eaglewolf
February 9th, 2001, 10:40 PM
Transfered
Posted by mol
Ok. So how do we need to construct the box that will hold our herbs in an indoor herb garden. Lets take this whole thing step by step so we dont lose anyone...
Including me.
:D
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Posted by eaglewolf
There are many ways to create an indoor herb garden, but I will post the easiest methods for us, and go from there.
First, you must consider two important factors :
Lighting and available space.
Young herbs require alot of light to grow. Natural is best and free, and unless you live in a dungeon, readily available. If you DO live in a dungeon, it is best to wait until your herbs can be planted outside.
Moving the herbs around a lot is not good for them, so you want to consider the space you have available. Can you use this space for as long as it takes to get the herbs growing, or until they can be transplanted outside?
You will need the following supplies :
Seeds, cuttings or transplants (your choice)
Potting container (purchased or home made)
Soilless mix (inexpensive and best)
*If you do not have, or can not get, soilless mix you can use soil found outside. This is not the best route for starting because of harsh properties normally found in outdoor soils. If you do use soil from outside, try to remove all weed and grass roots before planting.
Container : Should be shallow and drainable (holes in the bottom). The container you choose should be about 3 inches high, but not more than 5 inches.
*If you are making your own, you can use any number of houshold wares. Old milk cartons, soda cans (if you tape the sharp edges). Anything which normally holds liquid can be used, as long as you can punch holes in the bottom. Please be careful when working with any sharp objects! Whether containers or tools to punch holes etc. BE CAREFUL!!
Fill your container with soiless mix (or outdoor soil). Moisten the soil with water to begin with.
*As a general rule, seeds should be planted about 3 times as deep as they are wide. As an example (only) if your seed is 1 inch wide at its widest point, you would plant it 3 inches deep. For larger seeds, you will want to soak them in water first, to soften the shell.
Plant the seed and cover with soil.
New seedlings need plenty of water, so be sure to keep them moist. Once planted, most seedlings will begin to emerge in about 7 days to two weeks. Once they emerge, it is best to fertilize the soil. I will go into this more later...
Hmmm, looks pretty easy. This is a good place to start. If you have questions, please ask away. It is hard to post everything, and I am sure to leave you with questions.
Just a quick note I forgot, new seedling generally need 3 to 4 square inches to grow in. Keep this in mind when planting the seeds. In addition, try to keep your plantings uniform, do not mix seeds in the same pot. Some seedlings grow well together, others are competative. It is best as a beginner, to just avoid this problem by not mixing.
More to come...
~ew
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Posted by belladonna23
I usually mix a little sand in with the soil, and it is recommended to put an inch or so of gravel at the bottom of the container to ensure good drainage.
I also usually mist my plants with water because a lot of moisture is absorbed by the leaves. While indoor plants tend to dry out more quikly than outdoor ones, I find it helpful to give them a thorough soaking every few of days as opposed to watering them every day. And keep in mind that some plants (rosemary for example) are particularly prone to root rot.
Feeding is important, but no one really wants to mulch indoors, do they? I've heard that kelp solutions are good fertilizer. I sometimes sprinkle a small amount of coffee grounds before watering my plants.
If you pick the flowers off, they won't go to seed. If you decide you want to dry some, you can hang the plant upside down in a paper bag and the leaves and seeds will fall into the bag as the plant dries out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by semele
Ok, so what about the little domes and bottoms at the store? are those good for indoor herbs? i ask because we do have a curious cat who would be in the box as soon as we turn our backs. Also what about all the incense we burn? Would it bother the plants? I mean, we burn a lot of it!!
As far as outdoors can the be put into a box and grow well outdoors or do they need to be planted into the ground??
I am so anxious to get started but have so many questions. We bought a bunch of seeds last night. Some basil, chamomile,dill, oregano....we grabbed a couple paks of everything they had. So I know we should plant them all seperate now, that was another question I had.
Thanks for the tips on drying them because that is mostly what we will be doling with them. Even bought us a rack to hold the herbs once we get them dried and ready to use. i did get some cilantro for cooking though as i love the stuff.
Keep the info coming...we need all the help we can get!
Semele
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by eaglewolf
>>Ok, so what about the little domes and bottoms at the store? are those good for indoor herbs
They can be perfect for indoor gardens, especially because they allow you to place herbs in different areas of the house, space allowing
>>Also what about all the incense we burn? Would it bother the plants?
We have never had a problem with this. Humidity is more of a factor than air quality.
>>As far as outdoors can the be put into a box and grow well outdoors or do they need to be planted into the ground??
Many wonderful gardens are spotted with planters of all kinds, though I suggest boxes or pots, rather than dome (or other indoor) planters.
>>I am so anxious to get started
As well you should be, gardening can be quite fulfilling and educational.
~ew
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by belladonna23
If you want to plant them outside, you can dig a hole big enough for the pot in the ground and bury it, pot and all. Or, you can set the pots on your patio. Then you can bring them back in before the frost!
Planting the herbs in their pots in your garden will keep pests out of your other plants. Sage and lemon grass, especially.
My cat used to love to eat my plants so I used to put a lot of them in hanging baskets. But I do think I've seen little plastic domes that you can use to keep your kitty from getting into them.
I haven't noticed the incense bothering my plants at all, and I burn lots of incense!!
I love cilantro too, and lemon grass. How would I go about growing rose hips? I drink a cup of rose hips tea every day for the vitamin C.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by eaglewolf
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How would I go about growing rose hips
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mmmm, rose hips...
I have many great tips for cultivating and harvesting rose hips. The best roses for growing hips are rugosas, though many of the "wild" roses are good as well.
Generally, the bigger the rose, the bigger the hip.
Let me know if you plant roses, or if you plan to do so. I can help you out in that department...
If you would just like the "skinny" on harvesting rose hips, let me know and I will post it.
~ew
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by belladonna23
Unfortunately, I live in an apartment building and don't think planting roses would be feasible at this juncture. Wish I could, though. **sighs dreamily**
Any tips you have on harvesting hips would be much appreciated. Where I will find them is another story...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by semele
Thanks for the tips guys! I think we will plant them after the weekend. May try some of the hanging basket variety to discourage the wildman from nibbling. I will have to search out the best window for them. It may be a good idea to set them out on the porch..or hang them rather as we have a neighborhood cat that our son feeds.
Semele
[Edited by eaglewolf on 02-10-2001 at 12:45 PM]
Posted by mol
Ok. So how do we need to construct the box that will hold our herbs in an indoor herb garden. Lets take this whole thing step by step so we dont lose anyone...
Including me.
:D
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by eaglewolf
There are many ways to create an indoor herb garden, but I will post the easiest methods for us, and go from there.
First, you must consider two important factors :
Lighting and available space.
Young herbs require alot of light to grow. Natural is best and free, and unless you live in a dungeon, readily available. If you DO live in a dungeon, it is best to wait until your herbs can be planted outside.
Moving the herbs around a lot is not good for them, so you want to consider the space you have available. Can you use this space for as long as it takes to get the herbs growing, or until they can be transplanted outside?
You will need the following supplies :
Seeds, cuttings or transplants (your choice)
Potting container (purchased or home made)
Soilless mix (inexpensive and best)
*If you do not have, or can not get, soilless mix you can use soil found outside. This is not the best route for starting because of harsh properties normally found in outdoor soils. If you do use soil from outside, try to remove all weed and grass roots before planting.
Container : Should be shallow and drainable (holes in the bottom). The container you choose should be about 3 inches high, but not more than 5 inches.
*If you are making your own, you can use any number of houshold wares. Old milk cartons, soda cans (if you tape the sharp edges). Anything which normally holds liquid can be used, as long as you can punch holes in the bottom. Please be careful when working with any sharp objects! Whether containers or tools to punch holes etc. BE CAREFUL!!
Fill your container with soiless mix (or outdoor soil). Moisten the soil with water to begin with.
*As a general rule, seeds should be planted about 3 times as deep as they are wide. As an example (only) if your seed is 1 inch wide at its widest point, you would plant it 3 inches deep. For larger seeds, you will want to soak them in water first, to soften the shell.
Plant the seed and cover with soil.
New seedlings need plenty of water, so be sure to keep them moist. Once planted, most seedlings will begin to emerge in about 7 days to two weeks. Once they emerge, it is best to fertilize the soil. I will go into this more later...
Hmmm, looks pretty easy. This is a good place to start. If you have questions, please ask away. It is hard to post everything, and I am sure to leave you with questions.
Just a quick note I forgot, new seedling generally need 3 to 4 square inches to grow in. Keep this in mind when planting the seeds. In addition, try to keep your plantings uniform, do not mix seeds in the same pot. Some seedlings grow well together, others are competative. It is best as a beginner, to just avoid this problem by not mixing.
More to come...
~ew
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by belladonna23
I usually mix a little sand in with the soil, and it is recommended to put an inch or so of gravel at the bottom of the container to ensure good drainage.
I also usually mist my plants with water because a lot of moisture is absorbed by the leaves. While indoor plants tend to dry out more quikly than outdoor ones, I find it helpful to give them a thorough soaking every few of days as opposed to watering them every day. And keep in mind that some plants (rosemary for example) are particularly prone to root rot.
Feeding is important, but no one really wants to mulch indoors, do they? I've heard that kelp solutions are good fertilizer. I sometimes sprinkle a small amount of coffee grounds before watering my plants.
If you pick the flowers off, they won't go to seed. If you decide you want to dry some, you can hang the plant upside down in a paper bag and the leaves and seeds will fall into the bag as the plant dries out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by semele
Ok, so what about the little domes and bottoms at the store? are those good for indoor herbs? i ask because we do have a curious cat who would be in the box as soon as we turn our backs. Also what about all the incense we burn? Would it bother the plants? I mean, we burn a lot of it!!
As far as outdoors can the be put into a box and grow well outdoors or do they need to be planted into the ground??
I am so anxious to get started but have so many questions. We bought a bunch of seeds last night. Some basil, chamomile,dill, oregano....we grabbed a couple paks of everything they had. So I know we should plant them all seperate now, that was another question I had.
Thanks for the tips on drying them because that is mostly what we will be doling with them. Even bought us a rack to hold the herbs once we get them dried and ready to use. i did get some cilantro for cooking though as i love the stuff.
Keep the info coming...we need all the help we can get!
Semele
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by eaglewolf
>>Ok, so what about the little domes and bottoms at the store? are those good for indoor herbs
They can be perfect for indoor gardens, especially because they allow you to place herbs in different areas of the house, space allowing
>>Also what about all the incense we burn? Would it bother the plants?
We have never had a problem with this. Humidity is more of a factor than air quality.
>>As far as outdoors can the be put into a box and grow well outdoors or do they need to be planted into the ground??
Many wonderful gardens are spotted with planters of all kinds, though I suggest boxes or pots, rather than dome (or other indoor) planters.
>>I am so anxious to get started
As well you should be, gardening can be quite fulfilling and educational.
~ew
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by belladonna23
If you want to plant them outside, you can dig a hole big enough for the pot in the ground and bury it, pot and all. Or, you can set the pots on your patio. Then you can bring them back in before the frost!
Planting the herbs in their pots in your garden will keep pests out of your other plants. Sage and lemon grass, especially.
My cat used to love to eat my plants so I used to put a lot of them in hanging baskets. But I do think I've seen little plastic domes that you can use to keep your kitty from getting into them.
I haven't noticed the incense bothering my plants at all, and I burn lots of incense!!
I love cilantro too, and lemon grass. How would I go about growing rose hips? I drink a cup of rose hips tea every day for the vitamin C.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by eaglewolf
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How would I go about growing rose hips
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mmmm, rose hips...
I have many great tips for cultivating and harvesting rose hips. The best roses for growing hips are rugosas, though many of the "wild" roses are good as well.
Generally, the bigger the rose, the bigger the hip.
Let me know if you plant roses, or if you plan to do so. I can help you out in that department...
If you would just like the "skinny" on harvesting rose hips, let me know and I will post it.
~ew
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by belladonna23
Unfortunately, I live in an apartment building and don't think planting roses would be feasible at this juncture. Wish I could, though. **sighs dreamily**
Any tips you have on harvesting hips would be much appreciated. Where I will find them is another story...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by semele
Thanks for the tips guys! I think we will plant them after the weekend. May try some of the hanging basket variety to discourage the wildman from nibbling. I will have to search out the best window for them. It may be a good idea to set them out on the porch..or hang them rather as we have a neighborhood cat that our son feeds.
Semele
[Edited by eaglewolf on 02-10-2001 at 12:45 PM]