What better way to add freshness to your cooking than by using freshly picked spices and herbs? Many herbs can double as indoor plants and transform into savory condiments for your cooking once harvested. Below are some helpful tips for growing common herbs in right in your own kitchen . Scratch these off your shopping list forever!
Chives
These grass-like herbs can grow well on your kitchen windowsill due to their abundance in growth and little requirement for light. You can take part of an already sprouted plant (including the roots) and re-pot it into some soil, making sure that the roots are completely covered. Clip leaves from the top when harvesting to spur more growth.
Cilantro
Keep these fast-growing leaves in a pot of moist and well-drained soil. Unlike chives, cilantro grows best from seeds planted in soil as opposed to re-potting part of a grown plant. When planting, be sure to space seeds a few inches apart. Cilantro does not regrow once you harvest it, so it’s a good idea to have separate plants growing at different phases. Plant seeds every few weeks to always have your cilantro supply circulating throughout the seasons.
Lemongrass
This is perhaps the easiest herb to grow, and requires very little maintenance. Purchase a healthy lemongrass stalk with a full base at your local market. Clip the top of the stalk and place it in a cup with a few inches of water. The stalk will soon grow roots and sprout a handful of new shoots, no soil needed!
Oregano
This flavorful herb is a great option to keep in your kitchen to add a zesty spice to your dishes. Oregano grows well from seeds or from re-potted cuttings in well-drained soil. Be sure to place your oregano sprouts in a well-lit window where they can get six to eight hours of sunlight daily; the more sun, the more flavor! Oregano plants can last many months, but should be replaced when they develop a woody texture.
Parsley
If you’re like me, you love adding parsley to everything and anything! Keeping a small pot of fresh parsley in the kitchen is like a dream come true for us parsley lovers. So it will come as good news to hear that parsley thrives on being grown indoors. Plant seeds in rich soil, spacing them with a few inches in between. While these plants grow well indoors, you can keep a fluorescent light above them to help them grow faster. Once leaves are ready to harvest, clip them to stimulate more growth, which can continue for many months.
Peppermint
Peppermint is prolific in its growth and is usually an invasive species in many gardens, meaning it will have no problem growing in your kitchen. Simply plant a peppermint seed in some potted soil, give it a bit of water, and watch it sprout in no time! It can survive well in shady areas, but be sure to place it where it can get a small amount of light each day.
Sage
These fuzzy leaves make excellent additions to your spice garden. Sage can germinate well from seeds, but grows faster and healthier when propagated from cuttings of an established plant. This plant can grow tall when planted outdoors, so try growing dwarf sage if you’re planting it in a container.
For the best results, make sure to plant each herb in its own container, as some of these are invasive plants and may outgrow your other herbs. These herbs grow best in terracotta pots, and should be watered regularly. Lastly, if you are purchasing fully grown plants to propagate into your own pots, take care to purchase ones that haven’t been raised outside, as they might not react well to indoor temperatures. Happy growing!
What other herbs and spices do you grow in your home? Let us know in the comments!
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[Source: almanac.com, burpee.com, more.com, oregonlive.com]
