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Indoor Herb Garden Tips
from: FancyGardening.comOne way to add flavor and color to home cooked meals is to grow your own herbs year round. There are a few indoor herb garden tips that anyone can use to create a bountiful window or indoor herb collection. The following indoor herb garden tips can be used with virtually any type of herb, although some herbs will require some variations in light, soil, water and temperature.
The basic indoor herb gardening tips to keep in mind when starting your container garden are:
* Use a high quality potting soil. Be sure to purchase soil that has additional organic matter and has good water retention ability. Poor quality soils will result in the herbs growing very slowly or failing to produce large, flavorful leaves.
* Provide the correct amount of direct sunlight. Most herbs require direct sunlight in order to grow. Basil, oregano, chives, thyme and rosemary all thrive with more than six hours of direct sunlight per day. If you cannot provide that amount of direct sunlight consider a grow lamp or specialized natural light bulb to provide the herb garden with additional supplemental light.
* Monitor temperature. If you live in colder climates remember that the temperature beside windows may be several degrees cooler than the temperature just a few inches from the window. Try to keep containers far enough from the window that the leaves of the herbs will not directly contact the glass. In addition watch for excessive heat in window sills during summer months.
* Keep soil at the correct moisture level. Most indoor herbs need regular watering, usually once or twice a week. Avoid over watering, as the roots will actually begin to rot with standing water in the pots. Water just to completely dampen the soil, but not leave water standing in the bottom of the pot. This is one of the most important indoor herb gardening tips for healthy plants.
Be sure to monitor the herbs and cut back any dry or dead leaves. If the herbs flower be sure to remove the dead blossoms as this will promote faster growth.
Another one of the many easy indoor gardening tips is to use the biggest leaves from the ends of the branches or shoots first. If the herb becomes too large for the pot or container simply use a sharp pair of kitchen scissors to trim the herb plant back to right shape and size. Avoid using a knife to cut the herb as often the plant becomes damaged with the pulling motion of a knife.
For more indoor herb gardening tips consider joining a gardening club or organization or do some browsing online. Growing indoor herbs doesn't have to be difficult or challenging, just start with a few small plants and expand your garden as you learn.
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