How to Grow an Indoor Herb Garden 2021
If you’re trying to branch into the world of gardening and plants, your own indoor herb garden may just be the place to begin. For one thing, it’s much easier to work on an indoor garden than a larger outdoor one, and it’s also got a practical payoff: you can use the herbs in your cooking!
Dried herbs are nothing in comparison to the real thing that you grow yourself. And there’s also much satisfaction to be gained from using something you grew entirely on your own.
Indoor herb gardens also have the added advantage of freshening up the atmosphere and making your home smell nice.
That said, there’re still a few things to keep in mind before you start on your herb garden.
Which Herbs You Want
Before you plant anything, you want to know whether the herbs you’d be growing are suitable for your kitchen. You wouldn’t need herbs you won’t be using! Read up on the taste profiles of the herbs you’re interested in and what kind of dishes they’re used in most commonly. With proper research, you can make your herb garden more useful!
Some examples of commonly used herbs are oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc.
Seeds or Starters?
It can be a bit tough for beginners to plant a seed and watch it grow into a full plant – not to mention, it takes a lot of time! While it is much more fulfilling, it is also not for someone completely new to gardening. So a starter plant may be a better option if you’re a beginner. Starter plants are young plants that are ready to bloom and can be cared for more easily.
The Right Pot and Soil
Giving your plant a comfortable home is also essential! For many herbs, a small 4-inch pot is good enough if they have drainage holes. Then, when the plant grows bigger, you could move it to a bigger pot.
For soil, you want to make sure that you use a light version and have aerators in them to help with drainage. Unfortunately, soil in Calgary is not very well-suited for gardening, and even more so for herbs.
The good news is that different kinds of soil in Calgary are available in landscape supplies stores. There are soil amendments made explicitly or herbs, so you can look around to find the right one. Be sure to fertilize your herbs every month.
Finding the Right Spot
Most herbs need a good amount of sunlight to grow well. Find your plants a spot that gives them at least 4-8 hours of sun every day, but make sure the space isn’t too warm. Most herbs need a temperature between 18°C to 21°C.
Water Properly
Many young gardeners often fail at this step. Either you end up watering your plants too much or too little. Both of these can be bad for your plant. Of course, you also have to make sure you’re fixing the proper schedule for your herbs. Different plants have different requirements.
You can also just look at the plant and figure it out! For example, if the leaves look dry, they need water, and if they look yellow, you’re watering too much.
How you water is also important – don’t go too fast or water in one place. Instead, water all around slowly and thoroughly so that the roots can absorb it well.
By following these tips, you can get started on your herb garden and make it flourish!