted plants. The insects will be attracted to the sticky traps which will hold them securely until you can dispose of them. The sticky traps are quite effective. I have found sticky traps at several hardware stores and garden centers.

Well, there you have it! Growing herbs indoors is fun and easy; if you plan what herbs you will grow and take proper care of them. In addition, it will keep you enjoying your favorite fresh herbs throughout the winter months!

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