10 Best Herbs for Indoors

8/8/2019 10 Best Herbs for Indoors

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A windowsill kitchen garden: Grow great tasting herbs indoors.

10 Best Herbs for Indoors

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You can grow herbs indoors this winter and add that just-picked taste to your meals, even when snow is drifting up against the kitchen window. You don'teven need special lights—herbs fare just fine in a bright window. Here are thebest herbs for growing on windowsillsand the smart techniques you need tokeep them happy and healthy until youcan plant outside again.

Basil: Start basil from seeds andplace the pots in a south-facingwindow—it likes lots of sun andwarmth.

Bay: A perennial that grows well incontainers all year long. Place the potin an east, or west, facing window, butbe sure it does not get crowded—bayneeds air circulation to remain healthy.

Chervil: Start chervil seeds in latesummer. It grows well in low light but

needs 65 to 70 degrees Ftemperatures to thrive.

Chives: Dig up a clump from your garden at the end of the growingseason and pot it up. Leave the potoutside until the leaves die back. Inearly winter, move the pot to your coolest indoor spot (such as abasement) for a few days, then finallyto your brightest window.

Oregano: Your best bet is to start witha tip cutting from an outdoor plant.Place the pot in a south-facingwindow.

Parsley: You can start this herb fromseeds or dig up a clump from your garden at the end of the season. Parsley likes full sun, but will grow slowly in aneast, or west, facing window.

Rosemary: Start with a cutting of rosemary, and keep it in moist soilless mixuntil it roots. It grows best in a south-facing window.

Sage: Take a tip cutting from an outdoor plant to start an indoor sage. Ittolerates dry, indoor air well, but it needs the strong sun it will get in a south-facing window.

Tarragon: A dormant period in late fall or early winter is essential for tarragon togrow indoors. Pot up a mature plant from your outdoor garden and leave itoutside until the leaves die back. Bring it to your coolest indoor spot for a fewdays, then place it in a south-facing window for as much sun as possible. Feedwell with an organic liquid fertilizer.

Thyme: You can start thyme indoors either by rooting a soft tip cutting or bydigging up and potting an outdoor plant. Thyme likes full sun but will grow in aneast, or west, facing window.

In This Article

> Smart Techniques

for Growing HerbsIndoors

> Pest prevention

Related Articles

> Herbs Indoors

> Windowsill Herb Gardening

> Basil

> Rosemary

Discussions

> Over the Fence

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Smart Techniques for Growing Herbs Indoors

Rooting a cuttingMany herbs—including oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage—arebest propagated for indoor growing by taking a cutting from anexisting outdoor plant. To do it, snip off a 4-inch section, measuredback from the tip. Strip off the lower leaves and stick the stem intomoist, soilless mix, such as perlite and/or vermiculite. To ensuregood humidity, cover with glass or clear plastic, and keep thegrowing medium-moist.

Transition to indoorsBefore the first fall frost (while the weather is still on the mild side),start moving your potted herb plants toward their winter home.Instead of bringing them directly inside, put them in a bright, cool"transitional zone," such as a garage, entryway, or enclosed porch,

for a few weeks.

Once they've acclimated, move them to an area with lots of sun(south-facing windows are brightest, followed by east or westviews). But protect them from heat and dryness. Most herbs prefer daytime temperatures of about 65 to 70 degrees F, although theycan withstand climbs into the 70s. It's especially important thatnight temperatures drop at least 10 degrees—down into the 50swould be better—to simulate outdoor conditions.

With the exception of basil, they'll even do well with occasionaldips into the 40s. (So turn that thermostat down when you go to bed.) Place them outside on mild days, andgive them regular baths to wash off dust.

Water, light, and temperature

Most herbs like to be well watered but don't like wet feet. That's why good drainage is important. Water when the top of the container feels dry, or learn to judge the moisture in the soil by the weight of the pot. Addsand or vermiculite to the potting soil to ensure good drainage.

Learn to juggle water, light, and temperature. An herb in a clay pot in a south-facing window will need morewater than one in a plastic pot in an east, or west, facing window. If the light is low, keep the temperaturelow.

In This Article

> Smart Techniquesfor Growing HerbsIndoors

> Pest prevention

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> Herbs Indoors


> Basil

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Pest prevention

Choose the soil for your indoor herbs carefully. A good commercialpotting soil is fine, or for a deluxe mix, blend one part potting soilwith one part compost and one part vermiculite, perlite, or sand (or a mixture of all three).

Resist the temptation to use disease- and pest-prone garden soil.And when you pot up garden-grown plants, remove as much of thegarden soil as possible without damaging the roots.

Keep such transplants separate from your other houseplants whileyou're gradually acclimating them to the indoors. If you see insectson a plant during this "quarantine," leave it outside.

If, despite such defenses, your indoor plants do come under insectattack, help the herbs stay healthy by providing the correct mix of light and temperature, and give them regular baths. A plantweakened by hot, dry indoor conditions is even more susceptibleto spider mite, whitefly, or aphid damage than a healthy one.

If you choose to use soap sprays to control these pests, remember that the wet spray must come in contact with the insect to beeffective. Spray in the evening (and never in bright sunlight) toprevent rapid drying, and wash off residues the next day (or beforeeating the leaves). Don't spray very young seedlings with soap!

Hold back on the water and fertilizer through December, but when the days start getting longer in mid-January, feed them with liquid seaweed or compost. Even potted soil gets compacted as you water it, socultivate it with a little fork, then top-dress it with compost.

February is usually a great month for indoor plants because of all the bright light. By March, they are startingto get buds, and in April, be sure to put them outside on a warm day. Then it won't be long before the herbs—and you—are ready to move back to the garden.

In This Article

> Smart Techniquesfor Growing HerbsIndoors

> Pest prevention

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> Herbs Indoors


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By Ann McCormick

African Blue O.basilicum 'Dark Opal' x O. kilimandscharicum36-48"Egg shaped with blue-purple veins underneath, lavender flowers on 6" spikesSweet with camphor notesHybrid basil, are at home in scented mixes and floral arrangements than infoods

AraratO. basilicum 'Ararat'18"Leaves streaked with purple, pink flowersSweet with taste of licoriceHeirloom variety, useful in the kitchen and in flower arrangements

Aroma 1, Aroma 2,F1 hybrids24"Glossy, dark green leaves, classic aromaClassic basil flavor Genovese type basil bred to be Fusarium wilt resistant.

Aussie Sweet, Greek Columnar O. basilicum 'Lesbos'24-36"

Light green leaves, little or no flowers.Basil flavor with mint overtonesGrows more in a tall, columnar shape than a rounded bush

Dark OpalO. basilicum x O. forskolei20"Deep purple leaves, flowers from white to deep fuchsiaVaried flavor Genetically unstable when grown from seed, plants highly variable

Genovese O. basilicum 'Genovese'30"White flowers on 6" stems

Classic basil flavor Perfect for pesto lovers, reliable producer in many areas

Green Ruffles O. basilicum x O. americanum28-30"Large ruffled green leaves, white flowersSweet basil with hints of anise and mintDelightfully large lettuce-like leaves

Lemon, Mrs. Burns Lemon

17 Basil Varieties






O. basilicum x O. americanum36"Long smooth and green, 5-10" flower spikesDistinctive lemon and basilA must-have for gourmet cooks. Self-sows easily in warm areas.

Nufar, F1 hybrid

24-30"Dark green quilted leaves, pink flowersGenovese type basil bred to be Fusarium wilt resistant

Pesto PerpetuoO. x citriodorum24-48"Green leaves with white margins and dark green streaks, no flowers Strong"sweet basil"Hardy to freezing temperatures, may survive winter in warm climates, columnar growth

Purple Ruffles O. basilicum28-30"

Purple with green variegations Mild flavor Wide variation in plants when grown from seed

Red Rubin O. basilicum purpurascens18-24"Deep reddish purple flat leaves, lavender blossomsStrong spicy flavor Bred from 'Dark Opal,' more disease resistant, germinates easily, good for herbal vinegars

Spicy Globe, Spicy Bush O. basilicum minimum12-15"Compact plant with light green leaves and serrated edgesStrong spicyExcellent for container gardens

Summerlong O. basilicum12-15"Light green, tightly packed on stem, resists floweringGood pesto flavor Heavy producer, rarely goes to seed

Sweet Green O. basilicum24-26"Medium green slightly puckered leaves

Classic basil tastePlants universally available, popular in the kitchen; repels mosquitoes

Thai, Thai Magic O. basilicum18-24"Dark green pointed leaves, maroon cone-shaped florescenceStrong anise tasteUse in Southeast Asian cooking



Follow these tips to keep your indoor plants healthy and productive:

1. You must prevent your herbs' roots from rotting if you want productive

plants. Repot your herbs with a well-draining soil mix. Specialty cactus-growing mediums work great because they are designed to drain extremelywell, but you can also mix sand into a soilless medium using a 1-to-4 ratio.Make sure you allow the soil to dry down to about your second knucklebetween waterings. Fertilize your plants once a month with diluted fishfertilizer (don't worry, the smell goes away quickly, I promise).

2. Herbs don't like soggy soil, but they prefer humid air. Solve this paradoxicalproblem by setting your pots on a tray of pebbles. Then fill the tray with water,making sure that the bottoms of the pots don'tcome in contact with the water. Viol! Instanthumidity.

3. Place your tray of herbs in a south-facingwindow. Herbs need at least 5 hours of bright,

full sunshine a day to stay healthy, andsometimes the low winter light just isn'tenough. For the best results, place your herbsunder fluorescent lights for 14 hours a day.Keep the lights 6 to 8 inches away from thetops of the plants. Basil, chives, oregano,rosemary, sage, and parsley can all be grownindoors.

By Kris Wetherbee photographed by Christa Neu

Growing Guide

Hardiness: Hardiness depends on thespecies or subspecies, though some are hardyto Zone 5. Most withstand a moderate freeze.

Soil preference: Culinary members of Origanum are easy-to-grow perennials thattolerate a variety of soils, as long as those

soils are well drained. Like mostMediterranean-type herbs, they need onlymoderate water and grow best in a gravellyloam in full sun. If your soil retains too much

Fertilizing: Oregano's fertilizer needs areminimal and often nonexistent, especially if you amend the soil with compost or other organic matter. Keep in mind that container-grown plants need to be watered and fertilizedmore often than plants grown in the ground. Iusually fertilize my container herbs every 6 to10 weeks during the growing season. Mulch. Astone mulch or light-colored gravel spread

around the base of plants helps keep the soilsurface dry.

Harvesting You can begin harvesting oregano when the plant is about 8 inches high. The flavor is most intense justbefore the plant blooms. Frequent harvests will produce a bushier plant and keeps foliage succulent. In fact,it's a good idea to cut plants back to about 6 inches at least twice during the growing season, leaving amplegrowth in fall to sustain the plant through winter.

Drying

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> Culinary Oregano

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Products> Rodale's Illustrated

Encyclopedia of Herbs


Healthy Indoor Herbs

Oregano

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Cooking Depending on the type of oregano, the flavor can be pretty strong, so start with a small amount—a little goesa long way. Taste as you go and add more if needed.



Petroselinum crispum

Parsley really has a lot more to offer than just being the token garnish on aplate of steak or fish. This herb is an excellent addition to most recipes, is richin vitamins and minerals (A, C, calcium, and iron), and fights bad breath.Parsley is a biennial grown as an annual; it will grow in Zones 5 through 9.You can choose from two parsley varieties: curly leaf and flat-leaved.

Growing Guide

Soil preparation: Parsley grows best in rich, moist, well-drained soil in fullsun to partial shade.

Planting: Sow seeds outdoors when the soil temperature averages 50°F.You'll need some patience because parsley seed germinates extremely

slowly, often requiring 6 weeks before the seedlings poke up through the soil.(You can speed germination by soaking the seeds in water overnight beforeplanting.)

Spacing: Once the seedlings pop up, thin them to 8 to 10 inches apart.

Harvesting You can begin harvesting parsley as soon as the plants are growing vigorously. Snip individual outer stemsfrom the plants; they'll continue to produce new growth all season long. Parsley dries and freezes well. If youdry it, crush it by hand after it's completely dry and store it in an airtight container.

Trivia Tidbits In ancient Greece, parsley was used in funeral ceremonies and to make wreaths for graves. Parsley wasalso placed in wreaths given to winning athletes because the Greeks believed that the god Hercules had

chosen parsley for his garlands.

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Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary is an herb that's not just for the kitchen spice rack. You can userosemary to make sachets for your drawers or a rinse for your hair. Androsemary oil adds a pleasant piney scent to soaps, creams, lotions, and toiletwaters. Rosemary grows in shrubby clumps of branching stems covered withwonderfully fragrant, needlelike, green leaves. This herb is a half-hardyperennial that's an evergreen in Zones 8 through 9. In Zones 6 and 7, you cangrow the hardy variety 'Arp', or you can grow rosemary as a container plantthat's overwintered indoors. Plants can reach 5 to 6 feet tall where they'rehardy outdoors; container plants reach 1 to 3 feet tall.

Growing Guide

Soil preparation: This aromatic herb grows best in well-drained, sandy, or

gravelly soil and full sun.

Planting: Seedlings grow very slowly, so you'll want to buy plants andstart with them for fastest results.

Spacing: Space plants 1 to 2 feet apart (if you plan to grow your rosemaryas a perennial in the garden, space the plants a good 4 feet apart).

Harvesting You can continuously harvest rosemary as long as the plants are growing. Strip the needles from the stems,then chop them before using. Rosemary also dries and freezes well. Freeze whole sprigs, and when youneed some leaves, slide your thumb and index finger down a sprig, taking off as many leaves as you need.

Trivia Tidbits

In ancient Greece, students wore rosemary garlands in their hair while studying for exams because theybelieved rosemary would help improve their memory. In the Middle Ages, men and women placed rosemarysprigs under their pillows to ward off demons and prevent bad dreams

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Thymus vulgaris

Thyme is an incredibly useful herb. You can use itin recipes or as a cough suppressant; it attractsbeneficial insects, like bees; and it grows just aswell on a windowsill as it does in your gardenbeds. This perennial herb will grow in Zones 5through 9 and reaches about 1 foot high. Althoughthyme comes in both upright and prostrate forms,you should choose upright varieties for cookingbecause low-growing types are often gritty withrain-splashed soil.

Growing Guide

Soil preparation: A well-drained site withsandy soil in full sun to partial shade is ideal for thyme.

Planting: Thyme seed is rarely true to type,your best bet is to start with plants or divisions. Once established, thyme is easyto keep looking good and producing well. Prune it lightly as needed to maintainits attractive shape.

Spacing: Space new plants 12 inches apart.

Harvesting

For fresh use, pick individual leaves or small sprigs as needed. If you want todry thyme, strip the leaves from the stems and place them on a thin screen todry before storing. Thyme also freezes well—just make sure you use an airtightcontainer.

Trivia TidbitsFrom the fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries, thyme was used tocombat the plagues that swept over Europe. And as recently as World War I,thyme's essential oil served as an antiseptic on the battlefields.

Thyme

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By Ann McCormick

To dry basil: Don't tie basil stalks together or hang them to dry as you might other herbs. Pinch or snip leaves from the stems and place them on a screen or absorbent towel. Stir daily and allow to dry until crackly. Store in an airtight container.

To freeze basil leaves: Clip the leaves from the stems and rinse. Spread them on a counter to air-dry for 30 minutes. Loosely layer leaves in a storage bag and freeze.

To freeze pureed basil: Place fresh cut leaves in a blender or food processor. Process for a few seconds to coarsely chop the leaves. Add enough water to form a slush and process again. Pour this liquid into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, pop the cubes out of the trays and store them in a freezer container for later use.

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Enjoy herbs for their culinary and aesthetic qualities.

By Rosalind Creasy

As a landscape designer, I view mostperennial culinary herbs as small,versatile plants that I can dress up or down and include in almost any decor or color scheme. I use them in bothformal and wild-looking gardens, usethem to adorn hillsides, add them toflower and vegetable borders, andinterplant them among low-growingevergreens. I use thyme and creepingwinter savory among stepping stones.I like to shear rosemary, lavender,thyme, and some sages, forming theminto small hedges or topiaries.

The right herb for the right design The culinary herbs fall into twocategories: those neutral enough to beused as background plants and thoseuseful for accents.

Herbs with small green-to-gray-greenleaves and a mounding habit-namely,

Greek oregano, sweet marjoram,French thyme, creeping winter savory,common sage, tarragon, andspearmint-work well as backgroundplants that complement brighter colored flowers.

Herbs with unusual colors and forms-such as common chives, with itstubular, grasslike foliage and lavender flowers, and Chinese chives, whichhas straplike leaves and white flowers-make showy accent plants. I'mespecially partial to one of their relatives: society garlic, which has straplikeleaves and bears tall spikes of lavender flowers from May through October. This

plant is bulletproof in my Los Altos, California, garden (USDA Zone 9), and itsflowers taste great in salads. I also gravitate toward the ornamental sages'Icterina,' 'Tricolor,' and 'Purpurascens', which make lovely stand-alone plants .

My favorite herbs-Greek oregano, thyme, dwarf lavender, winter savory,common sage, tarragon, and spearmint-have as many uses in the garden asthey have in the kitchen. These are mounding plants that have green or gray-green foliage and grow between 6 inches and 2 feet tall. All of them fit nicelyamong annual flowers, perennials, vegetables, and even evergreens. Here areattractive mates for herbs. Annuals: alyssum, dwarf nasturtiums, calendulas, zinnias, and marigolds.

Welcome Herbs Into The Landscape

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Products> Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of

Herbs































Perennials: coreopsis, purple coneflowers, and all sorts of dianthus,geraniums, and yarrow. Vegetables: peppers, eggplants, and bulbing fennel. Evergreens: low shrubs, such as germander, and dwarf forms of boxwood,myrtle, and barberry.

My favorite way to grow culinary herbs is in containers. I can change the look of

the garden by rearranging plants and varying the combinations as the fancystrikes me. Containers are also the perfect answer for gardeners with heavysoils. With pots, you can provide a more ideal growing medium for your herbs.Container herbs do need a little more care than those grown in the ground,however. I fertilize mine every two weeks with liquid fish fertilizer and shear them every six weeks to keep them within their bounds.

Rosalind Creasy-writer, photographer, and landscape designer-is author of TheEdible Herb Garden (Periplus Editions, 1999) and many other books



They are more of a nuisance than a true pest,even though they may disturb the soil aroundplant roots. Leave the tiny critters to their work,and you’ll marvel at their industriousness.

Ant Facts Estimated number of different ant speciesthroughout the world: 12,000 Average size of the world’s largest antspecies: about 1 inch long. Average size of thesmallest: 1/25 of an inch Number of Ant Farm kits sold since toy-maker Milton Levine devised the concept in 1956: more than 20 million

Acres in the southeastern United States that have become infested with thered imported fire ant: more than 320 million Years that the caste system of ants is believed to have existed: 30 to 40million Time it takes the average worker ant to complete its metamorphosis fromegg to adult: 38 to 45 days Number of worker ants living in a typical carpenter-ant colony: 10,000 to50,000

Six-Legged Gardeners Tropical leafcutter ants can chomp as much as 20 percent of the foliage fromtrees in rainforests. The ants first tear the leaves into tiny bits and then haulthem back to their fungus-covered homes. While they don’t actually eat theleaves, they use the leaf matter to enrich the dens where they cultivate fungusfor food. Ants, you could say, are the original organic gardeners!

A Safe, Effective Ant TrapAnts in your garden, no problem; ants in your house, big problem. We’ve usedthis technique in our own homes and found it works every time.

1. Make a solution of 1 percent boric acid (available at any drugstore) and 20percent sugar by thoroughly dissolving 1 teaspoon of boric acid and 6tablespoons of sugar in 2 cups of water. Use a clear jar so you can see when allthe boric acid crystals are dissolved. Soak cotton balls in this bait solution.

2. Make bait dispensers out of old plastic containers with lids. Punch holes inthem so the ants can get inside, then put the soaked cotton balls into thecontainers and cover them with lids so the bait won’t dry out.

3. Place the bait containers wherever you see ant trails, in or outside the house.

4. Clean the containers and use fresh bait solution at least once a week.

5. Be patient! The key is to get worker ants to continually carry low doses of boric acid back to feed the ants in their nest. Boric acid is mildly repellent toants, and using a very low dose makes it more likely that surviving ants willcontinue eating the bait and taking it back to the nest.

Ants

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This spray combines the repellent effects of garlic, onion, and hot pepper withthe insecticidal properties of soap.

For decades the editors of Organic Gardening magazine have collected pest-control remedies and recipes from readers. Several ideas were repeatedlyoffered as safe, effective insect controls. The editors combined several of thesehome remedies to make an all-purpose spray out of ingredients found in mostkitchens. This spray combines the repellenteffects of garlic, onion, and hot pepper with theinsecticidal and surfactant properties of soap.Keep in mind that sprays that contain soap mayharm natural enemies and pollinating insects.Apply it only to prevent or ease a specific pestproblem.

Nowadays, there are also commercial organic

sprays that list garlic oil and/or hot pepper as theactive ingredient.

Protection Offered Home gardeners can try homemade all-purposespray against any leaf-eating pests in the garden,and make a note of what pests are successfullycontrolled. Certified organic producers shouldcheck regulations before using this type of homemade spray.

Precautions The ingredients can cause painful skin and eyeirritation. When preparing and applying, wear rubber gloves and keep the mixture well away from your eyes and nose.

How to Use Chop, grind, or liquefy one garlic bulb and one small onion. Add 1 teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper and mix with 1 quart of water. Steep 1 hour, strainthrough cheesecloth, then add 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap to the strainedliquid; mix well.

Spray your plants thoroughly, including leaf undersides. Store the mixture for upto 1 week in a labeled, covered container in the refrigerator.

All-Purpose Insect Pest Spray

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10 Best Herbs for Indoors