How can I grow herbs indoors?

[bicentennial_baby]

We don't get much sun here up on the east facing 5th floor, and I want to grow basil, oregano, and maybe rosemary. How can I do this, re: lighting and such? I used to grow herbs like crazy outdoors at my old place, so this is new territory to me :)

Thank you! :hi:

[TygrBright]

1. Tip #1: DON'T grow them in the kitchen.

In spite of all those alluring pictures of gorgeous little pots of herbs flourishing in a kitchen window, the kitchen is the worst room in the house for picky plants. Cooking can produce air quality problems-- smoke, gas, etc., that are death on herbs. Temperatures rise and fall a lot. Moisture levels fluctuate wildly. And so on.

Most herbs like predictable and consistent. Lots of light, if you don't have a sunny room use a full-spectrum grow-light lashup. REALLY well-drained potting & soil, never allow them to stand with wet feet. Lean soil mixture for your mediterranean-type herbs like rosemary, tarragon, thyme, etc. Slightly more loamy for tender stuff like parsley, chervil, chives, etc. Put them somewhere where they're going to stay for awhile, they don't like moving around, and expect them to sulk and sleep a lot, interspersed with growth spurts (multiple pots of the same thing are a good idea, so you have a better chance of one being happy when the others are sulking.)

Keep them away from all sorts of artificial heating-- registers, radiators, space heaters, wood stoves, etc. They like cool at night, and not too much humidity.

If you can do all that you'll get some herbs. Back when I was apartment-bound I pretty much treated them like potted flowering "gift" plants-- expected them to die off and was pleased if they lasted. I'd go through three or four pots a year of chives, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Still worth it, though, since a little 3" pot cost about the same as one bunch of fresh-cut herbs.

Good luck!

helpfully,
Bright

[Mind_your_head]

2. This is how I grow mine

http://www.aerogrow.com/

It's a little pricey (it seems at first), but this really works great! It's clean, really low-maintenance, and when you don't have a lot of natural light a really great solution. Right now I've got basil, chives, thyme, mint, dill, and parsley growing in mine.

[Mind_your_head]

3. delete - dupe

[Gormy Cuss]

4. Buy a grow light.

If you can find a full spectrum bulb and a small lamp that should be enough light to compensate for weak natural sunlight.
My place in Slummerville was on the first floor surrounded by three story houses yet I was able to grow herbs quite well. Never tried rosemary but I grew basil, parsley, cilantro, chives and marjoram. I had an inexpensive grow lamp that I purchased in CVS. It was gooseneck lamp size with an oversized full spectrum bulb. I had it on a timer, running from about 4:00 or 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM.

[bicentennial_baby]

5. Sweet, thank you muchly!

:pals: