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Window Sill Herb Gardening

by Leonard Perry, Extension Professor,University of Vermont    

An indoor kitchen herb garden will add interest to your meals and color to your window sills...and help satisfy that urge to garden during the cold, wintry months ahead.

Most culinary herbs require at least five hours of sun per day. You can use a sunny window, provided the reflected heat is not too intense. If you don't have a window with direct sunlight, put your pots of herbs in a spot with plenty of light, then move them into the sun for a few hours whenever possible.

Fluorescent lights or special grow lamps also work if left on about 14 to 16 hours per day. Place the lights 12 to 18 inches above the tops of the plants. If the light source is too far away, insufficient light will reach the plants, and they won't grow.

You must also consider temperature and humidity. Most herbs need daytime temperatures of 68 to 70 degrees F with 30 to 50 percent humidity. To increase humidity, place a dish of water near the plants.

Pot your herbs in a potting mix of vermiculite or equal parts peat moss, garden loam, and coarse sand. Any container will do as long as it has good drainage.

Sow the seeds according to the package directions, but no deeper than two times the diameter of the seed. Some easy-to-grow annual herbs that can be transplanted to your garden next spring include basil, dill, oregano, chives, coriander, and anise.

After planting, soak the bottom of the container in a pan of water until the surface is wet. Or spray with a mister until well-watered.

Place each container inside a plastic bag to create a "greenhouse," leaving the top slightly open to allow some air and moisture to escape. Set in a fairly warm location (65 to 75 degrees F) out of direct sunlight until seeds germinate.

Germination should start in two to three weeks. At that time, remove the plastic, and move the container to a cooler area (60 to 70 degrees F) where it will receive good light but not direct sun. Gradually increase the amount of sunlight by moving plants every few days. Turn for even exposure to sunlight. Continue to water, but don't overdo it or the plants may rot.

Thin your herbs when the seedlings have two sets of true leaves. If you started herbs in flats, this is the time to transplant them to individual pots. Use a soil mix that's richer than the medium used for germination. A good mix is two parts garden loam, one part coarse sand, and one part sifted peat moss.

Herbs generally need little fertilizer but will respond to some. Use a soluble fertilizer such as 5-10-10, and apply at half strength, based on label directions. Overfertilized plants often have a poorer flavor than those grown at a more moderate rate.