Satisfy winter gardening itch with indoor herb planting
Pictured is a mint plant that Cheryl Brendel, master gardener at Penn State Extension in Greene County, is growing inside her home this winter.
Submitted photo
Pictured is a mint plant that Cheryl Brendel, master gardener at Penn State Extension in Greene County, is growing inside her home this winter.
As the winter season settles in and the outdoor growing season has ended, gardeners can still have a constant supply of fresh herbs like basil, parsley and sage to use in their favorite dishes by planting them indoors.
Cheryl Brendel, master gardener at Penn State Extension in Greene County, said herbs can be grown in small containers on a window sill, which makes them great gifts.
It can also be done as a hobby.
“You can also take clippings and bring them indoors such as a mint plant so you can grab a couple of leaves for cooking,” said Brendel.
She said one advantage to growing your own herbs in the winter is that they cost more when purchased from the local store during the off season.
According to the experts at Penn State Extension, potted herbs that grow well indoors with the proper light include chives, horehound, winter savory, mint, rosemary, thyme, lemon balm, tarragon, oregano, basil, parsley, sage, marjoram, and summer savory.
Horseradish, fennel and lovage are examples of herbs that typically do not grow well in containers because the roots require more space.
Unlike common houseplants, Penn State said herbs need the right conditions for optimum growth.
With less light and shorter days in the winter, Brendel recommends placing indoor herbs in a window with southern exposure.
Penn State notes that most herbs require six hours of direct sunlight.
Herbs that do well in indirect sunlight are mint, rosemary, thyme, lemon balm and tarragon.
Also, if herbs are growing on a window sill, the pots need rotated often so each side is exposed to proper light for uniform growth.
For optimal growth, room temperatures need to range from 65 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 55 degrees to 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
Basil, however, cannot survive in temperatures lower than 50 degrees.
With the area experiencing above normal temperatures, Brendel said she recently planted lettuce and spinach outside in a raised bed and even had radishes for a while.
“For gardeners it drives you crazy because you get antsy.”
Because herbs require a proper balance between a humid environment and adequate air circulation, Penn State suggests to group containers together or set them in a pan of moist pebbles. You can also spray them with a misting bottle of water.
Other indoor growing tips for herbs provided by Penn State include:
n Plant them in containers with a drainage hole and in a potting mix that allows for good water drainage. A good rule of thumb is to water the potting mix when it starts to dry out.
n Fertilize herbs with a low dose of water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks.
n Use a soapy solution to get rid of insect pests by spraying infested plants once a week. Check the plants often to make sure that the soap solution is not discoloring or otherwise affecting the leaves. Always wash leaves off before you use them in a recipe.
n Re-pot them when roots grow through the drainage hole. The best time is in the early spring so that herbs can grow into the new medium as the season changes.
Growing herbs in an aerogarden is another common method for indoor gardening.
The self-contained appliance grows herbs, vegetables, flowers and salad greens year-round by providing the optimal amount of light, nutrients, water and air at the right times for proper growth.