Posted on: July 30, 2007

Herb Kitsch In Your Kitchen

Make your taste buds dance and give your green thumb a workout with these homegrown kitchen delights

By Jeff Schnaufer
CTW Features

If you're the kind of cook who likes to experiment, consider growing your very own culinary lab in your kitchen.

Growing herbs on kitchen counters, windowsills or in other indoor locations reaps a healthy harvest of tantalizing tastes and many other unexpected pleasures.

"You get to smell them while growing, cutting and tasting," says Donna Frawley of Midland, Mich., who runs Frawley's Fine Herbary and is secretary for the International Herb Association. "You get to see how beautiful and varied different herbs are: The grayish foliage of the sage, the deep burgundy leaves of the Opal basil with beautiful pink flowers, the fern-like leaves of fennel. Or you can just brush against the leaves for a wonderful air freshener."

"Growing herbs is so easy," adds Cindy Meredith, a member of the Herb Association of Texas who runs the Herb Cottage outside of Hallettsville. "And you can grow herbs that are not readily available at your local grocery store."

These include various flavors of basil and thyme, such as lemon basil, Thai basil, lime basil, lemon thyme, Lavender thyme and French thyme.

But before rushing out to purchase your herbs or seeds to grow in your kitchen, there are a few things you should consider. For newcomers to growing an indoor herb garden, experts say the first step is to evaluate your tastes.

"People should grow what they really think they are going to use," says Meredith. "Grow three or four herbs that you know you like, and once you've got that down, try a couple you might like to experiment with."

Experts vary in opinion on what are the best herbs to grow in the kitchen. Meredith says the easiest ones to grow indoors are parsley, chives, rosemary, basil and oregano. Frawley suggests growing basil, thyme, chives, sage, oregano and any of the mints and rosemary. And Carole Miller, owner/operator of the Topmost Herb Farm in Coventry, Conn., recommends parsley, rosemary, scented geraniums, Lavender thyme, nasturtiums, Fernleaf dill and Greek oregano.

Meredith recommends purchasing your herbs from a nursery and avoiding kitchen herb kits sold at chain stores. The seeds from those kits, she says, are hard to germinate and the plants often outgrow the pots that come with the kit. Anytime of the year is appropriate to start your kitchen herb garden, although Miller points out that the summer sun is strongest and will provide more abundant growth.

Speaking of the sunshine, place your indoor herb garden in a spot where it receives plenty. Morning sun is preferable to afternoon sun. Six to eight hours of natural sunlight near a window is recommended. If Mother Nature tends to block sunlight during winter months, consider sunning your plants for 10 or more hours under an artificial "grow" light.

In choosing a spot for your herb garden, the amount of available space in your kitchen will be a factor, along with how many containers you choose to use.

"You don't want them to become root-bound, so you need to give them each their own pot so they don't outgrow them quickly or you can plant them in a bigger planter where you can combine herbs," says Meredith, who suggests using regular clay or terra cotta pots for indoors because they don't hold as much moisture.

Too much moisture, experts say, is the biggest mistake most people make in kitchen herb gardening. Over-watering can lead to root rot. To help avoid this, Frawley suggests mixing some sand, perlite or vermiculite into the soil, using a pot that has at least one drain hole in the bottom and placing the pot on pebbles so that they are above any setting water.

As for the frequency of watering, Miller suggests an occasional misting, while Meredith recommends letting the water drain out between waterings. The top few inches of soil should be dry before watering again. First-time gardeners should consider using a moisture meter.

Too much moisture can also lead to fungus gnats, which can infest your herbs. White fly may also be attracted to your herbs. Spraying your herbs with lightly soapy water can repel these pests, experts say.

When it comes to plant food, Meredith prefers an organic fish or seaweed-based liquid fertilizer, which she feeds her herbs once a month. Be careful not to overfeed, adds Frawley.

"Giving them too much (plant food) will make them grow faster, but not give them time to produce the oils that give them their characteristic flavors," Frawley says.

Harvest time comes quickly for many herbs, sometimes in as little as a month. And unlike most crops, you don't have to rush them onto the dining room table. You can take as much “thyme” as you need.

"Harvest the newest and most flavorful leaves from the top of the plant," suggests Miller. "Leaving several leaves behind assures that photosynthesis and the regeneration process can take place and begin new growth for future harvests."

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