Learning, Sharing, and Teaching > Do it Yourself Discussion!

Growing Herbs Indoors

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Cool Friend:
My home doesn't have any access to actual garden space, but I have very large windows that get lots of sunlight, and roommates of mine have had good success with their potted plants.  I like to use fresh herbs in my cooking frequently, so I thought a good start would be to grow some of those.  I have no experience though.  What are the basic things I need to buy (on a Mustachian budget, of course)?  If I wanted to grow a few varieties (I'm most interested in parsley, rosemary, oregano, and maybe cilantro) would I be able to put them all in the same pot?

calimom:
Hello Cool Friend! I can try to address this, I own an indoor plantscaping business. The reality is, herbs inside do not do as well as those grown outdoors. It's worth a try though. Yes, you can pot a variety of things - like oregano, thyme, marjoram, etc. - in the same container. Try not to crowd them too much and put in the brightest spot possible. Use well draining soil and maybe some drainage rocks in the bottom of your pot. Watch the water, neither too dry or too wet. As they grow, prune them back so they don't get too leggy. There are some deals on herbs in 4"  nursery pots to be had at some big box stores and grocery stores. Wishing you luck and I know what you mean, fresh herbs are so tasty in cooking and salads.

Cool Friend:
Awesome, thank you so much for the tips!  Someday I hope to have a real outdoor space to work with, but for now I'll have to work with what I have.  Gonna see what prices are like at the Home Depot next weekend!

Vasilisa:
I second the "herbs don't grow great inside" thought. They're so much happier outdoors in the ground or in as large as a pot as you can manage outdoors. Is there really no where outside you could stash a few pots? Fire escape, front stairs, rooftop, neighbor's garden, community garden? Put you MMM thinking-cap on and see if you can get creative.

I'd do some research and see if you have a community garden close-by and/or a local garden club. Both can be great for advice, free plants and free pots. My local nursery has a section behind their store where people can leave and take pots and we have scored little decorative pots and giant 15-gallon pots for free.

Happy growing!

Cool Friend:
Sadly, there really is nowhere outside where I could expect the herbs to be safe.  For context, I live in a multilevel loft building in a very dense city.  I might be able to sneak something up to the roof (where we're technically not allowed and where the neighbors right below you can hear every step you take), but there's no guarantee the super won't just remove or destroy them.  My windows have about a 3-4 inch un-level stone lip, so I feel like there's a good chance wind or rain would knock them down if I tried to keep them out there.  There's a community garden, but the annual dues are $20 and that's if you make it off the waiting list.  I don't have my own fire escape, and the stairs to the entrance of the building are very high traffic, so any random person from the street could just steal/destroy the herbs, or the super could remove them for being in the way.

Is the difference in quality/success so significant that it's not really worth it to grow indoors?  Maybe this was a dumb idea.

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