Posted in Urban Homesteader
Grow an Indoor
Herbs are one plant you can grow even if you have no yard at all. That's because they can be grown in pots on a sunny windowsill. Herbs generally like the warm, dry climate inside a house, so they do well in this environment.
Annuals like basil, cilantro, and dill work well since they can be clipped and kept at a manageable size. Try chives, too. They aren't an annual exactly, but they can also be managed in a pot quite nicely.
Choose four to six inch terracotta pots (depending on how much room you have). You can jazz them up by painting designs on them with acrylic paint if you want. If you have some type of gravel or small pebbles you can place in the bottom, do this first. This help keep the soil from packing down in the bottom and facilitates drainage. Fill them with good organic potting soil. Plant your seeds to the depth recommended on the seed package, usually just a fraction of an inch beneath the soil for most herbs. Plant at least four or five seeds, you can thin them down to two or three plants later. Water them well and cover the pots with some kind of plastic. This helps create a "greenhouse" effect which will increase your chances of germination.
I do not suggest using some kind of "saucer" under the pots to catch the water. Most herbs originate in dry, arid climates and are used to somewhat dry soil. Retaining the water at the bottom of the pot keeps the soil too wet for the roots, plus it's a breeding ground for mildew and mold.
Keep your plants on a sunny, warm windowsill and you will soon see those little green shoots popping up. Remove the plastic once you see the sprouts and let them grow to a height of about one inch before thinning. To thin, DO NOT just pull the plant out of the pot. This might disturb the roots of the plants you want to keep. Simply pinch them off at the soil level. Water as needed - again, herbs don't like very wet soil, so it's O.K. to let the soil get a little dry before watering again.
This also makes a great gift idea. Buy four of those really tiny terracotta pots, some packets of herb seeds, a few of those really cute plant markers and maybe a tiny spade or hoe (some nurseries carry these as a novelty). Put it all in a basket with nicely printed directions for sowing and germinating and, voila! You have a wonderful gift. Of course, the plants will have to be transplanted from those tiny pots after about six weeks, so be sure to include that in your directions to your recipient.
Herbs smell great, add spice and flavor to foods and have a multitude of uses. Growing herbs just satisfies the soul. Give them a try!
