So you want to grow some herbs for your kitchen garden. Now is the perfect time to start planning. There's still time to order seeds, gather your materials, and plot out your design.
Even though your project won't require a landscape architect, you should still put some thought into what you're going to grow. Your space is probably limited, as is your light and your schedule.
Here are a few questions to ask:
• Do you have a window sill that gets at least 4 hours of sunlight each day? If not, you'll need to install grow lights.
• How big is your window sill? Are you planning to put it on the inside or the outside of the window? If on the outside it is relatively protected from urban annoyances like birds and trash? The size of the sill will obviously dictate how large of a box or pots you can use.
• What herbs do you want to grow? The most commonly used herbs in the kitchen are Basil, Chervil, Chives, Cilantro (Coriander), Dill, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Tarragon, and Thyme. If you have a 24" windowsill to work with, plan on selecting about 5 different varieties to grow. Each plant will eventually need about 5 inches of space. Mint needs to be grown in its own container, otherwise it will take over the planter and the other plants will not thrive.
• Based on the herbs you will grow, decide which you'll grow from seed, and which from seedling. If you'd rather not start from seed, you can get any herb in seedling form, and it's best to get these from your local farmers' market, where herbs are grown in small batches for cooks like yourself. If you want to give growing from seed a try, it's time to get those seeds. Herbs that are easiest to grow from seed are Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Dill, and Parsley.
In our next segment, we'll talk about starting from seed, and where to buy the materials you need to grow your own window box.
(photo via jacobpost)
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I am contemplating windowboxes because I have a great set of corner windows with big sills on the outside. The problem? The sills are stone and my windowframes are brick and metal. I rent and so I can't exactly go at it with a masonry drill to secure the boxes in so I don't kill anybody on the next windy day. Has anyone else installed boxes in a similar apartment? Any suggestions?
Does anyone have recommendations for good looking grow lights? I have good northern light in my tiny place - but no direct sun - and I don't have room for something ugly.
I just downloaded my hard-won knowledge
of container herb gardening to the recent
Open Thread #28
(clink on my name)
I have a perfect kitchen window sill for my herb garden, but like Genevieve, I am concerned about securing the bed for those windy days. How do people do it? Metal windows...brick facade...how can I attach it?
Thank you, thank you... been waiting for this!
Alexuma,
I bungee cord mine to existing brackets on the windows.
Maybe you can screw an anchor into the brick?
It's all a pain, but worth it.
Alex,
use any lamp that's rated
for the wattage of your gro-bulbs.
I got pendants from Ikea for my kitchen window.
For a winter of basil.
Alexuma: There are these arms shaped like a square "s" that will go over your sill inside and provide a stable attachment for the window box outside, some of them are even connected to the planter with a screw. The only problem is that you won't be able to close your window all the way. I am sure you can find them online.
I've got a question about cutting back basil .. I've successfully grown basil a few times in the past, and I actually end up with basil forests -- a couple of feet tall, the diameter of the pot, and just absolute messes. The thing is, I found that the plants would suffer when I'd try to trim them (and even taking a few leaves off at a time for cooking). Does anyone have advice for the actual removal of leaves? And maintaining a modest sized plant?
I usually pinch leaves and stems off my basil plant. How does yours react, exactly?
I just got some wonderful new potted herbs from the produce stand: a huge basil to replace the one that died when I neglected it over the winter, a beautiful sage, dill, and a little Thai pepper plant. I already have a small, rather stunted rosemary. They are already growing fast. But then, I live in Florida and it's been 75 and sunny... ;-)
Well... if they were smaller, the "branches" from which I'd snip leaves would pretty much shrivel up and die. Really. Sometimes a lesser form of that, but it seemed like the more extreme the stem diameter (very thin or very thick, as in the main one) from which I was cutting back, the greater the damage.
The problem then comes in that the main stem is the one that controls the height, so I want to cut back on that one to keep it shorter (and hopefully bushier), but cutting off the top of that thick stem doesn't really work out well.
I want window boxes, but I have brick facade, can't open the windows. I have seen the boxes "Propped up", but don't know how to do this.
Any suggestions?
I want window boxes, but I have brick facade, and I can't open the windows. I have seen the boxes "Propped up", but don't know how to do this.
Any suggestions?