Growing herbs in your kitchen dates back to the days of old when for most homes, a garden was a thing of necessity and contributed to the overall well being of the family.
These gardens generally contained vegetables and fruits that would not only feed them through the harvest, but all year round as many of these were “put up’ such as with canning tomatoes, etc.
The gardens also contained herbs which were not only used for cooking, but for medicinal purposes too. Today, as the world experiences exponential growth, it has come to pass that space is a serious consideration, and in fact, a valuable commodity as yards get smaller, or even become non-existent. This has forced those who love to garden and grow herbs to come up with interesting ways in order to continue growing the herbs that they have come to love.
Grow Herbs in Your Kitchen – Containers in the Kitchen
Growing herbs in your kitchen offers some advantages that most don’t at first consider. First, the containers can be moved anywhere you so choose to place them, so if the permanent home is not where the sun comes in regularly, then it’s not a problem to move them to a window for a few hours and then return it to its permanent location.
Another advantage is of course what we have been talking about, and that’s the lack of available ground space in which to place your herb garden. That problem goes away since we now know that we can grow herbs in the kitchen using various flower pots, coffee cans and flower boxes.
Grow Herbs in Your Kitchen – How to do it
The way of growing herbs in the kitchen is easy. The hardest part is learning the circumstances under which each herb you are growing will thrive and prosper. You will of course want to be sure to choose the proper pot size based on the herbs that will be growing in them as well.
Generally speaking, a pot that will hold about a gallon of liquid is a good comfortable size. However, many people find that using a coffee can or something around that size is the perfect fit for the herb plants.
Flower boxes that will fit in the window are good too, and before it’s all said and done, you could, if you wanted to, literally have herbs growing throughout the entire house!
For those that will do best in the kitchen, there are some things to consider:
Is window space readily available?
Which direction do the windows face such as north, south east or west?
Which herbs do you use regularly?
The thing is, when you don’t have the yard space, and you really want to grow these herbs, then the containers are the perfect way to get what you want, and you can simply place them where it’s most suitable for the herbs to grow.
Let’s take a look at a few of the herbs that will thrive when you are growing herbs in the kitchen:
1. ALOE: requires small amounts of water and likes to be in windows that face the south. A medium sized pot will work well with these herbs.
2. ROSEMARY: Rosemary is best outside, because it grows as a shrub, however, if you use a large pot, and keep it cut back it will do just fine. These herbs like to be in a window that faces the south, or even the east.
3. MINT: This herb is suitable for a medium sized pot. In a window that will face the south or the east is where it’s happiest.
4. TARRAGON: This is another herb that prefers a southern or eastern window seat. It should be grown in a large pot and the soil should stay moist.
5. SAGE: Again, this one likes the east or the south. The soil must stay moist in the large pot in which it is growing.
6. LEMONGRASS: Give this herb a large pot and a window space that faces the south. Keep the soil moist and the herb will thrive with little else.
The list goes on for how to grow herbs in the kitchen.
The biggest thing is to know their needs so that they can be met. If you are starting your garden from plants, the local garden center can point you in the proper direction for good care. If you are starting from seed, the package will likely contain instructions for the proper care and nurturing.
When you grow herbs in your kitchen, the single most important thing to remember is that the plants be given plenty of light and that they are watered properly in order for them to prosper. When in doubt, you can always refer to your local garden center or online for more information and answers to your question on how to grow herbs in your kitchens.