QUESTION: I live in a condo. Can I grow herbs indoors? – Alice R
ANSWER: Herbs are easy to grow indoors successfully. In addition to the herb plants you’d like to grow, you’ll need containers with drainage holes and potting soil. For best results, select the plants that are easiest to grow for an indoor garden, such as basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme.
The best location for an indoor herb garden is a windowsill that faces west or southwest. If you don’t have a west or southwest window in your home, you may need to focus on shade-loving herbs or supplement the sunlight your plants get with grow lights. (As a rule, 14 hours of artificial light equals six hours of natural sunlight.) Your location should also be free from drafts or temperature extremes (so stay away from radiators, AC units, and the like). Ideally, your herb garden should have a spot where temperatures range from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Small herb plants growing indoors don’t need much water—just enough to stay consistently moist without drying out between waterings. Your plants are getting too much water if the foliage wilts or begins to turn yellow. When you need to harvest herbs, simply pinch off what you need or snip off a cutting with clean, sterile garden shears.
Plants will eventually need to be transplanted into larger containers. You’ll know it’s time to transplant your herbs if growth slows down, you see roots poking out of drainage holes or on the surface of the soil, or the plant becomes floppy in the container.
