Growing Herbs Indoors : Your Guide To Growing Herbs In Containers For A Vibrant Indoor Herb Garden

Lee Anne Dobbins

The information included in this book is for educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for seeking the advice of a health care professional.  This information is not meant to replace modern medicines or medical treatments. The author and publisher make no claims as to the ability of the herbs and spices listed in this book to cure or treat you of any ailment known to man. Before using and herbs or spices, you should consult your doctor.

The author and publisher has made their best efforts to ensure the information in this book is accurate, however, they make no warranties as the accuracy or completeness of the contents herein and cannot be held responsible for any errors, omissions or dated material.  The information given in this book may not be suitable for your situation and you should consult a professional before trying any remedies or recipes listed in this book.  The publisher and author assume no responsibility for any outcome resulting in applying the information found in this book, either through self care or under the care of a health care professional.  Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any damages including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential or other damages.  If you have health concerns, talk to a qualified professional first.

Copyright (c) 2012  Lee Anne Dobbins.  All Rights Reserved

Table Of Contents

Introduction

What Herbs To Grow?

Best Containers For Growing Herbs Indoors

Best Soil For Your Indoor Herbs

Transplanting Your Herbs

Air Circulation and Humidity

Lighting For Growing Herbs Indoors

Caring For Your Indoor Herb Garden

Watering

Fertilizing

Synthetic vs. Organic Fertilizers

Water-Soluble vs. Slow-Release Fertilizers

Problems With Growing Herbs Indoors

Fungus, Mold and Mildew

Pest Control

Proper Location

Harvesting Your Herbs

Conclusion

About The Author

Introduction

Do you love to cook with fresh herbs but hate the high price? Do you wish you could find fresher varieties to have on hand at a moment’s notice? Growing herbs indoors in containers may be your solution. By growing herbs in a container, you have more access to the herbs you want. They will always be on hand and fresh the very moment you need them. Fresh cut herbs spoil very quickly when you bring them home from the store but when you leave them on the plant until they are needed, they are always at the height of freshness.

Growing herbs in a container indoors is actually easier in some ways than having an herb garden outside. There is no need to weed, till or mow. You can more easily control the water and sunlight, and you can leave your herbs in the kitchen, where they are needed most. So many times outside variables destroy herb gardens. It can be anything from weeds choking out your basil, caterpillars munching on your parsley or even neighbor cats eating your oregano. Growing herbs indoors gives you complete control over these risks.

An herb pot or base can be an artistic statement and the herbs themselves give a very pleasant and natural ambiance to a room. Some varieties even sprout small flowers, which give off a delicate scent and provide a splash of color to a room. Almost any container can be used to grow herbs in as long as it has plenty of room for the roots and a hole at the bottom for drainage. If you want to save money and go green, consider drilling a hole in the bottom of a clean plastic coffee can. You can paint over the label or leave it as is. Old teapots also make great herb containers and can be found at thrift stores for cheap. If you are feeling very adventurous, pick up some clay and try your hand at making a container for herbs. This is a great way to get the kids involved in art as well as planting.  The best containers to use for herbs, however, are good old fashioned terra cotta pots - these are fairly inexpensive and I think you will find that your herbs do very well in them.  I’ll talk more about that later in this book.

Indoor herbs really love a south-facing wall, as this is where they get the optimal sun. Aloe, chamomile, chervil, chives, comfrey, marjoram, mint, and parsley all enjoy partial sun and will thrive in a south-facing window. Basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme, however, tend to need a bit more light. I have successfully grown these indoors in the summer, but during the winter, these heartier herbs need extra help. If you are trying to keep your herb containers going during the winter or do not have access to a south facing window, consider buying a grow light. Grow lights can be found at most gardening supply stores and online, but they tend to be on the pricey side. It is well worth the cost and effort, though, to have all of your favorite herbs on hand.

One problem many indoor herb growers face is leggy plants. This happens when the stems of the herb get long and woody and all of the leaves are at the top. This can be avoided by careful harvesting. It is always better to take the newest leaves from the top of the plant so that the herb will branch out and get bushier at the bottom. If you always harvest from the bottom of the herb, it will keep growing at the top, but the bottom will become like the trunk of a tree.

Growing herbs indoors can be a great way for you to add interest to your kitchen as well as ensure you always have fresh herbs for cooking on hand.  It’s easy!

What Herbs To Grow?

While most herbs can be grown successfully indoors, there are some that will do better than others.  If you are just starting out, you might want to limit yourself to trying a couple of the herbs from this list and, as you get more experience, you can move on to adding different types of herbs to your indoor herb garden.

I might also recommend that you buy plants from your local nursery that are already established when you first start out.  That way you can get your indoor herb garden going that much faster.  Growing from seed can be rewarding (and some plants are easy to grow from a seed), but it can also be a bit challenging and takes some special equipment and time for the plants to mature.

Basil - Basil is my favorite herb to grow and to cook with and it smells divine!  Basil is easy to grow from seed, but it does need a little bit of TLC to thrive indoors especially in winter.  Put the pot in a south facing window and make sure you give it enough water.  Basil needs 6 - 8 hours of sunlight a day.

Basil will grow to about 18” tall so keep this in mind when planning your garden.  Just one or two plants should be plenty to serve your culinary needs.  Basil won’t do well in temperatures below 40F but it’s not very picky about soil PH. 

Oregano - Another favorite Italian herb that you will love to have in your kitchen.  Oregano grows best when started from a cutting.  Greek oregano is the easiest to grow.  Keep it in a south facing window and make sure it gets at least 6 hours of sun a day.

Oregano should be planted in a container that has very good drainage and be sure to let the soil dry out between waterings. You should keep temperatures above 55 F for this plant to thrive.  One 6” pot of oregano should give you more than you need for cooking and pinching off the leaves frequently will ensure that it stays bushy and full.

Parsley - Parsley is a great detoxifying herb and loaded with vitamin K.  Transplant it from your garden or grow it from seed, but be forewarned that the seeds can take a long time to germinate.  It does need a lot of light and, therefore, may benefit from grow lights in the winter.

Parsley likes to have soil that is a bit moist but make sure you don’t overwater it.  If you want to stimulate growth, cut the shoots at soil level.  Parsley is better stored dry as it loses flavor when frozen.  Of course, using it fresh is best!

Rosemary - Rosemary adds a wonderful smell to your home and is best grown by a cutting since the seeds take a long time to germinate.   In addition to the fragrant smell, Rosemary will enhance your home with beautiful purple flowers. 

Rosemary does like its soil to be on the dry side and it can easily be watered too much. There’s a fine line between drying out your plant and watering it just enough - if you start to see the leaves turn yellow then you are not giving it enough water. Oddly enough, it also needs a lot of humidity and if you see your plants leaves turning black this might mean that your house is not humid enough.  You can mist the plant to remedy this, but make sure there is enough ventilation or you might be inviting fungus.

Rosemary will also need a lot of light - at least 5 hours of sunlight and several more of supplemental light.  You will want to be careful when choosing your Rosemary plant from the nursery as some varieties can grow up to 6 feet tall.  Better to choose a dwarf variety that will grow to about 2 feet for your indoor garden.  It can thrive in temperatures of 50F to 80F.

Thyme - Grow this herb by rooting a cutting.  It needs 6-8 hours of sun each day so keep in a south facing window.  You my find that you need to also supplement that with some time under a grow light each day.  It grows to about 15” tall and does very well growing in pots indoors.  It does prefer a slightly alkaline soil and likes it a little on the dry side so don’t overwater.  Let the soil dry out between waterings but not to the point where it hardens and cracks.  Thyme will do well in temperatures from 50F to 80F.

Chives - Who doesn’t love chives with their bagel and cream cheese?  It doesn't get much better than cutting them fresh right from your kitchen windowsill.  Chives are extremely hardy and easy to grow indoors.  They are best grown when a portion is divided from an already growing plant - just dig up part and put it in soil in a container, place in a south facing window and enjoy fresh chives all year long!

Chives need at least 6 hours of direct sun each day.  You’ll want to turn the plants periodically so that it grows evenly.  Keep soil moist.  If you notice your leaves turning yellow this means that you are not watering it enough.

When harvesting chives, be sure not to take too much or you could damage the plant.  Be sure to leave 2” of growth above the soil when you harvest the leaves and only harvest about half the plant during its first year.  Chives prefer a temperature of 60F to 70F.

Mint - Mint is a very hardy herb, in fact, it’s hard not to be successful growing it!  Outdoors in the garden, it can become invasive and choke out other herbs so it’s a good one for growing in a pot.  Spearmint is the best variety to grow indoors but you might consider buying several varieties and planting them together in a 12” pot.

Mint needs 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day.   You should plant it in a pot that has adequate drainage and use good compost or potting soil.  Mint does not like to be overwatered but don’t let it dry out either.  Try to keep the soil evenly moist.  You might also want to mist it if your home is very dry in winter - just make sure there is adequate ventilation so you do not invite fungus. 

Best Containers For Growing Herbs Indoors

As mentioned in the introduction, pretty much any pot can work for growing herbs and you can really get creative with what you use.  Your herb pots can act as a decorative item as well as a functional item but there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing pots for indoor herb growing.

The most important thing is that you need to have adequate drainage.  Nothing will kill your herbs faster than standing water so you must make sure that the container you use has a hole in the bottom.  You want to be sure that water can drain out easily.  Another solution is to put rocks in the bottom of the container if you cannot use one with a hole, but this is not as good as one that has a drainage hole.

Ideally, you should use terra cotta pots with a big  hole in the bottom and a saucer that the water can drain into.  The terra cotta is permeable so moisture and air can flow into the soil inside the container.  This is very important because if your roots do not get enough ventilation and drainage they can succumb to root rot which will kill the plant.  Also, standing water inside the pot will invite a hot of diseases as well as mildew.

Of course, you can use any type of pot and just make sure that the soil is loose and the drainage is good, but why not just use the types of pots that will give you the best results?  Terra cotta pots are fairly inexpensive and they look nice too.

One thing to keep in mind, if you are using terra cotta pots, is that you will want to soak the pot in water before you transplant your herbs into the pot.  This is so that the terra cotta does not wick all the moisture out of the soil leaving your newly transplanted herb begging for water.  Soaking them overnight and then letting them dry for about 20 minutes before planting your herbs in them will ensure that the moisture stays in the soil as it should.   If the pots have been used previously, make sure to wash them out with soap and water and rinse thoroughly. 

You might also consider coconut fiber pots or baskets because these also allow for adequate air flow and drainage.  The roots of your plants can actually grow right through the fibers in these pots.  The big drawback is that the water will run out the entire bottom since it is not really solid and that can present a messy problem unless you are setup with trays underneath to catch the water.

Best Soil For Your Indoor Herbs

Herbs need soil which will ventilate the air and drain the water efficiently, this is particularly crucial during winter months, so be sure to add perlite, coarse sand, or peat moss to your soil mixes. Mix your potting soil using a ratio of two parts soil to one part coarse sand; this will help keep the soil dry. Unless you are planting Mint or other herbs that grow well in moist soil, most herbs people grow indoors like Basil, Oregano and Parsley do not grow well in moist soils.

Be sure to use a neutral and balanced sterilized compost based mix, with pH levels between 6 and 7, soils that have a high acid content will produce burnt out, tasteless herbs.

Do not use the soil that you take from your outdoor garden for any indoor herb gardens. The garden soil drainage abilities outside will be much different when planted inside a container, and most likely will not be adequate for your indoor herb garden.  Not only that but the soil is not sterilized like the soil you buy in bags at the garden center so you may be introducing pests, larva or other things into your indoor garden that you do not want.

Quality indoor herb garden soils are readily available at any plant or gardening store, just keep in mind which herbs you want to grow and whether they require moisture controlled soils or if they thrive in moist soils.

Fertilizing the soil once the plants are out of the seeding stage is recommended but not required, especially if you purchased an indoor soil mix with nutrient release. If you want to feed the soil yourself, you can boost the soil with liquid fertilizers or organic fish emulsion feedings when the plants are actively growing, this can help produce a boost to the growing cycle and create tastier herbs.

You may also want to keep in mind if you are trying to grow your indoor herbs organically that some prepackaged indoor herb soil mixes and fertilizers are not organic. You can always check the internet for organic fertilizers if you are having trouble finding any at your local store. Using organic plant protection will also help keep your soil free of any insects.

Transplanting Your Herbs

If you buy your starter plants from the nursery or grocery store, they will probably come in very small plastic pots and you want to transplant them to a 6” or even 12” pot right away so they have enough room to grow.

If you are using a terra cotta pot, then be sure to soak it overnight in water as mentioned in a previous section, failure to do so may result in the pot soaking up all the moisture and damage to your plant. 

Transplanting the actual herb is very easy.  The first thing you want to do is make sure your potting soil has some moisture to it.  You don’t want it to be soggy -  when you squish a ball of it together in your hand you want it to clump together and not fall apart on its own, but you don’t want any drips of water to wring out of it.

Line the bottom of the pot with a layer of the potting soil mix deep enough so that when you place the herb into the pot, the crown of it is level with where you will fill the soil up to.  Most pots have a little lip there, so you can experiment with placing the herb (while still in it’s original pot) inside the new pot and seeing if it comes up to the lip, if not add more soil - if it is higher take some away. 

Once you have the perfect amount of soil in the new pot, remove the herb gently from it’s container by squeezing the sides, turning the container upside down and gently coaxing the plant out by grabbing the base of the crown and working it from side to side to break it free.  Most plants will come out quite easily with very little tugging.

Take a good look at the root ball when you have it out, you want nice white roots that hold the soil loosely.  If the root ball is compacted, loosen up the roots with your fingers.

Place the plant into the middle of the new container on top of the soil you added to the bottom.  Put more soil around the sides until the soil reaches the crown of the root.  Press the top of the root ball down into the soil and gently press the sides of the soil as well. You want the plant to be well seated but you don’t want the soil to be compacted too much.

Finally, water the plant slowly until water starts to drain out the hole in the bottom.

Air Circulation and Humidity

Two things that are very important for indoor herbs are air circulation and humidity.   Most herbs like a fair amount of humidity and a lot of homes lack that, especially during winter.  Without air circulation, fungus and mildew can set in, plus the movement of the air helps to stimulate the plant to drink in water and nutrients from the soil as well as help strengthen the stems.

If you’ve ever had plants that had a white fuzzy mold or a mildewy growth on the top of the soil, then the likely reason is that you didn't have enough air circulation around the plant.

Providing air circulation to your plants is easy and can be done in several ways.  First of all, if you live in a warm climate, you can always rely on an open window or set your plants outside for part of the day to get a good natural breeze and some sunlight.

But, its more likely that you are interested in growing herbs indoors because you want fresh herbs during the winter months and opening a window or putting your precious plants outside is not feasible.  In this case, there is a simple solution - a small fan.

Simply buy a small oscillating fan or stationary fan and put it on a very low setting to create a breeze for your plants.  You need to be careful though as you don’t want a big wind that will bow the plants over.  Be sure to place the fan at a distance that will create only a slight breeze on your plants - you don't want them to be bent down but just gently moving. 

If you have an oscillating fan, this is perfect because it will create a varied breeze instead of a steady stream of air.  Moving the fan to a different part of the room each day will help create a breeze and provide air circulation from different angles much like the plant would get if it were growing outdoors.

If your plants need more humidity, try misting them regularly but be careful not to get them too wet as you don’t want to invite mildew.  If you mist your plants and don't have adequate air flow you will most likely find fungus or mildew growing.

Another thing you can do to make the area around your plants more humid is to rest them in a tray of water.  You don’t want the actual bottom of the plant pot to rest in the water though or your plant will draw to much of it up into the soil.  The best thing to do is put some pebbles down so that the plant pot itself is not touching the water but the water is in the container around the pot.  This way, as the water evaporates up the side of the pot, it will create a little flow of humidity for the plant.

Lighting For Growing Herbs Indoors

Most herbs love sunlight and it can be a challenge for you to provide enough of that for your indoor garden, especially if you live in a region where there are short winter days and the sun is very weak.

Since sun-loving herbs often require 6-8 hours each day of sunlight, the indoor herb gardener often needs to use supplemental lighting from artificial sources to keep them growing vigorously.

Low-intensity fluorescent lights have long been used by home gardeners to start seeds and to grow herbs indoors. Standard fluorescent lighting is typically a 4-foot unit with two 40 watt bulbs. Special tubes are used for growing plants or a combination of warm-white and cool-white tubes will work well. Keeping your herbs 6 inches from fluorescent bulbs is recommended if 700 foot candle-power is needed. If you want stronger lighting, high-intensity discharge lamps are available for home use.

These lights work well even if they are farther away from your herbs. High-intensity lamps are recommended for serious herb growers, especially during the winter months when natural light is less intense. The most efficient high-intensity lighting is high-pressure sodium lamps. These bulbs start at 150-watts and go up to 1,000-watts. While high-intensity lighting works the best, it is more expensive to purchase the bulbs and to operate them. Avoid using this type of lighting during peak energy usage hours to keep your electric bill as low as possible.

No matter which type of herbs you are growing, they must receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. Herbs that receive high-light, will have noticeably thick and strong leaves. If the amount of light is too low, the leaves will appear thin and delicate.

If you are bringing your herbs indoors for the winter, be aware that many herbs have a difficult time making the transition from the high-light available outdoors, to lower indoor lighting, so you might want to start your indoor garden from scratch.

Certain types of herbs such as rosemary, are especially susceptible to the effects of low indoor light. When bringing your herbs indoors during the winter, it is a good idea to gradually allow the plant to adjust to lower indoor lighting by placing it in partial shade for two weeks before bringing the plant indoors. Move it to even deeper shade for another week before bringing it inside, which gives the plant time to adjust to lower lighting conditions without causing sudden browning, leaf drop and death.

Caring For Your Indoor Herb Garden

Aside from adequate lighting, herbs require only water and fertilizer to thrive.  It sounds simple, but applying them at the right time and in the right amounts is the key to happy, healthy plants.

Watering

One of the most important considerations when watering container herbs is drainage. Herbs thrive best in well-drained soil and both the pot and the soil should facilitate this process. Using coarse potting mixes and lining the bottom of the pot with gravel both help drainage. Excess water in the soil can cause molds, mildews and fungal growth, rendering the herbs inedible or killing them altogether.

The most effective way to water container herbs is to drench the soil until it begins to drain at the bottom, and then completely drain and remove excess water. This gives herbs the water they need without drowning the roots. Watering in small frequent amounts may not allow water to reach roots at the bottom, causing them to grow toward the surface of the soil.

After drenching and draining container herbs, it is best to allow the top 1-inch of the soil to dry before watering again. You can test with a moisture gauge or meter to see if your herb requires water, but you can just as easily use your thumb. If you feel moist soil before you reach the first joint of the thumb, wait another day or so to water.

Fertilizing

Fertilizers, both organic and synthetic, provide vital nutrients and organic chemicals that herbs cannot get from the soil, with some needed in large amounts (primary) and others needed in smaller or trace amounts (secondary). Primary nutrients include nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K), and their content in fertilizers is represented by three numbers separated by hyphens, such as 10-6-4 (N-P-K). Nitrogen supports color and growth, phosphorous aids root system development and potassium stimulates the immune system. Fertilizers containing nearly equal parts of primary nutrients are considered to be balanced. Secondary nutrients found in fertilizer are calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, iron and zinc.

When potting new herbs, both starter fertilizers and compost can help to grow a healthy herb. Because phosphorous supports root systems, starter fertilizers rich in phosphorous can aid in establishing the herb. Also added to the soil during potting, compost is not only organic and healthy, but is actually quite easy to create and is an excellent way to recycle organic kitchen waste, such as fruit and vegetable cores and peels. Use a plastic bin or container with a tightly fitting lid at least 24 inches tall and drill small holes both in the lid and bottom. Line the bottom of the container with shredded newspaper, pine straw or dead leaves, and then add soil until the container is half full. Add waste scraps, stir to cover the waste with soil, and spray with water. Secure the lid and let nature turn waste into nutrient dense compost, stirring every couple of days.

Synthetic vs. Organic Fertilizers

Although synthetic fertilizers are generally cheaper, many gardeners suggest using organic fertilizers because synthetics do not provide secondary nutrients and can contain salt that can eventually build up and leach moisture from the plant. Some organic fertilizers are fish emulsions, bone meal (1-11-0 or 5-12-0) and cottonseed meal (6-4-1.5 or 6-2-1).

Water-Soluble vs. Slow-Release Fertilizers

Two main types of fertilizers are water-soluble and slow-release. Water-soluble fertilizers are generally fast-acting and can correct nutrient deficiencies quickly when needed, but can also cause rapid growth resulting in a loss of flavor in the herbs. Slow-release fertilizers are generally granulated, require less maintenance and can last for months. Most retail fertilizers, both organic and synthetic, will have fertilizing interval times listed in the in the directions, indicating how long the product will provide nutrition.

Problems With Growing Herbs Indoors

Naturally, there are some potential problems that may arise with your indoor herb garden.  The biggest of these is temperature and moisture. The inside air may be too dry during the winter months for some plants, and the plants will need some way to obtain additional moisture. One method that some people have tried is to place the herb container on a tray that is filled with pebbles and water. The water in the tray will evaporate and add humidity for the plant. Keep the tray filled with water as it evaporates.

Another way to help keep moisture in the soil is with good mulch. The mulch will help hold the moisture in the soil, and it will help extend the watering times. Herbs should be watered early in the morning so the water can soak into the soil with less evaporation. Water the soil around the herb and not the leaves. Regular watering on the leaves can promote mildew as well as disease, so you want to avoid splashing the plant with water. The containers that the herbs are planted in also need to have a good drainage. Proper watering is one of the most essential aspects of growing herbs indoors. A general rule for proper watering is to water when the soil is dry when touched. Add enough water to the container for it to come out of the drainage holes, and then wait until the soil is dry before watering again.

Fungus, Mold and Mildew

Black fungus, leaf mold and powdery or downy mildew can be a big problem with indoor plants and can even attract pests such as fungus gnats.   You can eliminate a lot of fungus and mold problems by making sure you have appropriate air circulation as mentioned previously in this book. 

If you do get mold or mildew, you might try copper sulphate spray on the area or, better yet, buy some organic oil spray which will not only treat mold, fungus and mildew but also deter insects.  These sprays made from oils like rosemary oil or sesame oil can be a bit expensive but they are totally organic and safe and a little bit goes a long way.

Pest Control

Since indoor herb plants can be prone to pests, they should be inspected regularly for insects, such as spider mites, white flies and other insects. The indoor plants are more apt to get these pests because there is no cold weather to kill the eggs of the insects, and the eggs will hatch and be seen crawling or flying near or on the leaves of the herbs in large numbers. Many herb gardeners use organic and homemade methods to get rid of these pests safely. Since the herbs are used in cooking, it is better to use chemical free methods to control insects.

If the containers of herbs are easy to handle, to control these pests dip the plant part into a pail of soapy water that has been prepared especially for insects. Be sure to hold the soil with your hand to prevent it from falling out of the container. This can be done one or two times a week for several weeks to clear up these pests. Another way to control the insects is to use the prepared soapy water in a spray bottle. Spray the leaves of the herbs with the soapy water. The eggs will hide on the underside of the leaves so be sure to spray under the leaves as well. Other natural ingredients can be added to the soapy water to help control insects. These homemade sprays should be used on the plants away from the direct sunlight since the sun can damage the leaves when they are wet with the spray. Herb gardens should be started with healthy plants for the best success since herb plants that are already infested with bugs will cause the other plants to become infested.

Proper Location

Herbs can grow well indoors if some consideration is used for the plants location. Each plant may require different amounts of light and moisture, and the location where the plant is placed will need to be matched with the plant that will grow best there. For instance, one type of fresh herb will grow good if placed on a windowsill indoors where it will receive adequate amounts of sunlight, but other plants will not do as well since they require less light. In addition, some herbs require humid areas to grow properly while others do not. For example, the rosemary herb requires dry soil, and it will not survive in moist and humid areas.

Signs to indicate that the herbs are not getting enough light is the length of the stems and the color of the leaves. Long stems and faded leaves or leaves that are falling off are good indications that the herbs need more light from the sun or some other source. As mentioned earlier in this ebook, special lights can be used to provide the energy that the herbs need to grow sufficiently if there is not enough sunlight.

Harvesting Your Herbs

With an indoor herb garden, you have fresh herbs at your fingertips, but how do you best harvest and make use of your plants?

The first thing to keep in mind is that you want to wait until your plant is “big” enough to start picking the leaves.  When your plant gets to be about 6” in height you can start pruning leaves off and using them in your cooking.  Don’t take too much at once though, or you will kill the plant!

Once your plant is big enough, you can do is just pick off leaves here and there as you need them.  For plants like basil, pinching off the main growing head will encourage bushier growth.  Other plants should be harvested from the other leaves.  This is a great way to have fresh flavor for your culinary creations. You may also want to do a bigger harvest of your plants and cut the whole plant to use for drying or freezing.

If your plants get very large, you might want to cut off large sections and use them for drying.  The best time to do this is right before they flower. This is when herbs are at their peak flavor. You will want to cut six to eight inch sections of the herbs. You will then place them in a tub of cool water. Carefully rinse the leaves, but do not scrub them. Rinsing the herbs ensures that they are free of dirt and insecticides. If you decide to rinse them under running water, make sure the water is flowing in a light stream so as to not damage the leaves. Gently shake off any excess water.

Next, gather the herbs by the clipped end. Wrap them together with a piece of twine. Make sure you don't wrap the bunches too tightly as the air will need to penetrate them to allow for proper drying.

The herbs will need to be hung in a cool, dry place to allow them to completely dry out. The clippings should not be disturbed until you are ready to strip the leaves from the stalk. For faster drying, you may use the microwave method of drying. To do this, simply place the bundles on a paper plate and place in the microwave for approximately two minutes, flipping them over every 30 seconds.   Be careful with this method though because herbs can actually catch on fire in the microwave!  You may also place them in the oven for two to four hours at a temperature not exceeding 180 degrees.

Once the clippings are dry, you will need to strip the leaves from the stalk. Do this by running your hand down the stalk, removing the leaves, until only the stem remains. Place the dried leaves in an airtight container for storage. Label the container so you know which herbs you have stored.

You may also freeze your herbs for later use. Do this by placing the dried leaves in ice trays and fill with water or olive oil. Once they have frozen, place the cubes in freezer bags and freeze until you are ready to use.

It is best to store herb leaves whole and crush just before use as this will preserve the flavor of the herbs. Once the leaves are crushed, the flavors are released which is why you will do this just before using the herb.

Conclusion

Growing herbs indoors can be fun and rewarding but it can also be frustrating if you don’t use the right methods and equipment.  The proceeding chapters should give you a good idea of the best practices for growing herbs inside so that you can have a thriving indoor herb garden! 

About The Author

Lee Anne Dobbins lives in New Hampshire and writes about herbs and other healthy foods.  Some of her other books include:

Healing Herbs & Spices : Health Benefits of Popular Herbs & Spices Plus Over 70 Recipes To Use Them In

Mood Boosting Foods and Mood Boosting Recipes

Healing Desserts : Guilt Free Desserts Made Healthier With Healing Foods, Herbs and Spices

Anti-Aging Herbs : Top Anti Aging Foods And How To Improve Your Health With Recipes That Use Them

Visit her online at:

Website: http://www.healingfoodscookbooks.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HealingFoodsBooks

Twitter: http://twitter.com/healingfoodscb

Table of Contents

Introduction

What Herbs To Grow?

Best Containers For Growing Herbs Indoors

Best Soil For Your Indoor Herbs

Transplanting Your Herbs

Air Circulation and Humidity

Lighting For Growing Herbs Indoors

Caring For Your Indoor Herb Garden

Watering

Fertilizing

Synthetic vs. Organic Fertilizers

Water-Soluble vs. Slow-Release Fertilizers

Problems With Growing Herbs Indoors

Fungus, Mold and Mildew

Pest Control

Proper Location

Harvesting Your Herbs

Conclusion

About The Author

Table of Contents

Introduction

What Herbs To Grow?

Best Containers For Growing Herbs Indoors

Best Soil For Your Indoor Herbs

Transplanting Your Herbs

Air Circulation and Humidity

Lighting For Growing Herbs Indoors

Caring For Your Indoor Herb Garden

Watering

Fertilizing

Synthetic vs. Organic Fertilizers

Water-Soluble vs. Slow-Release Fertilizers

Problems With Growing Herbs Indoors

Fungus, Mold and Mildew

Pest Control

Proper Location

Harvesting Your Herbs

Conclusion

About The Author