By Kerry Johnston
Growing herbs is easy, whether you live on a plot, in a modest cluster or four flights up in an apartment block. The taste, scent and healing properties of herbs make them a welcome addition to any home. And while the dried variety will do, there’s nothing like adding fresh herbs to food, tea, even your bathwater. Where to begin…
Choose a window that enjoys maximum exposure to sunlight (at least six hours a day). Use individual pots so you can give each herb the specific care it needs. Opt for terracotta over metal pots (these can overheat) and make sure the plants have room to grow, have drainage holes and waterproof saucers. Keep soil moist but not soggy, and drain saucers after watering. Most herbs aren’t fussy about the soil they live in, although you should avoid using garden soil, which tends to be heavy and may contain disease organisms. A mixture of organic soil and compost should do the trick – two parts soil to one part compost.
What to plant
Most any kind of herb will grow on a windowsill if you care for it properly. Popular choices include basil, dill, flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, oregano, chives, sage, coriander and mint. Start herbs from seed or buy small plants.
Hints and tips!
● Rotate your herbs weekly. That way each side will get an equal amount of sunlight.
● Don’t allow foliage to touch cold windows.
● Line the bottom of your pots with pebbles or even broken crockery shards to allow for good drainage.
● Pinch or cut off smaller leaves from the top of the plants to use – it encourages growth.
● Use blackboard paint and chalk on terracotta pots for long-lasting, easy-to-change plant markers, or stick a cork onto a bamboo skewer with the herb’s name written in permanent marker.
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