Planting an indoor herb garden...

Question

I'm starting an indoor herb garden (just a small one), and so far, I've got rosemary, basil, chives, and parsley. Since I have limited window space, I was wondering if anyone could recommend any herbs that are more tolerant or fare better in partial sun and shade.

Thanks in advance! :)

Answer 1

If you can't get Full Sun through the window you intend to use, then maybe you can get a small clip on Gro Light with a timeer, have it turn on about the time of day the sun is not available through your window any longer. Remember two things " " Do Not Over Water" this is the number one cause of plant death; also, do not over feed them ( mix according to directions for your product).

Answer 2

If you can, pot the rosemary separately. It prefers drier soil than others. The other 3 will do better together, as they like moister, richer soil than the rosemary.

Mints (includes lemon balm, horehound, and all the various mints), Thyme, Sage, Chervil and Dill are also good choices for a window sill herb garden.

The Dill and Chervil can go where the rosemary was. The thyme and sage should go in their own pots as well as they prefer drier, less rich soil as well. You can try potting the rosemary and the thyme together, but sage is rather bushy so it should be in it's own pot.  Mint should always be in it's own pot because it will choke out any other plants.

Don't let the leaves touch the glass in the window. In the winter, the cold will freeze and damage the leaves. In the summer, the glass will heat up and burn them.

Remember that an indoor garden will never grow as vigorously as one outside. You'll have to extra careful about watering as indoor plants require less water and it's very easy to overwater herbs, especially the rosemary, thyme and sage.  If the edges of leaves start getting browned or it seems to be wilting, though the soil moisture is alright, you want to add a humidity tray to increase the humidity around the leaves. It's a just a tray or flat plate, add some pebbles and water. Make sure the pots do not sit in the water, but rest on top of the pebbles.

Consider supplementing the light your herbs get with a grow light.  You can get a clamp style work light and a grow bulb.