Many tea herbs grow well indoors. They may not reach the fullness or height
that they would outdoors as their container-bound roots are somewhat
dwarfed, but they can still provide beauty and an abundance of leaves for
making herbal teas.
Some tea herbs to grow indoors include:
Angelica, bay, borage, burnet, catnip, chamomile, dill, fennel, horehound,
jasmine, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, oregano,
basil, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tansy, tarragon, thyme, wintergreen,
sweet woodruff, and of course....scented geraniums!
Make sure you choose a spot where the plants will get plenty of sun, ideally
a south-facing window that gets light all day. If you don't have that,
you may have to use artificial plant lights, giving seedlings and plants
from 12 to 16 hours of artificial light each and every day.You can grow a
garden on a table next to a window, in a window greenhouse,
in hanging baskets, in a terrarium, on trays, in large window boxes and of
course in pots.
Make sure you use room temperature water. Take time to learn the herbs
habits and water accordingly. You should also provide enough humidity.
If your home is dry, as it tends to get during winter months, use a
humidifier in your home, or mist herbs daily, preferably early in the day
so that the herbs are dry when the light is no longer available. Some herbs
will adapt to the drier humidity of indoor growing...but some will not!
If an herb's leaves wither, check to see that it's getting enough, or too
much water, and enough light. If the leaves develop brown streaks...the
plant may be getting too much sun. A lot of us indoor gardeners think
insects or disease are causing leaves to wither, turn brown, or develop
crisp edges, but this may not be so. The plant may be getting too much
heat, or soil temperatures may be fluctuating too much.
Lifeless-looking leaves may be the result of too little water. Buds
dropping off usually indicate rapidly fluctuating temperatures. If
stems turn soft, the herb isn't getting enough sun, and it's probably
getting too much water.
Indoor Pests and Disease
Herbs growing indoors are fairly resistant to disease and insects, just as
they are outdoors. But, they DO get them.
Major indoor herb pests include aphids, mealybugs, mites, and white flies.
White flies love mints indoors! Insecticidal soaps, used to combat
outside pests, are also available in indoor formulas. They provide
effective insect control and are organic, they contain no substances
injurious to people or to pets!
When you buy herbs from the nursery this time of the year, especially in
colder zones, they may well have insects, so isolate them for your other
plants for up to a week.
Be sure to keep your plants trimmed. Trim just above the leaf buds, and
trim regularly rather than allowing plants to become too large and 'leggy',
which will require dramatic trimming, and can cause the plants to die of
shock caused by the imbalance between the roots and leaves! Believe
me....I speak from experience!
Indoor plants require careful monitoring because they depend on you for all
of their needs.
If you use the herbs as decorative centerpieces for your table or as welcome
fragrances in the bedroom or kitchen, be sure to alternate them so they are
not in the shade for more than a few days at a time.
This is all well worth the work! These herbs offer not only
beauty and fragrance close at hand, but a bountiful harvest of herbal teas
as well!
About the author:
Karen is an avid crafter and Master Gardener specializing in herbs. Karen and her husband maintain their gardens and backyard nature
habitats, as well as entertain guests. For more information about Karen's
herb, aromatherapy, gardening and other discussion lists visit Karen's
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