I am on a quest to grow basil in my kitchen.
Last week, I did some research on starting from seed, growing indoors, and what kind of soil and accouterments the basil plants would need.
This week, I want to share with you some things I discovered at the store while purchasing seeds and soil. These days it's easier than ever to grow from seed, and to save a few dollars for cooking ingredients at the same time.
While it might be better to go to your local nursery to find what you're looking for, I went to Home Depot thinking that it's easy to navigate if you're new to gardening. It has the basic stuff you need and the employees can help you with general inquiries. Also, most suburbanites/urbanites like me live near a Home Depot.
There I found three different ways to start a windowsill garden.
The first, most traditional method is to find the individual parts you need to assemble the garden yourself:
a vessel
soil
seeds
organic fertilizer (if you can find it - the research I did recommended using fish emulsion as a fertilizer)
Optional, but useful:
a trowel
small watering can
This method allows the greatest flexibility in choosing what is right for your needs.
I found a long, narrow planter for my windowsill. If you're planning on a windowsill garden, it's a good idea to measure the width of your windowsill before heading out, as some planters could be too wide.
You can use any kind of planter you like - simple, plastic, ceramic, decorative - just make sure you see a drainage hole at the bottom!
There are many kinds of potting soils to choose from. I chose an organic potting mix that claims to be ideal for starting seeds and cuttings. I avoided Miracle-Gro as I've read that it contains ingredients that give your plants a hefty dose of nutrients that deplete over time. I'd rather have a more natural basil garden. It's not important to me to have fast-growing, enormous plants if it'll make things more difficult down the line.
Finally, seeds. I chose a basic packet of Italian basil because I want to use it for pesto and other sauce.
If you're growing indoors, make sure that the plants and seeds you buy are suitable for growing indoors. While many seedlings can be started indoors, they ought to be moved outside when they get big enough. I gather that most herbs are easily grown indoors.
Unfortunately I couldn't find the fish emulsion fertilizer at Home Depot. I guess I'll have to make a trip to the local nursery after all - but I can wait a few weeks until the seedlings grow up.
All in all, I spent about .00 on two bags of organic potting mix, a 24" plastic planter, and seeds. This is a great route to take when starting your own seeds because you can choose exactly what you want and you get the most bang for your buck. The drawback is the potential for mistakes. The good news is that self reliance means learning from your mistakes.
Seed Kits
There were also several indoor growing kits available, ranging from -. They include everything you need to get started - small planters, seed pellets, and instructions. Sometimes they include a plastic cover acting as a mini greenhouse to incubate your seedlings. You place the seed pellet in the planter, add some water, and then... voila.
I also found a strawberry growing kit in an attractive ceramic planter for about .
It was tempting to grab one of these little kits and go with it. They seem foolproof and you get many different herbs, like cilantro, oregano, chives, and sage without worrying about companion planting and thinning seedlings. The reason I didn't is because I personally don't want all of those different herbs. Some of them I never use. However if you use a lot of herbs in your kitchen and are a more adventurous cook, one of these growing kits is an easy and inexpensive option to get started.
A Bigger Investment
One really intriguing item is called the "Aerogarden," which is also at Home Depot. It's a small countertop hydroponics garden that uses seed pellets - I believe you also have the option of using your own seeds. You can grow an herb garden, strawberries, or a small tomato garden using this method.
My future mother-in-law ones one and so far, it's working. You set it up, fill it with water, turn on the lamp, and let it go. It seems like this would be a great idea if you travel a bit and can't tend to plants every single day, or if you don't have a sunny place for a garden. You can also see two Aerogardens in actions over at Viggies Veggies' blog.
I like the Aerogarden because you can choose what you want to plant if you want more or less of an herb or vegetable, so in that way it's quite versatile. It could also be a good way to get into hydroponic growing. You can grow all year round indoors. If I had more money I'd probably invest in this contraption. They're over 0.
So, these are a few different ways you can get started growing a small indoor herb garden. Hopefully one of them will work for you. It was much easier than I thought it would be to go out and pick up the supplies I needed, especially after doing the preliminary research. If I can do it, so can you!
