Tips For Growing Herbs In Pots

When the summer ends and autumn passes away, that does not mean you have to kiss your herb garden goodbye until next year. You don't have to buy dried, bottled herbs from the grocery store all winter. You can move your herbs indoors and continue to enjoy herbs that you have grown yourself. Often, growing herbs in pots is a fun way to continue gardening indoors. But there are definitely some things to remember when doing so.

It is important when you are growing herbs in pots that you ensure the pots drain properly. A good tip is to use one third each top quality potting soil, sand and humus. During the winter, you may find that the soil may be compacted. Just grab a fork and gently rake to top layer to loosen it up. Although it is obviously important to water, during the winter herbs don't grow as fast so they won't need quite as much. A really good tip to remember is the time to water is when the surface of the soil is nearly dry, but still very slightly damp. Of course you don't want to completely dry out the soil.

During the winter, growing herbs in pots is going to take more care. Often the air in our homes is stuffy during the winter, so gently mist the plants regularly. Also, a little fan near the pots will help to circulate the air, but will most likely mean more frequent watering since it may dry out the soil faster. It is also a very good idea to use fertilizer once a month.

Although growing herbs in pots means that the herbs are obviously indoors it does not necessarily mean they are safe from pests. In the instance that you do have a problem, it is not as hard as dealing with them outside. Simply get a hold of a insecticidal soap and spray the leaves of the plants on top and bottom. They will still be safe to consume if you were to add them to a favorite dish to spice it up. So by doing a little research and with a bit of determination, your indoor herb garden will be a success even in the winter.