help! why cant i grow herbs indoors?

[clairescanvas]

I wonder if anyone can help me, i live in a ground floor flat and a

very unfortunate not to have a garden.

I love cooking and gardening so i have been attempting to grow herb indoors.

I buy all my herbs already grown and put them by my windows within m kitchin and living room.

My Basil and Mint have grown beautifully and doubled in size however m rosemerry and greek basil although growing well for several months hav now seemed to have died on me, also my Tyme and Corriander never las longer then a month im confused as to what im doing wrong.

I water all of them almost every day...the basil in particular i onl water when it looks like it needs watering as im told these do not nee to be watered eveyday

-- clairescanvas

[David Hare-Scott]

It would help if describe more about how they died, what were the symptoms?

Do they all have a few hours of sunlight at least each day? These plants are not derived from the depths of a rainforest but from sun-blasted hillsides of the mediterranean, or similar.

Water them as appropriate for each plant. Mint loves water and grows best when damp. If it dries out it may live but not thrive. Rosemary OTOH hates wet feet. Its roots will rot if kept constantly wet, make sure its potting mix is free draining and let it dry out between watering. If you have bought one of those cute combination planters with many different herbs you will have trouble keeping them all happy unless they maker was smart enough to group the ones that like similar conditions together.

David

[Omelet]

Let the herb's soil dry out between waterings. Don't water every day.

Also, consider a grow-light. :-)

Hope this helps?

[hila]

down." -- Steve Rothstein- Hide quoted text -

rosemerry you Don't water every day - only 1 a week !

[clairescanvas]

well the plants that died seem to look like they dried out...but i

guessing i over watered the rosemerry.

whats your tips on growing healthy tyme? and corriander

-- clairescanvas

[jimnginger]

Tyme in my must be grown in full sun with not to dry but not wet either soil. I just light water it. Soil must be fast draining.It dies back in the winter and looks tacky until the warmer weather comes. Corriander goes very quickly to full seed stage in our warm weather and I don't even bother to grow it because of that. Buying cilanthro in the store is a better option for me. I cannot grow rosemary inside

- it needs full sun, its own growing area, regular but not too much watering or fast draining soil, and full sun. Given those conditions in So. Calif. it grows and flowers very easily. The bees love it when in bloom. I think so many growers sell the cut little pots of herbs to grow indoors but in reality, the only winners will be the grower and retailer. I home grower will NEVER get many of them to last except for "a little while." You have the false impression that they are doing well when they are in fact slowly dying from the time you bring them into your house. Best advise is to experiment, and keep growing those that do well and ignore those that die on you. I don't know of anyone who has kept a rosemary inside where it lived and could be used for seasoning. If you'all disagree, I'm sure you will write it down. Regards - Jim

[Green Fingers]

Oh yes, absolutely! Rosemary must have full sun and, like Lavender, kept on the dry side. I get my idea of how dry the Rosemary is when the Lavender leaves start to droop, then I give them only 60ml with some 3:1:6 (46) added. I grew both of these bushes from cuttings.

If you want additional information, see

is the absolute fundi on anything herbs in this country. You could also try

[Ann]

Green Fingers expounded:

Many people have asked how to overwinter Rosemary. A friend of mine, a fellow member of the New England Unit of the Herb Society of America, put this in our recent newsletter, the Pennyroyal Papers. I hope it helps someone :o)

Success with Rosemary by Deb Peterson

1. Rosemary can stay outside until the temps stay below 45°. It can withstand some frost (Don't let the pot freeze in the ground, though, so you can't dig it out).
2. Bring it into the coolest part of the house. Rosemary is happy with night time temperatures in the fifties or even the forties.
3. Give it as much light as possible.
4. A DRY ROSEMARY IS A DEAD ROSEMARY (not shouting, but emphasis). Don't let it dry out, but don't keep it too wet. Texas potting is the secret to this dilemma. (It is remarkable drought tolerant in the summer out in the garden) Texas potting is explained below.
5. If your rosemary should develop powdery mildew, spray lightly with a mixture of one tablespoon alcohol to a cup of water. Give it a chill outside on a warm winter day. Powdery mildew is due to a lack of air circulation.

****************************************************************************

Texas Potting:

You will need:

1. Steak or roast carving fork (2 prongs)
2. A bag of perlite.
3. Appropriate sized plastic pots.
4. A source for flame

Heat the steak fork and make a double row of holes around the bottom of the pot.

Make another row of holes just below the watering lip.

Put the perlite in the bottom of the pot to just cover the double holes around the bottom.

Pot up your plant with regular potting soil. Water well.

Put the potted plants in a water tight container and fill the container to any height to just above the bottom row of holes (this is a great way to leave plants when you travel).

The secret of this system is the upper row of holes. These holes supply air to the roots. Clay pots are porous and can be used without making air holes. If you use clay, put at least 2" of perlite in the bottom. This system also works well with cyclamens.