OT Herb Garden Indoors?

blasting

It seems more of what I'm doing these days calls for fresh herbs.  They are stupid expensive in the grocery store, and I only use a bit and end up throwing the rest away before I can use them up.  

I'm planning on starting an indoor herb garden, and was wondering if anyone here does this? (inside)  Any tips, books, websites you have found helpful would be much appreciated.  I've googled and searched this site already - thought this might be a useful topic for others as well. 

It has to be indoors in my case - I avoid outside like the plague in the summer (Phoenix), and from what I've read the heat would be hard on the herbs anyway.

I'm thinking Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Dill, Mint, Oregano, Sage, and Chives.

Edit - I have absolutely zero green thumb or interest in gardening.  So if this is a bunch of work once I have it set up, I'd very much welcome that input as well. 

Thanks everyone

Jeremiah

@Dredger would be the one to ask. If I remember right she had some really neat setups. 

northGAcock

blasting said:

It seems more of what I'm doing these days calls for fresh herbs.  They are stupid expensive in the grocery store, and I only use a bit and end up throwing the rest away before I can use them up.  

I'm planning on starting an indoor herb garden, and was wondering if anyone here does this? (inside)  Any tips, books, websites you have found helpful would be much appreciated.  I've googled and searched this site already - thought this might be a useful topic for others as well. 

It has to be indoors in my case - I avoid outside like the plague in the summer (Phoenix), and from what I've read the heat would be hard on the herbs anyway.

I'm thinking Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Dill, Mint, Oregano, Sage, and Chives.

Edit - I have absolutely zero green thumb or interest in gardening.  So if this is a bunch of work once I have it set up, I'd very much welcome that input as well. 

Thanks everyone

I have not grown indoors...however love my fresh herbs. I have grown successfully Rosemary, Basil and Oregano. Dill and Chives have been my nemesis. I am assuming that perhaps they are not as heat tolerant as the others. Never tried Thyme and Sage. Inside may be challenged by your sunlight....I know you have plenty of that....just not sure what each of them needs. Looking forward to seeing how they turn out for you. Go for greatness!

Killit_and_Grillit

Herbs are easy. They all need a little water and sunlight. My grandmother keeps hers in the kitchen window in TN so she doesn’t have to go outside in the summer. Just tosses them in little pots. 

Or or if you’re really serious about it you could always go with an isolated room and a grow light...but I can’t imagine that being cost efficient. 

All of those herbs can grow together, too. 

Just remember mint needs a more damp environment and not as much sun. 

northGAcock

Jeremiah said:

@Dredger would be the one to ask. If I remember right she had some really neat setups. 

Haven't seen or herd from her lately.  I had reached out to her via the forum back before BB III. Never got a response and have not seen her post in a while. Hope she is ok.

northGAcock

Killit_and_Grillit said:

Herbs are easy. They all need a little water and sunlight. My grandmother keeps hers in the kitchen window in TN so she doesn’t have to go outside in the summer. Just tosses them in little pots. 

Or or if you’re really serious about it you could always go with an isolated room and a grow light...but I can’t imagine that being cost efficient. 

All of those herbs can grow together, too. 

Just remember mint needs a more damp environment and not as much sun. 

Mint is extremely hardy. In fact growing outside, it can't be killed or controlled. (slight exaggeration but you get the point).

blasting

Killit_and_Grillit said:

Or or if you’re really serious about it you could always go with an isolated room and a grow light...

If I'm going grow room with special lights it would be for a more "elevated" crop, lol

Simple is good to hear, as this isn't really something I'm dying to do - I just want herbs on demand.

Thanks @Killit_and_Grillit @Jeremiah @northGAcock

Killit_and_Grillit

@northGAcock where I keep my herb garden by my shed it always looked terribly unhealthy. 

I moved it over to a shady spot where my water hose leaks a little so it’s always damp and the stuff will grow in pebbles with almost no dirt. It’s crazy. 

hoosier_egger

Last time I grew herb indoors, my electric bill went through the roof and I seemed to have helicopters flying overhead often...at night

MaskedMarvel

Keep the mint separate - it’s very invasive. Don’t plant it in the ground, for example...

as far as the rest go - hit Home Depot or Lowe’s for their 5 for $10 deal. Gets you started. Stick them all in a sunny kitchen window pot that drains barely, if at all. Water damage isn’t worth the cost. While you’re at the big box, grab seed packets for everything you bought a live plant.  Throw a few seeds in the window pot from time to time to keep those plants producing. 

Little snips in the junk drawer, and you’re good to go in nothing flat! Shouldn’t cost you $25...

northGAcock

ColtsFan said:

Last time I grew herb indoors, my electric bill went through the roof and I seemed to have helicopters flying overhead often...at night

You apparently weren't consuming them fast enough.

Carolina Q

I just buy potted herbs when I find them at the grocery store. Usually basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano. Right now, I have only thyme and basil. 

I put the plastic pots in a sheet pan on the window sill of a south facing bay window. And TRY to remember to water them!! They stay alive for a while, but they never seem to grow and I usually manage to kill them before using them up. I've found larger plants at real garden shops, but that just means that I lose even more when they die! 

jwc6160

I’m thinking of getting an aerogarden this winter. Seems pretty idiot proof. 

YukonRon

There are several set ups you can purchase for growing just about anything indoors. Within walking distance of my home, we have several hydroponic stores and indoor greenhouse set ups. Depending on the amount of use will give you the indication of ROI.
Around here in the "HIGHlands section of Louisville, folks have found many uses for growing herbs indoors.
They will set you up with what you need to raise whatever you want, in plant good, light intensity, space, etc.
Just find the store, they will be very helpful.

blasting

Thanks all.  Been researching since posting, and just got back from the greenhouse.  Pics to follow, but ya'll can now call me Herb.

RRP

Killit_and_Grillit said:

Or or if you’re really serious about it you could always go with an isolated room and a grow light...but I can’t imagine that being cost efficient. 

Years ago my wife grew African Violets as gifts. I rigged up a double tube neon lamp with grow lights on a timer. It was amazing how fast they grew. I bet the same would happen with some herbs.

Fast forward to now she only has 2 of the live ones and a very nice artificial one in a now windowless bathroom! 

BigGreenBean

Killit_and_Grillit said:

Or or if you’re really serious about it you could always go with an isolated room and a grow light...but I can’t imagine that being cost efficient. 

Don't you live in a college town?  Hmmmm.  

Indoor herbs are really hard.  We have about ten outside in our garden.  Work well there, but we're experienced gardeners.  Every time I've tried inside, it looked like they were poisoned in about a week.  They are delicate and temperamental, and they need SUN.  Good luck.  Wish you well.

blasting

BigGreenBean said:

Indoor herbs are really hard.  We have about ten outside in our garden.  Work well there, but we're experienced gardeners.  Every time I've tried inside, it looked like they were poisoned in about a week.  They are delicate and temperamental, and they need SUN.  Good luck.  Wish you well.

Thanks.  This doesn't sound promising - I am the opposite of experienced gardener.  Oh well, I'll give it a go.  I like projects like this.  Concept to completion in about 3 hours.

Here is what I ended up with.  Thyme, oregano, mint, sage, rosemary, dill, oregano, cilantro, basil, and a jalapeno plant

thetrim

Hydroponics are great for growing eeeerb. I mean herbs indoors.

Focker

I tried 4 herbs indoors, all failed.
I can grow aloe indoors like a champ.
And I'm an outdoor mint and hosta expert. 

Heard of people having bug issues indoors.  Mine didn't last that long.

Good luck brother.

JustOneOfTheGuys

Take a look at aerogarden from miracle grow.. we got two of the bounty elite to keep what we want in rotation... if we had the space, I would have gotten a farm or farm plus when on sale..  so far we can’t use all the herbs it produces.  Check out http://www.aerogarden.com/ as a point of research.  

GlennM

This is thyme, basil,rosemary and parsley in a pot on my deck. 

Jeremiah

JustOneOfTheGuys said:

Take a look at aerogarden from miracle grow.. we got two of the bounty elite to keep what we want in rotation... if we had the space, I would have gotten a farm or farm plus when on sale..  so far we can’t use all the herbs it produces.  Check out http://www.aerogarden.com/ as a point of research.  

Yeah that’s what dredger had. She showed a pic of like 5 of them in her house. Looks pretty neat. 

Legume

Rosemary won’t be any problem in the heat, you can plant that one outside easily.  That looks like an upright variety,  They can get big and I’ve had them do well in both partial shade and full Texas sun. 

gdenby

My experience w. growing anything indoors is that they become very spindly, even in a south facing window and a grow light overhead. But this is much more north than you are, and we live in a cloud belt. Do you have a room w. windows on at least 2 sides? Most plants need at least 8 hours of direct sunlight each day.

I suspect Mexican oregano, maybe even Greek oregano would do OK outside in Phoenix. Where I live they are like weeds, as is mint and chives. Doubt mint would work outside there, but chives and maybe wild garlic would. Possibly fennel.

Rosemary likes heat, and does pretty well in dry-ish climates. Basil also likes heat. You might be able to grow lots of what you want outdoors, assuming you want to use lots of water.

scdaf

Another shoutout to Aerogarden.  The new units are LED and consume very little electricity and are quite productive.  We have two of the larger units and they produce more than we can consume through the winter, then we transplant outdoors for the spring, summer and fall.

Sweet100s

Any advice for prevent algae growth in the Aerogarden?  It's ick and it almost always happens, even doing water exchanges every 2 weeks.  (I can't do it every week.  Not enough minutes in the week for that.) 

JustOneOfTheGuys

Sweet100s said:

Any advice for prevent algae growth in the Aerogarden?  It's ick and it almost always happens, even doing water exchanges every 2 weeks.  (I can't do it every week.  Not enough minutes in the week for that.) 

Next time you plant your new crop, clean out the water bowl with a mild bleach solution to kill the algae.  Just remember to rinse the heck out of it afterwards to eliminate all traces of the bleach before planting.