Windowsill Herb Garden

You want to benefit from the feeling that growing your own herbs provides to your life, and, at the same time, enjoy the scent and flavor of fresh herbs in your home and your cooking!  If you are a busy person, setting up a windowsill herb garden would be an excellent, easy and fairly inexpensive way to make it possible. It gives you the opportunity to select culinary, aromatic or even medicinal herbs, which will allow you to enjoy their pleasant aromas and energize the flavor of your dishes. All your relatives and friends will enjoy them.

To set up your windowsill garden you can use any decorative container or planter or a dedicated windowsill planter as long as you select the proper size to provide enough space for the root to grow healthy.  Six inches deep containers will suffice most of the herbs.

You will want to pay attention to four factors; namely: soil, light, temperature and watering. Make sure to protect your herbs from sharp temperature changes, provide appropriate water and light, and your herbs garden will develop beautifully.

Do not overwater. Once a week will be good. If you feel dry at the tips of your fingers when touching the soil surface, it’s time to re-water. Keep watching in hot climates.

To successfully grow your herbs in a windowsill box you may follow the steps depicted bellow.

First of all, select the appropriate windowsill. The right window shall receive at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.

Next, choose the appropriate containers and soil. The most important characteristic of the adequate container is to provide well drainage.  Your herbs will love it. Moist in excess will not let the herb grow healthy and will allow conditions for the development of diseases; mainly fungal. If you decide to start your garden from seedlings, it will be a good idea to start them in small containers in order to avoid overwatering.
Prepare an artificial soil mix with well drainage characteristic. This can be accomplished by mixing three parts of garden soil, one part peat, compost or aged manure and one part sand. Get rid of strange particulates. Do not add soil from the outdoors to your potting mix. It introduces the risk to convey bacterial infections.

Third, select the appropriate herbs. It is mostly a matter of personal preference.  Numerous herbs can be grown in a windowsill. However, not any herbs are appropriate. Fennel, dill and comfrey are not recommended because of their size. You can choose among the most popular and appropriate herbs: Basil, Marjoram, Vietnamese Mint, Borage, Peppermint, Tansy, Chamomile, Parsley, Chives, Sage, Oregano, Lavender, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Yarrow, Lemon Thyme and Coriander (Cilantro).

Fourth, take good care of your windowsill herbs.

If you decide to start your garden from seeds, you will want to follow the next recommendations after seeds have germinated:

  • When seedlings have developed four leaves, select the healthiest and get rid of the rest.
  • Make sure to move your plants to a window that receives full sunlight at least for 6 hours per day. If it is not possible, keep your herbs under artificial light. If you choose fluorescent lights, make sure the fixture is 4 to 8 inches above the plants. It is recommended to use artificial light 10 hours a day.
  • If the soil surface feels dry to the touch, water thoroughly until the soil feels just moist to touch. When you detect that the soil begins to dry quickly between watering, it is time to move the plants to the next largest size container.
  • You can clip your herbs once they start growing. Prune regularly to encourage new growth, making sure not to clip more than 1/3 of the plant to let it re-grow healthy.
  • When pests appear, you may use soap sprays to control them. Make sure you wash off thoroughly one day later. You will not want to spray new seedlings because they are too delicate.

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