Are you looking for a way to spruce up your apartment? A small herb garden is a great way to add decoration to your home without taking up a lot of space. With the added bonus of being able to eat what you grow. Though it can feel a bit overwhelming when you first start planning to make your own garden. Luckily, we’ve got a few easy steps for you to follow to get you started on your next indoor herb garden.
1) Herbs
Before you even begin grabbing all the items needed to make an herb garden, the first step is to know what you’re going to be using in your kitchen. There are plenty of great options to choose from and all of them will be perfect for your space if you’re willing to eat them. If you like mint, then grow mint. But if you don’t like cilantro, then don’t add it to the list of herbs you’ll be growing. Because that’s not only a waste of space, time, resources, it’s something that will never get eaten. Pick what you like.
2) Location
Now that you know what you want to grow, the next step is to choose where you’re going to put this new herb garden. You’re gonna need somewhere sunny, like a kitchen window. If you have the option of a southern-facing window, choose that. Though if it’s not viable, go with the brightest area. Placing the pots right on the windowsill is a great option, but a table butted to the window is a great spot too. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t have enough sunlight coming into your space. You can still grow the plants, just be prepared to add some additional lighting from a grow light.
3) Container
An important part of growing a container garden is picking the correct pot. It can be easy to think you can just choose whatever leftover glass jar you have lying around, but if you don’t set it up correctly it will lead to unhappy plants. Even picking a container that is too large can lead you down a bad road. So when deciding which pots you want to use, be sure to get ones with drainage holes in the bottom and are the correct size for what you want to grow.
4) Space
When you’re growing an herb garden, you want to make sure you have enough containers for all of the herbs you’re looking to grow. Your best option is to only grow one plant per pot to give it enough space to thrive and give the leafy goodness you’re looking for. On the flip side, you don’t want to choose a pot that is too big for the plant as the extra soil needed to fill the container will soak up the water needed to let the plant thrive.
5) Saucer
A very important, but often overlooked aspect of herb gardens is the saucer that the pot will sit on. This simple tray will catch all of the excess water the soil doesn’t immediately soak up during watering. Without it, you’ll have a big mess on your hands. But with that, also consider not getting a clay saucer that will soak up the water and make its own mess on your surfaces. It’s also important to throw that excess water out if the plant doesn’t soak it up after a while to avoid overwatering and root rot.
6) Soil
When you’re ready for the soil, there is a lot to choose from. But first and foremost, be sure to not pick the ground soil from outside. It isn’t a good match for indoor plants. Ground soil is too compact and doesn’t drain well enough for container gardening. As for the options at the store, it can be hard to know which one is best. For this project, you’re going to want something made for indoor plants that drain well. Look for the stuff called potting mix that has an aerator in it. It’s a lighter type of soil and is your best option when planting your herbs.
7) Water
Obviously, once your herbs are planted you’re going to need to water them. But it’s important to make sure you don’t over or underwater them. It may feel like you should water your plants every day or even every few days. But giving them too much water can lead to root rot and ultimately can kill your plants. The better option is to check in on your plants every couple of days to see how the soil feels. Stick a finger into the soil a couple of inches down, if the soil is dry then it’s time to water. And when it comes to giving the plant water, be sure to go slow. If you go too quickly all the water will drain out the bottom.
8) Fertilizer
Now that your plants are growing, the next thing to consider is fertilizing to get a full leafy green. There are many different options to choose from with a wide variety of differences. For herbs, you’re going to want a fertilizer that has a high nitrogen content to help more leaves grow as well as grow bigger. One option you might consider is fertilizers made from seaweed or fish-based.
Now that you know the steps, the next thing to do is start building your indoor herb garden for your apartment. Are you excited to start your garden? Head on over to the comments to let us know. And while you’re there, let us know what you’re going to plant first.
If you’re ready to call this beautiful state home, find your dream apartment here. While on your search for the best apartment for you, be sure to head on over to our post about six ways to save money while renting in Nevada.