DIY INDOOR HERB GARDEN

Did you know you can easily grow your own herbs at home?

Tips and tricks on how to create your own herb garden at home.

Here are 6 reasons why you should start today.

1. YOU’LL ENJOY THE SMELL OF THEM

Herbs naturally smell great as they grow. They add color, fragrance and beauty to any interior. Unlike flowers, growing herbs is a lot more purposeful. Try stroking your hands across herb’s leaves and you will smell them immediately.

2. THEY’LL ADD GREAT FLAVOR AND TASTE TO YOUR FOOD AND DRINKS

Herbs are very aromatic. By adding a few leaves into any dish, dressing, or drink you’re maximizing it to become a flavor bomb.

3. THEY’RE A LOT CHEAPER TO HARVEST THAN BUYING FRESH ONES EVERY WEEK

Just think about it for a minute. A bunch of organic cilantro or basil will cost you anywhere between $1-$2. For less than $3 you can buy a seed packet, plant it yourself and enjoy for a few months. You can also let them regrow on their own, re-plant into multiple pots and the cycle goes on.

4. YOU’RE REDUCING FOOD + PLASTIC WASTE

By growing your own herbs, you’re reducing eco-footprint and a lot of useless plastic consumptions. Many store bought herbs and plants are often times wrapped in plastic packaging/ plastic container. All of this can be simply avoided if you grown your own herbs at home.

5. THEY’LL HELP BRIGHTEN YOUR MOOD, REDUCE STRESS, AND CLEAN AIR TOO

Creating your own eco system at home and seeing it grow will slow you down, and allow you to appreciate the little things. Indoor plants also increase oxygen levels in the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen during photosynthesis. A positive effect of this increased oxygenation can be to improve our mood, energy, and mental focus. In fact, studies have found that when people were allowed to have indoor plants in their office space, their work performance improved!

6. YOU’LL LEARN A NEW SKILL

When herbs begin to sprout, you will feel satisfaction and excitement! Learning how to grow food from scratch will make you appreciate it more. You will feel connected to nature physically and spiritually.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO GET STARTED?

• Packaged seeds (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Seeds-of-Change-Cilantro-Slow-Bolt-Seeds-Pack-01728/202103541)
  I highly recommend staring with basil, cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, sage - these are easy to harvest. Opt for buying organic seeds so your herbs are organic too.

• Indoor Potting Soil (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Miracle-Gro-6-qt-Indoor-Potting-Soil-Mix-72776430/302692466)
  Pick an indoor potting soil, multipurpose.

• Planters
  To get started I suggest using small planters with a hole on the bottom. They will prevent your herbs from soaking in water which is crucial in the begging stages. You can lay them all together on a tray. Max 3-4 inch.

• Potting Tools (https://sageandsill.com/products/mini-garden-tool-set?variant=42453845082348&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2qq-7bng-QIVhB-tBh0mTAjPEAQYAyABEgINRvD_BwE)
  You’ll need a spade, shovel, and harrow.

• Water
  Regular tap water, semi cold

• Herb Tags
  I like tagging my herbs especially if i’m planting new herbs or flowers. Just so I can keep up with what is what.

• Gloves
  I prefer doing the messy parts while wearing gloves. Definitely saves your manicure.

GROWING CONDITIONS?

• LIGHT (Give potted indoor herbs a quarter-clockwise turn once a week to expose all sides of the plant equally to sunlight. This will encourage more even growth. Pick a window sill that has a few hours of direct sunlight everyday.)

• WATERING (Check with your fingers before watering. If it’s dry water them, if the soil is moist wait another day.)

• HUMIDITY (You can  boost humidity by placing pots on a pebble-filled, waterproof tray and allowing pots to drain into the tray when you water the plants.)

• TEMPERATURE (The ideal temperature is between 65F - 75F. Try to keep it in-between these two. If your room is too cold they probably won’t blossom as fast or at all. If it’s too hot they will burn.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start with an inch of soil on the bottom of your planter. Add a little bit of water until it turns into a wet mixture.

2. Check the back of your seed packet, for instructions. Each seed has directions on how deep in it should be placed.

3. Place seeds and harrow over them.

4. Add more water and and soil until it’s pretty wet.

5. Place your tag and that’s it!

6. Watch it grow.

HOW LONG IS THE PROCESS?

Honestly, each herb has its own growing cycle. It took me about 4-6 weeks to start seeing results. It depends highly on the growing conditions, season and water

For more info follow @sagebyhrnkova on IG/TikTok.

Michaela xo