I would like to start growing some herbs indoors. I have a few window boxes and a grow light. I would like to plant 2 or 3 different herbs in 1 window box but need help selecting which ones to plant together. Is there a compatibility list somewhere that shows which herbs have similar nutrient and light needs etc. The window boxes are 3 feet long I was thinking of using 1 ft per type of herb. The seeds I curently have are Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Organo, Dill, Chives, Sage, Parsely and maybe Margoram. Any advice and would be helpful as this is my first attempt at an herb garden.
Sounds like a great way to grow some herbs. I think a good place to start with your decision as to what to grow together should include the size, growth habit (shrubby, sprawling, tall, etc) and hardiness of your plants as well as soil and light conditions. Two examples that come to mind would be rosemary and sage. Both these plants are perennials that get quite large and would do better in their own pots. That way they can be transplanted to larger pots as they grow and last for a long time.
If you still have questions don't hesitate to ask. Oh, and if you are going to purchase potting soil, I would recommend an organic one that does not have synthetic slow release fertilizer already in it. Most potting soils have a slow release fertilizer already mixed into them these days. Herbs respond well to organic fertilizers such as fish emulsion or fish emulsion mixed with seaweed. Too much fertilizer or too rich a soil will result in less flavor for your herbs.
Thanks for all the good info Newt, I'll be putting it to use this weekend. In regards to soil. I always liked the idea of mixing my own. And recently I have been looking at Organic recipes. For the herbs I am going with equal parts Perlite, Vermiculite, and Peatmoss with 10% worm castings and some thrive alive organic b1 additive. Later I'll probably move on to using some bat guano and increasing the amount of worm castings
"For the herbs I am going with equal parts Perlite, Vermiculite, and Peatmoss with 10% worm castings and some thrive alive organic b1 additive. Later I'll probably move on to using some bat guano and increasing the amount of worm castings"
Do be careful with too rich a soil mix and too many additives, even organic. Herbs taste best in a leaner soil, so go lightly with amendments and fertilizers.
Indoor herb gardening is a challenge, and I wouldn't feel like I failed if I couldn't get herbs to stay alive through winter on my windowsill - they're really meant for the outdoors! Still, there's no reason not to try. Newt is right about soil: nothing does in an herb plant faster than an overly-rich, moisture-laden medium. That goes for outdoors as well as in!
Also, I've had good luck growing rosemary in my garage through winter. There's plenty of light, but it's cool. The rosemary sort of semi-hibernates.
Last edited on Sat Jan 19th, 2008 04:14 pm by backyardgardener
