Culinary Herbs

Herbs are flavorful, aromatic plants that thrive in the summer because there is so much natural sunlight. But you don’t need to give up fresh herbs when the weather turns cold. To have a few herb plants growing in the kitchen during the winter provides fantastic flavors that are well worth the effort it takes to tend to the plants. The only downside is that once you start cultivating herbs indoors, you may find it hard to stop.

The best herbs for growing indoors during the winter months are basil, bay, chives, fern leaf dill, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, and sage. Rosemary is a little harder to grow because it needs so much sunlight, but its delicious taste makes up for any extra fuss.

The key to successfully growing herbs indoors is to provide plenty of sun, an occasional feeding of fertilizer and regular pinches. You can meet the light requirements by placing the plants in a sunny window and exposing them to fluorescent light during the evening. Your kitchen could be the ideal spot because kitchens are typically very well lit. 

As for fertilizing: A water-soluble fertilizer, such as Miracle Gro, is easy to use and works well. Some people prefer to use organic fertilizers when growing edible plants, and there are numerous granular brands that are suitable.  Regardless of the type of fertilizer you use, only fertilize once a month in the winter.

Pinching is the final step to robust herb plants, especially basil and parsley. If the plants aren’t pinched often enough they will go to seed or become bitter tasting. Promote better plant growth and better-tasting meals by pinching off sprigs for cooking and garnishing as often as possible.

The Cream of the Crop

The best herbs for growing indoors

		FERN LEAF DILL
		SAGE
		MINT
		MARJORAM
		BAY
		BASIL
		OREGANO
		PARSLEY
		BAY

Susan Bachman West is a fifth-generation member of the Bachman family and works as a buyer for Bachman’s Garden Centers. She is passionate about gardening, especially growing roses — a love she inherited from her grandfather. www.bachmans.com