Growing Basil Indoors During The Winter

By Steve M Adams

Many individuals hold out for the weather to become warmer prior to planting their vegetable garden. Nonetheless, there are a number of dedicated individuals who will be starting their herb gardens indoors this year. One consideration that must be made, when choosing what herbs to plant, is to be aware of which herbs grow effectively indoors. One good choice is basil.

Only a few herbs can be cultivated with success inside. This is generally either on account that there is not an adequate amount of light or the indoor temperature is not suitable for that specific plant. Basil is a great choice since it is fairly flexible when it comes to sunshine. It may not perform as well inside as outdoors but it is possible to grow. There are a number of gardeners who use artificial growing lights for growing herbs during the winter time. With technologies ever changing, grow lights have turned out to be increasingly more economical, meaning less heat output and less cost to operate. It is fairly inexpensive to buy a compact fluorescent grow light for use over a modest area of indoor garden. It is approximately 4 times more energy efficient compared to a typical incandescent light bulb. Furthermore a total spectrum lamp can carry a plant through the vegetative stage and its blooming stage without a problem. Most individuals should have the ability to grow basil even without artificial lighting, especially if they have a window which faces south. Placing a plant in this window will allow basil to get the longest amount of sunlight during the winter months.

Another caveat to growing indoors is that pots are not ideal for growing basil mainly because of drainage complications. Although basil needs to be watered regularly, it does not do well with standing water. Too much standing water could cause the plant to perish. The best method to avoid the problem of standing water is to make sure your container contains dirt that is good for drainage. Instead of using regular potting soil, try to find a rough potting mix at the nearby gardening store. The result of having excellent drainage usually means that your plant should be watered more often.

Many times herbs grown indoors do not receive enough nutrients when grown indoors. The soil that a plant grows in outside has the benefit of organic material making its way into the soil and breaking down into components that herbs can use as nutrients. This bioavailability does not exist with indoor plants. Consider fertilizing your herbs about once a month using a synthetic fertilizer at a reduced strength. This will help alleviate any issues with malnutrition.

Before growing basil inside, take into consideration the ambient room environment. Basil grows best in temperate environments. Make sure to keep the growing temperature as near to 72 degrees Fahrenheit as possible, at the very least. If you are putting your plant next to a window be sure there is no cold breeze that could hurt the herb. Basil is really resilient and reasonably easy to grow in the home as long as you employ these simple suggestions.

About the Author: Steve Adams is an avid gardener with 10 years of experience growing basil and other herbs. He uses his success at gardening to support his love of cooking.

Visit Steve’s website to learn more about growing basil indoors

.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=1388777&ca=Gardening