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Growing Herbs Indoors – The Reality

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Can you grow herbs indoors? Certainly you can! They won’t be much good, but sure, you can grow them. Let us dispel an enormous myth, generated by too many idiotic filler articles on the internet, as to growing herbs indoors.

Yes, they will grow indoors, but the expectation of most people is that they will grow enough herbs to harvest them every second night for making dinner – it’s not going to happen. They are not going to look like the bunches in the supermarket, and they will not be as potent. For starters, herbs need at least, got that – at least, six hours of sunlight, per day – for at least 10 days, in order to be able to reproduce that which you took last night for dinner. If you harvest too much, the plant may very well cark it, as it needs its leaves for photosynthesis in order to survive.

Now, I don’t know about you, but my experience is that most house-holds do not have enough window space, that allows that much sun in. Then again, should you have so many windows and if, you want to spend your days running around the house with an armful of potted herbs, moving them from window to window as the sun moves – all the best to you. People living in flats and apartments, depending on their geographic location, may be lucky to get 2 hours of sun – and most will get none. Given the opportunity, you could take them outside each day, whilst the sun is shining, but I have little confidence that this practice will continue after the second week, if that, for most people.

Add to this, the fact that herbs are essentially an outside plant, when growing inside, regardless of how much sunlight they get, this is still not optimal conditions – therefore, the plants will be leggier than normal (more stalk than leaf), so twice as much of the plant is needed in cooking. The taste/aroma of house-herbs is weaker and so, twice as much is needed to get the same effect. When you look at plants like sage, rosemary, oregano and similar – the natural environment for these plants is on the side of mountains, just above the tree-line. It is the harshness and exposure that makes these herbs potent.

Unless you have a purpose built sun-room, actually live in a glass house, or have a couple of dozen of each plant that you can set up on a rotational system, it will end up being a once-a-month treat, to actually use some of your precious indoor herbs. The first argument about this, is of course “But you can grow lots of plants indoors” Very true, however indoor plants do not ordinarily have their leaves ripped off them, they are only there for looking at, not harvesting.

Having said all that, there are of course herb kits that come with everything necessary – including GROW LIGHTS! Brilliant idea and works reasonably well, too. However, if you are thinking of going to go the expense of a grow kit, I think you will find it is far more economical to buy yourself a case of decent wine and a packet of herbs from the shop. On a practical note, it is far more practical to grow more herbs than you need in the garden in spring and summer, then cut and dry the excess. You still get bragging rights with this method, as opposed to the sad display that will be sitting on your window sill. For those people living in flats and apartments, herbs, especially dried herbs, are cheap as all get out – AND they last for a long time before becoming impotent, like years, so do yourself a favor, buy ‘em.

Thus ends my rant on the reality of growing herbs indoors.

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Foliage Plants for Indoors.

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Plants grown for the shape and or color of their leaves, where these traits are the more prominent characteristic are called foliage plants. Often utilised as part of the decor of living rooms and such, can be quite stunning additions, provided they are looked after. Foliage plants work well as indoor plants as they are more tolerant of inside conditions than most plants.

As a focal point, the large leaved varieties such as monstera deliciosa, rubber plants (Ficus elastica), saddle leaf philodendron (P. bipinnatifidum),umbrella tree (Schefflera), become “living decor” pieces and can give years of pleasure.
The size of the plants you choose for your living decor, of course depends on the available space you have. However, there are numerous small or dwarf varieties of most species.

How to Buy House Plants

Indoor plants that are raised in glass greenhouses in which the atmosphere is controlled and feeding and watering is regular, when brought into the average home, all of a sudden are faced with an entirely new environment, and can go into shock and sit there, sulking for weeks. Certainly there is less light, inadequate ventilation with doors generally closed, warmer temperatures, drafts, and dry air, all add to conditions for these plants that could be considered adverse. Then, of course, there is YOU. For some people the feeding, watering, and general care of their house plants is decidedly “hit and miss”.

If you have purchased your plants from a supermarket, they are probably already suffering greatly. From fairly rough treatment by hordes of customers, passing traffic, desultory care by pimply teenagers, and the weakening effects of flourescent lights. I would always recommend visiting a reputable indoor plant nursery, for quality plants.

Here are a few pointers to take into consideration when purchasing your indoor plants.

1.Health.

Run your hands through the leaves, depending on the variety – in any case, “feel” the plant. A plant that’s unsteady in its pot may not be well-rooted. This may be an indication of root-rot, or similar disease problems. Do the leaves and stems have resistance – do they spring back into position? Or are they limp, or “tired” looking? This can be an indication of a greater problem with the plant, or poor care – either way do not pick these plants. Being tactile with the plants, also gives you the opportunity to observe anything which may fall, or fly off, like caterpillars, or whitefly – this again is due to poor care. Change nurseries.

2.Attractive Ability.

Since it will be seen everyday of the year, plants need to be perennial, or evergreen. Nothing less attractive indoors than a pot full of twigs – waiting for spring.

3.Burden of Maintenance.

It is preferable to have varieties that are relatively slow-growing, as this reduces the amount of time necessary for pruning and training. Also, insects are attracted to new sappy growth as found with fast growers. Generally speaking, you really want to be fiddling with your house-plants as little as possible.

4.Crowded roots.

Check the bottom of the plant for roots coming out of the drainage holes. Roots emerging from holes in the pot don’t necessarily mean that the plant needs re-potted, but is often an indication. Root bound plants will require re-potting when you get the plant home, similarly, if the soil is loose in the pot, this is an indication that it has recently been re-potted and is being sold too soon, you can tell this, if the soil pours out of the pot when you tip it on an angle. You are looking for plants that are established in their pots and therefore, stable soil.

5.Leggy plants or burnt leaf tips.

These are signs of a plant that has not received adequate care over a period of time. Spindly plants indicate a lack of adequate light, either due to the nursery itself, or over-crowding from too long on the benches.

6.Compare.

Don’t just grab the first one you see. Separate a few pots out of the bunch and compare them all, for overall size, color and general vitality. There will be runts in large groups of potted plants – nothing wrong with this, except that runts, will always be runts. Don’t feel sorry for the runts, like you may do for a puppy – runt plants will only disappoint.

I hope these pointers have helped you choosing suitable foliage plants for indoors.

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Container Gardening Inside and In the Garden.

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Growing plants in containers can be for a number of reasons, be it for climatic reasons, available space, or for aesthetic considerations.

Sometimes certain climates preclude the growing of plants year round and container gardening is the only alternative. This affords the option of growing outside, until such time as the cold forces the container being brought inside, next to a sunny window, or into a purpose built sun-room. For those preferring a changing scenery, plants in containers are an easy way to achieve this, by merely moving the pots from place to place, until the desired effect is achieved.

Container gardening has become all the more popular with the increase of people living in apartments. It’s always a pleasure to have a colorful, living thing in an apartment, that requires little maintenance and gives beauty in return. Those in apartments, or flats, lucky enough to have a balcony, of any size, have the added advantage of being able to grow a greater choice of plants, including vegetables and or herbs, in containers.

The addition of containers in the garden allows you a changing vista, placing pots of color around green shrubs, or trees to brighten dull corners of your yard. This a great way of displaying flowering bulbs, too. As they come into flower, bring them close to the entertainment areas, or windows, to be able to appreciate them more easily.

Geraniums, are the classic pot-plant. These plants will generally have vibrant flowers most of the year – continuously.
Growing flowering annuals is a great idea for quick, short lived colour inside. If you were to grow pots of chrysanthemums, or marigolds, then as they flower, bring them inside and replace with another pot as each one becomes spent, or a little raggedy.

Plant-pots, or containers, are a huge business and most garden centres, have large areas dedicated to the enormous variety available, from concrete to ceramic pots. However, you don’t have to go to any great expense for plant containers, as just about anything that will hold soil can be used. If you have an old worn out wheel-barrow, or discarded packing crates, hollow logs are suitable, large chipped crockery, a bucket or pail, even old boots – all are suitable as planting containers provided they can hold soil AND will drain excess water. The classic is of course, old wine barrels. If the recycled container you have chosen is a little too far gone, like a wheel-barrow having too many holes, this can be remedied by lining the bottom with several layers of paper-bark, as you would do with a wire hanging basket.

Always use top quality potting mix for container gardening, as nutrients tend to leech out from containers. I would also add some water retaining crystals, as pots and containers do tend to dry out faster than the soil in a garden. Watering and feeding need to be done more often for this reason.

If you have planted perennials, like agapanthus, or similar in your containers, they will need periodical re-potting, as the plants will become over-crowded in time. When this is the case, divide the plants into manageable pieces, re-pot the ones from the outsides of the original clumps, and the plant material remaining can be either put into new containers, or planted out into the garden. If the plants are not the dividing type, then re-pot them into larger containers.

For moving the larger pots, there are available pot-trolleys, that sit under the pot with wheels – having wheels means you can just push the container to where it is desired, this is an excellent option for patios and the like. Your living space is always interesting, using container gardening inside and in the garden.

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How To Plant Herbs In Your Garden.

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

Growing herbs in your garden can be a great way to get fresh herbs for cooking or medicinal purposes. In many cases you can grow them right in with your other flowers, or keep them in containers so that you can bring them inside in the winter months for a bountiful indoor herb garden.

The first point is to set your garden size, regardless if you are growing indoor or outdoor. In case you are using indoor space such as close to kitchen or in your balcony etc. Note down dimensions of your area to be used for growing herbs. Divide marked area into manageable containers size. The popular containers used in indoor herb garden are 5-10 inches deep containers or 6″ cup for individual herb plant. In case you want to differentiate between herbs grow them in cluster in separate containers such as mint in one container and parsley in another container. You can also label your individual plant cups for easy identification.

The real result of growing herbs will depend upon how well you design herb garden, what size of containers you use, how well you use potting soil and how well plants are given water and sunshine. Also not all herb plants can be grown in container, some plants are grow tall such as “Dill”, you don’t want small trees in your kitchen. All these factors are important in growing herbs in container. One of the reasons why herbs containers are placed close to kitchen is that you will see them when you are cooking. This will ensure their use in your daily cooking.

The 10 or 12″ can contain up to 4 herbs. You can grow 4 herbs of same type or variety in one container. Depending upon the size of the area you are using for herb garden you can add more containers. Ensure proper drainage is there in containers and are placed close to sunshine area. They need few hours of sunshine to survive.

Herbs can be grown in small pots, or right in your garden; keep in mind that herbs do not grow to be big plants, so if you are putting them in your garden with other plants, keep them away from the larger ones where they may get overtaken. It may be a good idea to start the herbs in small pots and then transfer them to your garden when they get bigger. Many people like to grow herbs right outside their kitchen window, where they are easily accessible. What could be more convenient than picking the herbs as you need them, right outside your window?

There are many large reasons for making a potted herb garden. On thing you can use your herb garden in pots for is keeping culinary herbs on hand all year long. Keep the pots outside near the kitchen door in summer and bring them in and sit them on the windowsill in winter.

When making a potted herb garden you do not have to keep them indoors. It is possible to grow your herbs inside or outside. Either way you choose, you need to know the amount of sun that each plant should have. There are herbs that like full sun, while others grow well when placed in partially shaded areas.

Sometimes growing herbs in pots can be difficult because pots do not offer the same moisture control and necessary nutrients as outdoor soil does. Many herbs do fine in pots with some extra attention from the grower. These hearty herbs include basil, dill, mint, sage, and lavender.

Herbs can be perennials or biennials so you need to plant them with this in mind. You wouldn’t want to put your biennials in the back row knowing that you might have to trample over some perennials to get to them and replant. Since herbs can be decorative as well as useful, pay particular attention to how tall they are and what they look like when they flower so that you can incorporate them into your garden accordingly.

You will need to decide on which herbs you want to grow depending on your likes and taste buds. A good start would be to plant some rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano and mint. Also, decide on whether you want to use seeds and grow your herbs from scratch, or if you want to purchase seedlings that have already been started. If you are a novice gardener, seedlings may be a better choice.

Once you have planted your herbs, you will want them to reach their full potential by using fertilizer or compost. This will give the soil the nutrients it needs in order to grow your herbs to perfection, in both size, and taste!

Make proper preparations to the soil and make sure the amount of moisture is sufficient. Lavender enjoys the sun and needs an alkaline soil that is dry. Clay chips will maintain the moisture in a pot, but this can also lead to too much moisture. When in a container, the clay will absorb the moisture and hold it for extended periods of time. You should make sure that your soil contains a mixture of sand and clay.

Root rot is the most common problem for plants in containers. This is the result of excessive moisture. While it’s fine for most plants to be continually wet, most herbs prefer drier soil. When we say moist, that doesn’t necessarily mean always wet. Try this: Push your thumb on the surface of the soil. Is it a little springy? That means it’s moist. Is it hard? That means it’s dry. Next, take a toothpick (or even better, a moisture gauge). Stick it in the soil to see its moisture content. While the toothpick is good in a pinch, the gauge will provide a more accurate and useful reading.

If you live in a climate that has four seasons, you may want to consider bringing your plants indoors for the winter; or you can dry your herbs. Air drying your herbs will maintain the nutrients and essential oils and are as good as using fresh. It will also give a nice fresh scent in your home!

To air dry your herbs so you can ensure an ample supply for winter, it’s best to pick the leaves in late summer or early fall. Let the leaves dry completely and place in a paper bag that you have punched holes in. Don’t forget to label the bag with the name of the herb. Hang upside down in bundles of 4 or 5 branches. Your herbs should be completely dried in two or three weeks. You can then take them and store them in airtight containers or Ziploc bags.

One thing to keep in mind when growing herbs is that they like a sandy, well drained soil that has a neutral PH. An interesting thing to note is that a very fertile soil is not recommended for herbs since this will encourage excess leaf growth which will reduce the flavor of the plant. Organic matter is great for herbs so consider adding some compost or peat moss to your soil.

One interesting thing about herb plants is that most pests tend to avoid them and they are not highly susceptible to diseases either, so a herb garden can be rather easy to maintain.

Harvesting herbs at the right time will insure that you get them when they are their most flavorful and potent. For most herbs this is shortly before the flowers are to bloom (except for mints which are most flavorful when in full bloom). You want to pick the third sunny day in a row and be sure to harvest in the morning right after the dew has evaporated.

While growing herbs outdoors will yield you the most productive plants, you can still have a great indoor herb garden as long as you have a window with plenty of sunlight and good well drained soil. You should put them in a southerly facing window and you might consider supplementing the light with a grow light in the winter months. Be sure your pots allow for plenty of drainage and never leave your herb plants to sit in a saucer of water. When summer comes, consider placing your herbs outdoors so they can flourish.

Whether you are growing herbs outdoors or want an indoor herb garden on your kitchen windowsill, trying your hand at herb gardening can be a fun way to get great plants, enjoy a relaxing hobby and add some spice to your cooking!

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Bamboo: Beauty And Luck

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

A bamboo plant is an amazing work of nature. It is very easy to maintain and many believe that it brings good luck. So why not introduce this into your interior decorating scheme? There are a few instructions to follow and things to consider. Bamboo plants are all the rage. This greenery is very easy to maintain and many believe that the bamboo plant brings good luck. Why not introduce this kind of houseplant into your interior decorating scheme? There are a few simple instructions to follow but the bamboo plants are pretty independent growers.

You have the option whether or not you want to house the bamboo plants in a container. Many of us really like to keep these houseplants indoors. If you decide to plant it on the ground they will require less care, but not every landscape is made to grow bamboo plants.

It’s important to choose a container that has adequate drainage without letting too much water escape because bamboo plants like to stay wet without getting soggy. That is why some are offering potting options for bamboo plants that are ideal for this houseplant.

Bamboo plants like to stay wet without getting soggy, so it’s important to choose a container that has adequate drainage without letting too much water escape in the process. Some sellers offer wonderful potting options for bamboo plants that are ideal for this kind of houseplant.

These houseplants can be affected by extreme weather conditions. The plants can be damaged if they are exposed to too much heat and are subject to freezing during the colder seasons.

These houseplants are not really crazy about extremes. Try not to put the containers that hold the bamboo plants in any hot or cold areas. The plants can experience damage if they are exposed to too much direct heat, including intense sunlight. In addition, bamboo plants are subject to freezing during the colder seasons of the year.

Make sure that they have everything they need like natural light and plenty of water especially the younger ones. The younger plants require more water than the mature ones.

One thing to consider is when the plants were first put into their containers they will need extra water if they have just been put into a new pot. It is suggested that bamboo plants are to be watered two to three times a week or even on a daily basis if the weather is unusually hot. Another thing is that bamboo plants do not necessarily need fertilizer to grow well.

Beauty or luck or whatever reason it may be that you chose bamboo plants, the good thing is that you chose a houseplant that is so easy to maintain.

No matter if you choose the bamboo plants for their beauty or luck, you will be glad that you chose houseplants that are so easy to maintain.

Article by Chris B, you can find more about him on his profile.

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