Indoor Herb Gardens

by Laurel Aiello | Fort Collins Nursery

Summer season continues to be six months away, and in case you’re itching to get again out within the backyard, you aren’t alone. Many people battle the winter blues this time of 12 months, wishing we may spend hours outdoors with the solar on our backs and our arms within the grime. However within the winter, we will nonetheless savor the bounty of our fall harvest by having fun with canned jams, salsas, and fermented meals and by roasting root greens saved within the pantry. We will nonetheless are likely to—and cook dinner with—the recent herbs rising on the kitchen counter. 

CREATING AN HERB GARDEN

Rising herbs indoors is a good way to fulfill our gardening needs within the wintertime, and it’s very straightforward to do. First, decide the fitting spot in your culinary herb backyard, whether or not on a sunny windowsill or a bar prime with develop lights. Herbs want as a lot mild as they will get indoors to thrive (in the summertime, they require no less than six hours of direct daylight per day outdoors), so place them close to a south-facing window and/or set them underneath a full-spectrum develop mild that runs for 10-14 hours per day. 

Then it’s time to decide on your herbs and the pots they’ll stay in. Lengthy slender planters are nice for windowsill herb gardens so long as they drain right into a tray, and common pots with drainage holes can be used. When choosing out the herbs, select ones you’ll use as a result of they are going to proceed to push out new development the extra they’re in the reduction of (this additionally prevents them from “bolting” or going to seed). Frequent herbs for indoor gardens embody basil, thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, cilantro, and parsley. 

Plant herb begins of their pots utilizing common potting soil, then water them completely till you see water seeping into the tray. Herbs favor to remain semi-moist, so test their moisture stage every day and solely enable the primary inch of soil to dry out in between waterings. When it’s time to reap, trim them along with your pruners and use them recent or cling them to dry for later use.

DRYING AND COOKING WITH HERBS

If drying your herbs, take away the leaves from their stems and lay them out on an herb drying display or tightly tie the stems collectively on the base and cling them in a bundle the other way up. The herbs will dry out in a couple of week and may be added to your spice rack for cooking. Contemporary herbs needs to be used instantly, so that they don’t wilt, although cilantro, parsley, and basil can often be saved within the fridge for a number of days with their stems in a cup of water.

Irrespective of the way you do it, cooking with homegrown herbs within the winter is enjoyable and rewarding. Simply consider all of the recipes you may make with out having to select from the restricted herb provide on the grocery retailer—basil pesto, rosemary breakfast potatoes, meats rubbed with sage, thyme, and oregano—all from the consolation of your kitchen.