Growing herbs indoors … our top tips for success
Want to add colour, flavour and aroma to your cooking? You need herbs! And while you can definitely buy herbs from your local Hill Street store, there are advantages to having your own home-grown herbs on hand, including convenience and cost-savings. Honestly, it’s no big dill learning how to grow your own herbs; you just need a little bay-leaf in yourself. The investment of your thyme will pay off with a bountiful crop, and if you need some help we’ve got plenty of sage advice to offer, as well as a healthy dose of encourage-mint.
We recommend keeping herbs close at hand by growing them indoors; it’s easy, compact and best of all you don’t need a fancy set up to achieve great results. Plants need very little to thrive indoors - a warm windowsill, protection from wind, a little water, and all-day sun make it easy to propagate your own herbs all year round. So, what do you need to get started? We’ve got some handy hints to keep indoor herbs happy, healthy and delicious.
1. Plant herbs in individual pots – this will ensure that you are tending to the individual needs of each plant, stop over/underwatering, and mean that each plant is given optimal growing conditions.
2. Sun, sun, sun – most herbs love sunshine, so ensure your herbs get at least 6 hours in full sun every day.
3. Choose herbs wisely – some of the best herbs for growing indoors are:
Chives - They’ll grow pretty much anywhere.
Basil – Ensure they get lots of sun and be sure to plant them in a good quality soil. Basil is
not a long-lasting herb so be sure to plant new seeds every few weeks to keep up your supply.
Rosemary – Keep a light source close to the plant and ensure that the soil has good drainage. You’ll also want to give rosemary some liquid fertiliser every month, starting in spring.
Thyme – This is a versatile and hardy herb. Thyme tends to prefer being underwatered so, wait until the soil is completely dry, then saturate the plant and allow it to completely dry out before watering it again.
4. Watch your water – Not enough water and herbs won’t grow, too much and they will become waterlogged and die. It doesn’t take a lot of water to keep indoor herb gardens alive. A light misting every few days should be enough to keep the soil moist but not too wet.
5. Snip, snip – Don’t be afraid to give herbs a trim. Cut off a few sprigs at a time rather than harvesting a large amount all at once. This little haircut will also encourage new growth.
So, there you have it! Grow your herbs indoors and enjoy the fruits of your labour all year round.
