Growing Herbs Indoors: Tricky, but Doable

When winter sets in, most gardeners long for the sights and scents of fresh herbs. They reward us with good looks, great flavors, and intoxicating scents. The winter garden is latent and all the herbs are sleeping until spring. But there is a way to have a modicum of fresh herbs growing indoors if you're willing to put a little work into it.

What usually survive on the table in the sunniest window in my home are scented geraniums, chives, parsley, and, sometimes, dill. There are articles all over the Internet that say that growing herbs indoors is easy. I'd say this is patently untrue. A few will make it; others will just peter out in a matter of weeks.

Most herbs don't like the indoor life. Herbs to forget about growing indoors in winter include basil, which is one of my favorites, but which requires plenty of bright summer sun and consistent warmth to survive. I've tried it. Many times. It's a no-go.

Lemon verbena also dislikes the indoors. My best bet with lemon verbena is to overwinter it in the root cellar or the unheated garage. Cut it back hard, place it where it's dark and cool, water about once a month, and it will likely make a comeback in spring.

Mints also dislike the home environment. That's the bad news. The good news is that even as the snow is piling up outside, the mints in your garden are sending off yards of rhizomes that will appear all over the place come spring, and you'll have plenty of mint again.

Rosemary? Forget it. An expatriate of the Mediterranean, rosemary will only thrive in full summer sun with fresh breezes all around. Indoors, it will soon desiccate. It's another herb to try overwintering in a root cellar or garage.

Chives tend to do well indoors, especially if they are purchased already established from a garden center or supermarket. Look for bright green foliage and thick, burly growth. Place in the sunniest window you can find, and it's almost a certain bet that you'll be able to snip fresh chives throughout winter for omelets and soups.

Growing herbs from seeds indoors is doubly tricky, so go for established plants. Chives will sometimes grow from seed in an extraordinarily sunny window, but will rarely reach full growth. Good thing supermarkets offer established plants in their produce sections this time of year.

No matter what herb you try to grow indoors in winter, you will notice a change in its appearance within weeks after bringing it in. Don't be alarmed: This is the natural response to decreased exposure to sun and warmth.

Plants show two kinds of leaves in response to strong or weak light. High-light leaves -those you'll have as the herbs bask in summer sun-are thick and strong. Low-light leaves, which you'll see as the herb adapts to life indoors, are thin and delicate. The plants' stems will become ghoulishly leggy.

Don't overwater indoor herbs. That will kill them in no time. Yellowing leaves are a sure sign that you're overwatering. Herbs like it dry anyway, even in summer. But indoors, where air circulation is poor, overwatering will certainly lead to fungus and pests and all manner of nasty things.

Some gardeners use supplemental light-fluorescent bulbs-to boost their herbs' indoor growth. I tried that. It made little difference. Herbs are smart. They know where they're supposed to live. So go with the sunny window, keep watering to a minimum, check frequently for aphids and other pests, provide as much warmth and fresh air as possible, and, like me, count the days until spring.

Barbara Douglas, M.A., MALS, is a UConn-certified master gardener and state-certified horticultural professional. She lectures, teaches workshops, and offers gardening and landscape services throughout the Connecticut shoreline. Email gardening questions to her at jnanayogagirl@att.net; visit her gardening blog at http://satoriinthegarden.blogspot.com; and find more of her columns in the Living section of your Zip06 homepage.