How to Successfully Grow Basil Indoors
Growing basil indoors is a simple and obvious way to enjoy basil all year round. But even though basil remains one of the easier herbs, others are not so successful. And if you’re one of them, here are some common growing mistakes that could be the reason why your plant is not thriving as it should be.
1. A windowsill might be the perfect place to grow it indoors. But many tend to overlook that cold drafts come from the window especially during cool season. Basil is very sensitive to cold.
Solution: Move basil to a warmer place in the room during evenings, when cold drafts are likely to come.
2. Stale air or thick air, which is prevalent in enclosed areas, is also not good for growing basil. It needs light, circulating air.
Solution: Provide good ventilation by running a slow-moving fan where you place your basil.
3. Basil enjoys lots of light, six to eight hours a day. Again, windowsill is the obvious place to get lots of light inside the house. However, the direction in which the window is facing dictates how much light is available. South-facing windows receive the highest amount of sunlight, East and West, moderate sun and North, low sun.
4. There is also such a thing as exposing your basil to too much sun. This happens when you left your basil baking under the sun for more than eight hours a day.
Solution: Avoid this by placing basil in a partly shaded area after it has been exposed to the sun for six hours.
5. A well-draining soil is just as important as a rich soil.
Solution: Add a layer of gravel to the bottom of your growing pot to ensure proper soil drainage. This is of course, after you’ve made sure that you have adequate drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
6. Like with the sun, there is also such a thing as over-watering. And this is the most common crime committed against herbs like basil.
Solution: Water only when the soil feels dry to the touch. The best way to water is by immersing it in a tub full of water, up to the brim of the pot. If pot is too big, just pour water at the base of the plant. Avoid sprinkling water over the plant.
7. Flowers are supposed to be good right? Well, not exactly for your basil. Once they bloom, they will begin to seed and seeding is fulfilling it’s life ultimate purpose. After that, it will stop growing leaves and will eventually die. Also, once basil starts to bloom, its flavor weakens.
Solution: This isn’t really a problem if you’re goal is to produce basil seeds. But if you hadn’t have enough of your basil and still wants to enjoy using the herb, pinch off all its flowers. This will trick the plants that it’s job is not yet done and will keep on growing leaves. On some instances, you may have to wait for a week before its flavor returns. Pruning leaves while deadheading will be help encourage it to grow more leaves and develop a strong flavor faster.
If you have more than basil leaves that you need, you can store them for future use. Check this post on how to harvest and preserve herbs for some tips on how you can store your basil herbs. Or check out this link if you want more in-depth information on how you can grow basically any herbs.
Different Types of the Lavender Herb
Lavender herb is famous for its scent and I love it especially when it’s coming from my own home herb garden. It is often used for perfumes, lotions, essential and massage oils, potpourri and other fragrant products. It’s also known to have a calming and sleep-inducing effect, whether drank as a tea or as an aromatherapy product used during bedtime.
It is difficult to grow lavender from seed, if you want to grow one in your garden. It is usually easier if you grow this from plant cuttings or root divisions, and plant in a moist and well-drained soil. Although they love sun as a matured plant, young lavender needs protection from the sun before the time that it’s ok to transfer it to the garden. Don’t overwater, lavender doesn’t like too much water. During the first year and when the first blooms are shooting off, cut the flower shoots to encourage it to become more bushy. Once it reached is mature stage, regular pruning and deadheading will keep it growing nicely. Harvest lavender during its peak season, usually at the end of summer.
Three most popular varieties of Lavender herb are the English, Spanish and French Lavender:
English Lavender, botanically known as Lavendula angustifolia, is the most popular lavender variety. This is what you’ll normally see in photos. The herb plant grows up to three feet tall and produces purplish blooms. Although, there are other sub-varieties that are smaller and comes in different colors such as white, pink, and blue-lavender. English lavender has a very strong fragrance and is most commonly used in many aromatherapy products.
Spanish Lavender, botanically known as Lavendula stoechus, is a smaller variety that grows to one and a half to two feet. This variety grows best in humid and warm regions and produces pine-cone –shaped flowers in deep purple. Bees love Spanish Lavender and it is said that ancient Greeks and Romans used Spanish Lavenders for their baths.
French Lavender, botanically known as Lavendula dententa, is a cousin of English Lavender, although its flowers have a milder scent and the colors are not as vivid. This herb also grows to three feet in height and you can distinguish it from the other Lavenders by its serrated leaves. It’s popularly used as a decorative plant in landscaping.
Other tips:
Commercial lavender are labeled as true lavender, spike lavender and lavandin:
- True lavender has crooked stems, short and narrow leaves, and barrel-shaped flowers. This is the most fragrant type and is commonly used for aromatherapy.
- Spike lavender is the bushy type and grows spike. This yields the highest amounts of essential oils.
- Lavandin is a cross of true and spike lavenders. It has vibrantly colored flowers and is often used as part of decorative accents or potpourris.
If you want more information on lavender and how to grow each types, click here.
