Cultivating an Earthy, Warm, Indoor Herb Garden

According to the Farmer's Almanac, you can have access to fresh herbs even during the cold fall and winter months! The holidays are often centered around hearty feasts that feature earthy and warm flavors. Many of these decadent herbs are easy to grow!

Rosemary

One of the most fragrant and beautifully aromatic herbs, rosemary is a classic herb used in many autumn dishes.

Best grown from seed, you sow it in a small pot of soil at about 1/4" deep. Keep the seedling in your sunniest window (normally south-facing), and frequently mist it. Make sure air is easily circulated around the plant to prevent powdery mildew.

If you are bringing in an already established rosemary plant, you'll need to put the plant on a sunlight deficit for several weeks leading up to the transfer. Since rosemary plants are sunlight lovers, they'll need to acclimate to less direct sunlight gradually. You can do this by covering them for increasing increments of time while the plant is out doors. Start with about 1 hour less of light per day (make sure not to weigh down the plant and offer a support with whichever plant covering you choose). You can also move the plant to gradually shadier areas if it is potted. This practice forces the plant to produce leaves that are more efficient at turning sunlight into energy!

You can supplement indoor light with a fluorescent lightbulb placed close to the plant.

Thyme

Put your clay-potted thyme in a south-facing window where it can achieve about 6 hours of light. Thyme is not as finicky with light as rosemary, making it a wonderful and easy addition to the kitchen garden.

After every water, allow the plant to completely dry out before watering again to avoid root rot.

Be sure to transfer your plant outdoors in the summer to help it produce more leaves, but allow it to acclimate (as previously discussed) so as not to shock it with vastly different environmental factors (temperature, rain, sunlight).

Sage

Sage plants love humidity, so keep them away from drafty areas and create a pebble bed underneath the potted plant. This will allow water to evaporate and humidify the plant. Place in a south facing window near other herbs to help humidify the area. You can supplement sunlight with a fluorescent bulb!

Now you can begin your herb garden! Fresh herbs add dimensions to any dish, and you can get them for free right in your own kitchen! Not to mention, houseplants can purify the air and add ambience to any space. Leave a comment if you have more tips for growing herbs, or any other indoor herb that you love!