Indoor Herb Garden: Tips For Starting Your Own
Possibly one of the most popular types of garden is an indoor herb garden. There are numerous reasons for this. First, an indoor herb garden is typically smaller and easier to handle, especially for a beginner. They are planted in small decorative containers and they can really spice up the décor of any home as well as being beneficial for both cooking and making your own medicine. While most people think that herbs are just for cooking, the truth is that herbs have been used for thousands of years to heal a number of different ailments.
There are a number of ways to construct an indoor herb garden and they are only limited by your budget, your space and your imagination. Many people are fortunate enough to have a plant window in their kitchens. If only we were all so fortunate. These windows operate in a similar way to a greenhouse and are the perfect environment for an indoor herb garden. If you don’t happen to have one of these windows or any windows at all in your kitchen for that matter, no need to worry. You can still grow your garden indoors.
All indoor herb gardens are potted herb gardens. You can use any type of container you would like as long as it has good drainage and a dish to sit in to catch water. What’s more important is where you set the pots. Ideally, you would like to put the pots on a sunny windowsill. But if that is not an option you can also put the pots on a counter that has a fluorescent light directly overhead in close proximity. For example, if you have a fluorescent light under your kitchen cabinet, then you could put your pots right under it and your herbs would be fine.
A very recent trend in indoor herb gardens is the hydroponic garden. Midnight infomercials have been selling expensive hydroponic units. Although easy to use, the user has to continue buying new growing pods in order to have a consistent supply of herbs. If you are interested in hydroponic gardens, check with your local hydroponic garden store. They might have a kit or a system that will end up being less expensive or work better.
Building your garden is simple. Be sure to use an appropriate potting soil mix, since all mixes are not created equal. Topsoil, although cheaper, does not have the same nutrients as potting soil. Potting soil has a pH that is specifically made for plants in pots and it is enriched with fertilizer, plant food and in some cases, water absorbing fibers that keep plants evenly watered. Once your plants begin to grow and fill in, you will be able to start harvesting your herbs. Some herbs will grow for a long time if conditions are ideal, such as Basil, while others will grow for a brief time and then need to be replanted, such as Cilantro.
