You Can Have a Beautiful Windowsill Herb Garden in a Few Easy Steps
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
by Sarah Phillips
HerbGardeningCentral.com
One way to make any room look warm and welcoming is with a windowsill herb garden. Indoor herb gardens are both useful and attractive. While you can set up a garden in almost any room, think of the culinary possibilities with one in the kitchen sill. With the right container, soil mixture, and light anything is possible.
With the variety and high quality of herb kits, both online and at your garden center growing herbs couldn't be easier. There is no longer a valid reason to wait since you can be enjoying your own garden in short order.
Your plants should be able to get the recommended six to eight hours of direct sunlight for most herbs. Should trees or other obstructions block the direct sun then use simple lighting for plants to supplement. This should give similar energy for growth.
Choosing the right container for your window sill is your next step. While some like the cluttered look, try to stay away from separate pots of various sizes that tend to look cluttered when placed together.
My best recommendation is a long rectangular container called a potting tray. This fits well in a windowsill and holds a variety of herbs. For best results skip the cheap plastic ones and choose clay trays, which allow the soil to "breathe."
No matter your location (even a windowsill) or the choice of container (potting tray) the soil is necessary to any plant. Because herbs prefer nutrient deficient soil using potting soil is not recommended. Mix the potting soil with sand to cut it down. The sand also retains moisture with being too wet. Now is the time to add one or two tablespoons of lime to the mix, giving your herbs the slightly alkaline soil they love.
Add a one inch layer of aquarium gravel or pebbles to the bottom of your potting tray to allow for proper drainage of the soil.
Some new gardeners are tempted to put their container plants outdoors during a rainstorm, thinking the fresh water will help. This will only over water your herbs and create serious health issues.
Spraying the leaves of your plants with water maximizes the plant's ability to absorb moisture and provides a healthy addition to root watering
Perform a quick moisture check a couple of times a day by pressing down on the soil about an inch from the plant with your finger. If water puddles up then the herb is overwatered.
Sprinkle some seed onto the soil and press each down into the soil, but don't overdo it. Start the seed no deeper than one-half inch. This helps the seed to germinate faster and gives the root system the best chance to develop.
Sarah Phillips is an herb gardening enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this wonderful hobby.
You can be enjoying your own herbs in as little as 7 days.
Uncover new ways you can create a beautiful windowsill herb garden. Grab you own copy of Sarah's FREE Herb Gardening Success Mini-Course by going here NOW!
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