Essential Survival Gear Catalog

Herbs do quite well indoors in small pots or containers.Window boxes and hanging baskets make great containers for herbs.  Growing herbs in pots is not anymore difficult then growing herbs in an outdoor garden.Indoor herb gardens require basically the same environment as your outdoor herb garden.   

All plants need three main things in order to grow successfully; sunlight, soil and water.  Herbs are no exception.All plants need sunlight, but most herbs will only thrive if they have at least 8 hours of sunight per day.Since herbs need plenty of sunlight, the best place indoors is a room with a west or south facing window.  Different types of herbs have different light requirements but, for the most part, all need a sunny location.  Some home herb growers supplement the light source with “grow lamps” or fluorescent lamps.  Herbs also need a well drained, not too rich soil to grow in.For well drained soil for container herbs, you can add two parts potting soil with one part sand or perlite.  You will also need about an inch of gravel at the bottom of each pot to ensure that the plant has good drainage.You can enrich the soil in indoor herb pots by adding one teaspoon of lime per 5 inch pot.Herbs grown in pots need enough water but not too much.Keep your plants moist by adding a liitle water to the pebbles and occasionally misting your herbs.  Since they are being grown in containers they do need to have more water then herbs that are grown in a garden but, you should avoid getting the roots of the herbs drenched or soggy.

An advantage to growing herbs in a container is that you have the freedom to move them about as you please.You can keep your annual herbs indoors all year, but perennials are best taken outdoors during the summer.  Although all herbs should be brought inside before the first frost in order to avoid the loss of foliage.  This rule is over looked when it comes to mint, chives, and tarragon.These herbs go into a resting period then firmer, fresh growth appears after being introduced to a light frost.

While most herbs can be grown in containers, some will grow better than others.  Mint is an herb that needs to be contained or it will take over the garden.Indoor herb gardens are generally fairly easy to maintain.  It keeps the herbs handy and within reach anytime you need them for cooking.You should be able to keep your herb plants healthy by following the tips above.  You should also include periodic light feeding and yearly repotting for optimum health of the herbs.  You will also have to remember to replant annuals each year and move perennials outdoors when needed.And, pick your herbs as often as you like and harvest them on occasion.  It is no secret that pruning plants encourages new growth.This is also true for herbs.  So use your home grown herbs in your recipes, store them and give them away to friends.