subject: Review - Grow Herbs Indoors [print this page] Indoor herb gardens are more common today as compared to past years. Fresh herbs can indeed grow and thrive indoors, contrary to popular belief. However, these indoor plants still need the proper care and maintenance that you would accord to outdoor plants.
A good tip for growing herbs indoors is that they are easier to manage when placed at your windowsill where it can get the sunlight it needs without you having to move it around at odd hours of the day. Aside from this technique, there are other ways to help your herbs grow abundantly and freely.
If you have pre-existing outdoor herbs, be sure to bring them inside during the cold winter months. Place them in an area enough ventilation and sun. Usually, it is best that they are put in places that allow them to get southern exposure for a period of around eight hours a day. When you see that the stems and leaves of your herbs begin to fade or fall, it may be indicative that your herbs are not getting the sunlight that they need. If you have put them near a window and yet they continue to fall away, you can actually purchase supplemental lights called growlights. These provide the plants with lights that they need, since regular light bulbs just wont do the trick. If you cant find growlights in your local store, fluorescent lights are also a viable alternative given that they are suspended four inches above the plant.
The lack of moisture is a problem to grow your own herbs indoors, so make sure that your herbs get enough moisture by misting them regularly. You can also place the herb with its pots atop a tray with water and pebbles. The evaporation that the water undergoes will create humidity and moisture in the environment around the plant itself, giving it the moisture that it needs.
Pests are also a problem, but thankfully, there are solutions that help your plant stay free of pest attacks. If you begin to spot pests eyeing your herbs and plants, prepare some soapy water (this can be right from the tap) in a large bowl or sink. Take your plant and dip it in the solution for a short period of time. This will kill the bugs without actually harming the plant. You can also put the water in a spray bottle, but make sure to get full coverage of the plant and not just one side.
To grow your own herbs indoors, you also need to place them in places with the appropriate temperature. Therefore, before going out and buying herbs, make sure to ask your local garden store what temperature these plants thrive in. More often than not, they are more knowledgeable about what these plants need and have the information you seek to grow them in your own home.
For further convenience, there are actually home herb gardening kits that you can purchase that are catered to helping you grow herbs indoors.
