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Winter Window-Box Herbs
| Article
# : |
13140 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
11 / 1987 |
859 Words |
| Author
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Walter Chandoha
Walter Chandoha's pictures and articles have appeared in many
major magazines; and he has also written and illustrated
twenty-four books. |
If you have a penchant for fresh herbs, there is no need to forsake them this winter. You can grow them indoors near a sunny window.
Indoor herbs can be grown from seed or from nursery-started plants. Frequently used fast-growing annuals like dill, basil, and cilantro are best grown from seed. Perennials like chives, sage, rosemary, thyme, and biennial parsley take so long to reach harvest size that it is best to buy seedlings.
Clay pots are preferable to plastic for indoor herb gardens because their porosity helps prevent overwatering. Potting soil should be non-acidic and easy draining. Never use garden soil for herbs because it packs too tightly. Instead use a packaged potting soil composed of sterile mixtures of peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, and assorted nutrients.
Germinating the seeds
To start annuals from seed and seedlings, mix a teaspoon of lime with a mixture of a third each of potting soil, sand, and compost. Add a pinch of slow-release fertilizer to each four by six inch pot.
To start seeds, fill a clay pot with a generous pinch of seeds on the surface, scratch them into the soil, insert the pot in a clear plastic bag, and seal. Put it in a warm place, such as the top of a furnace or a hall radiator.
After the seeds germinate (three to eight days), remove the pot from the bag and place it near a sunny window. When leaves
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