Tips for an indoor herb garden?

[TheWanderingScholar]

I was thinking of starting up a little indoor herbal garden to augment my food and save money. Because of that does anyone have any tips or advice for a beginner? Things like what I should plant that won't mess up, equipment for efficient growth, etc.

[Gilberto de Piento]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9466

[ThisDinosaur]

I'm doing this this year:
https://containergardening.wordpress.co ... ing-ideas/
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/03/ ... .html#more
So far so good.

[TheWanderingScholar]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9466

Welp. I missed that thread.


@ThisDinosaur:

Thanks for the links.

It seems like I might need to put back some bottles instead of recycling them this coming up year.

[Gilberto de Piento]

I tried putting rosemary cuttings in both water and moist potting soil. They died without having formed any roots.

I'm trying the same thing with parsley right now. It hasn't died yet but it doesn't look like anything is going on.

I think I need to use rooting hormone or to start from seeds. That said, I am at a northern latitude, it is the middle of winter, and I am not using any grow lights.

[TheWanderingScholar]

Yeah, in Estonia so same boat. Probably when I start my garden I am going to used growth lights. I am probabyl going to try peppermint first as that is stupid hardy and I can make tea with it.

[Gilberto de Piento]

I am in the very northern part of the United States, around 45 degrees latitude. I just compared to Estonia and you are around 60 degrees! I thought I had tough growing conditions but you are much further north.

[TheWanderingScholar]

I am in the very northern part of the United States, around 45 degrees latitude. I just compared to Estonia and you are around 60 degrees! I thought I had tough growing conditions but you are much further north.

Yep! Kind of why if I do make a garden/orchard, it would have to use ready hardy vegetables and local flora (i.e. certain trees, herbs grow well here). Also why currently I am looking at stuff for indoor gardens as I can actual control the temperature that way.

[Pkate]

I grow greens, seedlings, and herbs indoors over the winter. It is the time of year to get everything started up again. I am at 43 degrees latitude in a cold wet climate.
The following set up is what I use for microgreens, herbs and to grow the seedling for my garden.


Lighting. If you are in a northern climate and have energy efficient windows you will have to use supplement light. It should be intense "daylight" bulbs with a high Kelvin rating like 6500k. Florescent and LED lights both work for this. The lights should be in a fixture that can be raised and lowered because the lights need to be 2" or so above the plants. I use shop lights on chains so I can raise and lower the lights as needed.

I use 10 x 20 flats. Those are the shallow black trays in the photos for micro greens and seedlings. I also use window boxes and other planters I can come across that are free or really inexpensive for herds and plants I grow as gifts.

Potting mix. You can buy potting mix in the US everywhere but I prefer to mix my own since I use so much of it.
I use
1 part compost,
1 part peat moss or coconut coir (coconut coir works better but I can't always get it)
a little lime if using peat moss to adjust the PH
a good granular compost and rock powders base fertilizer. Espoma Garden Tone is what I use most of the time.

Here are some other recipes for making your own potting mix.
https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/gard ... ant-thrive

I water the plants from the bottom. Since I live in a cold wet climate moisture based diseases are a problem so I keep the plants dry and water by pouring the water into a the tray under the plants and let the plants wick up the water from the bottom. The plants love it and it makes it easy to water lots of them in a short amount of time. Boot trays are great for a watering tray under a bunch of potted plants.

Propagating herb plants is done by seed and from cuttings. I have mostly done it from seed. Most herbs have long germination times like parsley. It takes 3 weeks to start sprouting. Basil and cilantro are some of the easiest to start from seed and sprout in about a week.

I haven't tried propagating from cutting but I do know it is best done with rooting hormones and with fresh new growth that isn't woody yet. It is on my to learn list but I haven't gotten to it yet. I usually buy a rosemary seedling in the spring and plant it in the garden. Come fall I dehydrate what every is still on the plant and use that over the winter.

[George the original one]

I water the plants from the bottom. Since I live in a cold wet climate moisture based diseases are a problem so I keep the plants dry and water by pouring the water into a the tray under the plants and let the plants wick up the water from the bottom. The plants love it and it makes it easy to water lots of them in a short amount of time. Boot trays are great for a watering tray under a bunch of potted plants.

That's a great tip! I'll have to set it up for myself.

[TheWanderingScholar]

Sweet!

Thanks @pkate for the advice. While currently I doubt I will do this year for growing season, probably around November later this year I will be in a better off position.

[Pkate]

Your welcome. If there is interest is will document my my indoor growing season and the garden too.

[Pkate]

Here is a link to photos of my garden from last summer.
https://imgur.com/a/oRX2N

Things won't get started in the garden sometime in April.