Growing Herbs Indoors

Hi midnight! Can I tack on a couple of extra questions? I have a similar situation.

I've never tried herbs indoors myself. I have a pretty dim, dark kitchen. There's really no way to add light to it except for artificial light. Is it possible for me to grow herbs there or would I have to move them elsewhere?

Depending on where you live - you can grow them
in soil out of doors in sunny location as long as
they have some of those greenhouse covers - to
protect against a freeze... but if you are very north,
you just need a windowsill where it gets 6 hours
of sun a day or thereabouts. Use plenty of potting soil,
vermiculite, Miracle Grow, and be cautious about over
watering, because mildew will get them - there is no
place for excess water to go, unless you have pots
on a tray, which would work nicely. When they are
very tiny, only mist lightly with spray of water.

Babs has got it. If you don't have a window that gives enough sunlight, you'll need artificial lighting. I use to grow herbs inside and they do very well as long as you have enough light and you don't over water them. I use to use the fertilizer sticks that you just push into the soil and they worked out great. Good luck and have fun :-)

You will need some serious artifical lighting for your ..ahem.. indoor 'herbs'. Wink, wink, won't tell a soul. If your herbage is one that likes the tropics (Jamaica, p'haps) and grows a little taller than a basil plant - then you are going to forget about fiddly little bulbs and invest in some grow lamps.

The big problem is that the kind of lighting we (humans) prefer indoors is:
a. not bright enough (low energy)
b. does not replicate the spectrum of sunlight and will either be lacking in reds or blues
Check out a hydroponics type shop for the sort of equipment you'll need - ain't cheap though.

Seriously, if you do have a spot that gets 3-5 hours of good light (including some direct) that will do for some of the smaller herbs, like chives, mint, oregano, etc. You could even try a bay window to catch it - not sure of how you are set up.

This is my lighting system and I have full spectrum bulbs. The system is expensive though as are the bulbs. They do have much smaller units with either one or 2 rows. I needed a large unit because I vegitable garden and I have a pretty big garden.

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/45c36ed8/bc/Yahoo!+Photo+Album/__tn_my+lighting+system.jpg?

Oh darn. Hang on and I'll get the pic.

[IMG]!+Photo+Album/__tn_my+lighting+system.jpg?bcziVb.A7eKlHh.D[/IMG]

This is just not my day!

OK, this link will take you to the picture. I hope!!!

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/gezzy64/vwp?.dir=/Yahoo!+Photo+Album&.dnm=my+lighting+system.jpg&.src=ph&.view=t&.hires=t

I live in lubbock texas and I'm in a second story apartment. I have a heat lamp in the ceiling of my bathroom and I have them under there right now. You think they will germinate under there. I think I can probably set them outside during the day.

In Boston, there's no way they could go outside right now. Hmm, it looks like I'd have to grow them upstairs. I'd rather have them on hand in the kitchen, but that's not looking good. Hmmm. Thanks for the info.

I don't know if heat lamps would work, but I never looked into it either.

Jespah
I have the same problem with the sunlight not coming into the house, which is why I had to resort to artificial lighting.

Growing Herbs Indoors
Hey!!!

Just make sure there is adequate light and dont over water. Stick 'em outside once in a while. My wife has several Ivy plants & they do great.
Good Luck...

Welcome to A2K Imkulaf :-) Yup, that's the way it works.

Midnight, herbs aren't picky, adequate light and water should be about all they need. Stuff like mint (especially common mint) grows like crazy once it is established.

I've used some pretty primitive systems to get plants going. In a previous residence, I bought one of those cheapy white plastic shelving units and had some incandescent bulbs pointing at it. I had to rotate the plants, but it worked for most of them. If you don't have enough light, your plants will be leggy and weak.

Good luck!

They have started to put shoots out! Its been warm here so I set them out in the sun today. The cammomile had already started to germinate in the bathroom and the rest have started to follow. I'm so excited. . . . fresh herbs that won't cost $2 a bundle. Thank you for all the advice.

That's great midnight. Have fun with them. I love fresh herbs :-)

Bumping this thread because suddenly I'm interested. I've never been all that wild about indoor plants because I've had, for decades, plenty going on in an outdoor garden in places with a non frost climates. A lot of friends with apartments and no balconies have been more avid about some verdant greenery in their homes.

But now I live where it does snow - we'll see how the outdoor plants survive. (So far so good, 1 year plus, on the lavender.

Recently a friend gave me a 1 gallon plant of basil, sort of like a basil shrub, fairly obstreperous. I'm keeping it by a sort of southern window for the light, and giving it water from time to time; the house is not chilly, though I may be testing that soon late at night. So far so good... it's thriving. Hmmm, basil is an annual - so I won't be surprised if and when it kicks the bucket.

Meantime, I've "harvested" various sprigs from my outdoor thyme and sage and rosemary plants, and they're drying in a cool lights-off room. So far so good on that too.