Grow Herbs Indoors

Are you already dreading the doldrums of winter? Most home gardeners mourn the impending winter. Recalling last winter’s long stretch of cold, miserable days spent glaring out the window at a bleak, snow covered garden. Burying your head in garden magazines and catalogs will be as close as you get to nature. It is the end of a growing season.



Or, is it…


Why not bring some nature inside with you? Put your green thumb to the test and try some indoor gardening! Many herbs can be successfully grown indoors. Herbs like summer just like us – many, if not all, actually die in the cold of winter. But, they are easily fooled into believing that summer is ongoing!


Thyme, Parsley, Oregano, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Mint, Rosemary… All of these herbs are tried and true. Almost all of these can be started from seed.  Think how easy it is to dig a small portion from your existing chives and planting it in a pot. Bring it indoors and place it on a sunny windowsill and Shazzaammm – you’re gardening indoors!


A little skeptical about your expertise? What have you got to lose?!  If you never try anything you will never grow – and what’s more important to a gardener than growing? And, you will be surprised how easy many of the herbs are – heck, if I can do it anyone can!


A few tips to get you started:


1. Try to keep your plants in temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees.


2. Feed and water established plants with soluble plant food every 2-4 weeks.


3. Don’t water until the soil surface is dry.


4. A small fan will help herbs survive the stuffy air conditions in your house.


5. Treat them more or less as you would a normal house-plant.


Once again, some experts would tell you that you need to add some additional light source if you want them to grow; or that only a South-facing window will provide enough light. To those experts I say – “Phooey!”  Be your own expert!  Learn for yourself what works and what doesn’t. If you want to add some artificial lighting – go for it, but you don’t have to! Hey, you might even want to try some Hydroponics! Do what makes you happy.


So, say good-bye to the doldrums and boredom this winter and spice up your windowsills with your favorite herbs. Oh, and one bonus I forgot to mention – nothing beats fresh herbs in your cooking! Stop by A Culinary Shift to try some fun recipes using your delicious, fresh herbs!


Get your hands dirty!

When to Plant Garlic

Many people I know have struggled growing garlic for one simple reason: They plant at the wrong time of year!  Having caught a terrible case of Cabin Fever over the winter; we as gardeners are always revved up and ready to grow in the spring.  But, to be successful with garlic you have to plant in the Fall.

Garlic is one of those plants that needs a bit of cold weather to help it break out of it's dormancy.  It can be planted in early spring with somewhat acceptable results, but generally you get lackluster results with smaller bulbs.

In Europe there is apparently a tradition of planting garlic on the shortest day of the year - the Winter Solstice.  In my Zone 5 garden the winter solstice falls on December 21st this year (2010).  We usually have snow and frozen ground by then - needless to say, it would be quite difficult to plant.  Most of the books I have read say that the best time to plant is about three weeks before your first hard frost.  Around here that is anywhere from the end of September to the end of October. (Although, if you've been reading my blog you know we had a killing frost this year on September 6th - somebody forgot to tell Mother Nature to look at the calendar!)  So, here I plant my garlic any time in September (October - if I forgot to in September).  It really is an easy plant to grow.

Follow my blog and next summer I will tell you when to harvest and how to create a braid of garlic.  Go out and plant your garlic now!

Get your hands dirty!

Dried Oregano

Here is the Oregano we cut to dry on the dehydrator.  The dehydrating can be done in an oven or even a microwave, but if you can afford it this is definitely the way to go!

Here it is after it has been dried.  We dry it stem and all and then pull the leaves off to store it.  I used to crush it all now and put it in the container, but I read that if you wait to crush it until you need it you will get better flavor.

And, here it is in the airtight container that we store it in.  Often we will keep old spice containers to put spices in, but this time we didn't have one so we used a small Tupperware type.

That's about it for dehydrating - we'll be doing our Rosemary soon. 

Happy gardening - Get those hands dirty!!