Make a Window Sill Herb Garden

4 Parts:

To Plant a Window Sill Herb Garden You Will Need

To Plant a Window Sill Herb Garden

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How to grow herbs on the windowsill is a question that you'll hear a lot. People believe in many cases that herbs are far more difficult to grow than they really are. Every kitchen uses herbs of some variety of other and every cook must find them somewhere. From personal experience, we can tell you that fresh is best.

For the most part herbs are used in the kitchen as flavorings for dishes, but many herbs also serve home-remedy purposes. You probably have at least a few favorite herbs that you can't imagine not having around.

The only problem with herbs is that they can be expensive, and if you want them in fresh form instead of dried, they can go bad quickly if you buy them from the store.

A great solution to this is growing them at home. If you don't have a good spot in your yard for an herb garden, or the winter is coming on, you can always grow them on your windowsill.

If you've got herbs in your garden, a great solution is to pot them up and bring them inside for the winter. If you don't grow an herb garden outside, a miniature herb garden on a sunny window sill is the ideal solution to keeping fresh and healthful herbs in your kitchen and in your dishes.

1. 1
   Small herb plants or seeds

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   Herbs that you might consider which will do well on the windowsill include:

    

   1. Lavender
   2. Dill
   3. Chives
   4. Basil
   5. Marjoram
   6. Rosemary
   7. Thyme

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2. 2
   Potting Soil

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3. 3
   Pots or planter-box

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4. 4
   Gloves

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5. 5
   Garden trowel

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1. 1
   Choose the window you want your herbs in

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   Many people choose to grow their herbs in their kitchen window so that they are easily accessible. But, you do need to make sure you choose a window that has enough room for the herbs as well as a good amount of direct sunlight each day. A south window is usually ideal, but check the amount of sun in the room every day to be sure they get enough light.

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2. 2
   Decide what you want to plant the herbs in

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   Small pots are a common choice, since they can be moved easily if needed. But other people prefer to have one planter-box with all their herbs in it. Just make sure that each plant will have room to grow after you plant it.

   

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3. 3
   Buy the pots or planter-box, along with potting soil

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   You may want to buy a soil blend that has fertilizer in it in order to give your herbs a good start. Be sure that your pots are deep enough to get the root growth that the herbs will require.

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4. 4
   Get a good set of gloves for planting your herbs, and a small garden trowel if you feel you need one

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5. 5
   Buy your herbs or seeds

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   Some people grow their herbs from seeds, but with the availability of herbs that have already been started, this is a great way to go. With small plants you can start enjoying your herb garden immediately.

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6. 6
   Pull the small plants out of their temporary containers by giving the containers a gentle squeeze, then turning it upside down and giving the base of the plant a gentle pull

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7. 7
   Try to break up the ball of roots by working the clump apart with your fingers

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   If it is very bad, you may need to use your trowel or a knife to open up the bundle of roots a bit so they will be more likely to spread out. Do so carefully, so as not to damage the root system

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8. 8
   Place a scoop of dirt into a pot, and then place the herb in it

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   You want the base of the plant to sit a little below the rim of the pot. If using a box, put enough soil in it to hold the plants while you arrange them, and then finish filling with dirt.

   

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9. 9
   Give your new herb garden a little water, and you can now enjoy these beautiful fragrant plants

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   Soon you'll be able to use your favorite fresh herbs whenever you like.

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10. 10
    Give your herbs some time to settle in before you start harvesting them

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    Repotting plants can be traumatic for them, and sometimes they go into shock - leaving them looking a little wilted. Wait at least a few days to harvest if the plant looks healthy, or until it perks back up if it looks like it experienced some shock.

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• Make sure the plants have good drainage.
• Check to be sure that the tray or whatever is under the pots is sufficient and that when water drains off them it isn't going to ruin your windowsill.
• Be certain to rinse your herbs to clean them prior to using in your cooking.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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