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Herbs & Greens You Can Grow Indoors All Year

Details: Category: Grow Your Own; Created on Wednesday, 02 December 2020 11:43; Hits: 710

Someone recently told me they preferred homegrown herbs and vegetables. When I asked why, they replied that they just taste better. That’s hard to argue with.

When you add that just-picked taste to your meals… even when snow is drifting up against the kitchen window… by growing herbs indoors all year long you’ve entered a new level for your culinary experience. Fresh herbs are better. Fresh anything is normally better. So consider growing some windowsill plants and you won’t be disappointed. You won't even need any fancy equipment as long as you provide plenty of water and sunshine.

The Environment

We generally place our herbs in a spot that gets at least six hours of sun daily. This will vary based on time of year and many other factors, yet you get the idea.

In addition to sun and water, all herbs need to be planted in pots with good drainage. To prevent ruining your tabletop or windowsill use a saucer or liner to catch any excess water. And you should fertilize carefully as you deem fit.

Here are some quick tips to get each of the following started indoors:

Basil

Start basil from seeds and place the pots in a south-facing window; it likes lots of sun and warmth. Basil likes to be kept moist. Be sure to snip off the ends before they flower to keep your basil full and productive.

Bay Leaves

Bay is a perennial that grows best when using the pots rather than the garden. Place the pot in an east- or west-facing window making sure it does not get crowded. Bay needs air circulation to remain healthy so keep it a few inches away from its neighbors.

Chives

We grow chives year round in pots yet if you have them in the ground already, at the end of growing season, dig up your chives from your garden and replant them in a pot. You may get some shedding so be sure to clip the dying ones. In the winter, move your potted chives to your coolest indoor spot… like your basement, if you have one… for a few days to get it acclimated, then place it in your brightest window.

Oregano

We grow oregano from seeds, from cuttings and sometimes we buy commercial seedlings. If you plan ahead just begin with a tip that has been cut from an outdoor oregano plant. Allow the cutting to root in a shot glass full of water for a week or two, then plant that tip in a pot, place it in a south-facing window. Caution… do not keep too moist. They hate that.

Parsley

We also grow oregano from seeds or from cuttings and we even sometimes buy commercial seedlings. If you can, take a clump from your garden at the end of the season and pot it. I use 8” pots yet there is no preferred size to use. Parsley likes full sun, except in the hot southern areas. Parsley will also grow in an east- or west-facing window, although more slowly.

Rosemary

Rosemary is one of our favorites because we can keep a rosemary bush alive and feeding us for years. We start with a cutting of rosemary and keep it in a shot glass full of water until it roots. Rosemary grows best in a south-facing window. It also has a great side effect in that your kitchen will smell fresh throughout the cooler seasons thanks to the pungent scent of this herb, kind of like a natural air freshener.

Sage

Sage is another herb that you can take a tip from to get started indoors, preferably a tip that was cut from an outdoor plant to start an indoor sage plant. Sage tolerates dry, indoor air well, yet it needs the full sun from a south-facing window to do well.

Thyme

We find that we can start thyme indoors in one of two ways, either by rooting a soft tip that was cut from an existing outdoor plant or by digging up and repotting the entire plant. Thyme prefers full sun but will grow in an east- or west-facing window.

Green Onions

It only takes a minute to convert those discarded root ends into new green onion cuttings for an endless supply of fresh green onions. Just cut off the root end, place in a shot glass full of water until it roots… and we’ve never bought green onions again. We just snip off what we need and let the plant keep going rather than harvest the entire plan.

For green onion details go to this article: https://www.itgdiet.com/healthy-living-gardens/311-regrow-your-green-onions

Celery

Celery is as easy to grow from scraps as green onions are. Just cut off the root end, about 1 or 2 inches from the root end, then place in a shot glass full of water until it roots. We normally get growth within 24 hours.

For celery details go to this article: https://www.itgdiet.com/healthy-living-gardens/313-regrow-celery-from-its-root-base.

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Rancher Ron has been helping ITG research sustainable, at-home gardening throughout 2020 to not only harvest vegetables for the kitchen, but also as a hobby that we can all enjoy as we spend more time at home.

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