Organic Herbal Gardening On Balconies And Windowsills • 08.20.09
Having an organic herbal garden is a pleasant way to have an always-ready, fresh supply of delicious kitchen supplies at the ready. Your guests and family will be impressed by the fresh herbs, as well as the beautiful effect of the plants growing on your balcony or in your kitchen.
Organic herbal gardening in the house has certain advantages over outdoors growing. You are much less season-dependent, and you can have a plot of plants that is just the size you need it to be within constant reach of your kitchen.
There are very few herbs that cannot be grown organically indoors, so rather than thinking about herbs to avoid you should focus on the plants that will go well together. It is great to have an organic garden theme!
If you are partial to herbal teas, your organic herbal gardening efforts could focus on suitable herbs for tea-making, such as catnip, lemon grass, chamomile, lavender, mint, and peppermint. You can then mix these with organic tea or use them by themselves to make your mornings and afternoons more pleasant.
Another important consideration for your organic herbal gardening plan is the kind of containers that you will employ. You will want to choose pots according to the specific herbs you intend to grow, as some are not suitable for small pots.
It is generally better to choose slightly larger pots, since as a result you will end up with more of the same herb and will thus be able to use it more often. Forget about any tiny pots you may find in a supermarket, and start on the right footing with dome decent containers acquired from a specialist gardening shop.
Container size is important, so begin with those that are a bit larger than those in which the live nursery plants were purchased. This will give your plants room to start growing. Once your herbs are stabilized and growing well, transplant them into larger containers. This is important to ensure growth and so that nutrients make it from the soil into the plant.
Concerning extra soil and fertilizer, you should make sure that only organic earth and additives are used for your herbs. This will ensure better quality, flavor and health benefits, with little effect on the cost of growing your herbal garden.
In many cases, indoors organic herbal gardening will need lighting. This is especially important for year-round indoor gardens, especially if your growing area is not sunny. Dissimilar plants have diverse light requirements, some need bright sun and others want shade. Most herbs grow better in full sun, but there are exceptions, so learn what each of your herbs needs. Depending on your circumstances, you may want to acquire some purpose-made electric grow lights
If you give it a start, you will quickly find that organic herbal gardening is a pleasant and engrossing hobby, as well as a very handy one. It’s not hard, and with a minimum of effort your cooking will end up being much more flavorsome.

