Want to grow my own herbs - any tips?

Faust7

Hi there,

Apologies if this isn't the right place to post about it. I've always wanted to grow my own herbs and vegetables, but have never lived anywhere with a garden. (Sad, I know!)

I'd like to try growing herbs on my windowsill - well, technically I don't have a windowsill, it's more of a big floor-to-ceiling window that opens onto a railing, so no balcony space either and there's no window in the kitchen.

Can I still start a herb garden? For instance on a table next to the window? What would you recommend / what are the easiest herbs to grow for a beginner?

Thanks! :j

MallyGirl

start with the ones you like.

good light is important but watch that the window doesn't turn into a big magnifying glass and fry your herbs to a crisp.
It is a bit late to start from seed so a trip to the garden centre to see what is there. Coriander tends to go to seed quite quickly but is still good up to that point - I am growing a cut and come again version but it is early days.
Cut and come again salad mixes are good. I would get thyme, basil, mint, sage.

VfM4meplse

Of course you can, and summer is a great time to start! It's one of my seasonal pleasures.

Find a spot that gets plenty of sunlight, keep them well watered and you will find they grow without much attention. Some, such as mint and rosemary are quite hardy and will appear year after year even if left outside; others like basil and coriander are more delicate. Mint has a habit of taking over, so make sure that's in a separate area / pot.

I wouldn't bother with seeds, ready made pots are available YS at supermarkets in the evening, but it can be luck of the draw. My mum has a south facing kitchen window, so the chilli plant I bought YS for just 29p has thrived. I would have killed it without effort

DigForVictory

Dear Gods, Yes!

Short term, nip to the supermarket & see if they're doing any real herbs in real earth cheapish (Asda were doing 3 for £5 - rosemary, thyme, sage & oregano were among the ones I bought) - you want real earth not the hydroponics jobs. A plastic trough from the gardening bit of a pound store or something nicer if you can find one you are prepared to pay that much extra for, a bag of compost to fill in gaps & boom, one ready to roll herb garden - regular watering recommended.

Not the most MSE, but largely slugproof and ready to chop into home cooking from day one.

Chives are coming into flower around now, (look a bit like this), and when they start showing seeds (looks a bit like this) then [where appropriate] ask if you can pick a couple of seed heads. Carry home in a paper bag or envelope, scatter on a patch of compost, water & wait. The pretty and edible weed of herbs!

Oregano & marjoram can be grown from seed (like chives just add extra patience & you can often sell or swap the strays you don't want/have space for) but can get big & bushy - splendid if you cook with them, awkward if you have to fight your way past them! Although batch cook spag bol & the entire plant can be hacked down to reconsider its ways for a bit.

Thyme tends to thrive on benign neglect but the leaves are small for the root space - depends on how much you appreciate fresh thyme in your cooking & if there's "spare" land like the margins of a carpark where it could quietly lurk & slowly expand.

Mint is a glorious thug - unless grown with its roots well confined, it'll try to overtake the universe. Do you get through mint sauce &/or mint juleps? If yes, give it a controlled space.

If no, stick to a collection of oreganos, chives & sages & not only will your cooking taste more fun, you'll have a lovely bunch of greenery to give friends who cook & also a sovereign helper against car sickness. A fat bunch of fresh herbs on the parcel shelf can stop our travel sicker from turning green, but your mileage may vary on that!
A good soil, good drainage, sufficient water and keeping them in sight means your herb patch can thrive for modest sums. The you start experimenting, asking for seeds for presents & suddenly even the bathroom becomes a growth area...

Slinky

If you search the net for 'pots for balcony railings' you'll find some you can clip over to grow stuff outside.

lucy_lemon

I feel like I'm in a similar situation - we don't have any windowsills at all in our flat! It drives me mad, as I would love to grow herbs/small vegetables. I haven't had much luck with herbs at all - our rooms are too shady for most of them I think. One plant I have loads of success with is a chilli plant. I bought it as a tiny plant from Poundland a couple of years ago, and it does really well on our kitchen table. I would def recommend trying one out!

theoretica

If you like cress that is very easy - and the fastest reward.

VfM4meplse

theoretica wrote: »

If you like cress that is very easy - and the fastest reward.

This reminds me of my brother, as a six year old he once came home from school and asked why my mum had put "flowers" in his sandwich.