How to Grow Herbs Indoors & Outdoors? (Pictures of Herbs in Containers)

Growing your herbs in containers is the ideal solution for having fresh herbs all year long, both indoors and out. Start your herbs in the spring, after the last frost, or start the seed indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. Keep the planted herb containers outdoors all summer, then in the fall, harden them off and move the containers indoors. You will enjoy fresh herbs for your culinary creations whenever you need them.

Instructions

Place an inch of pea rock in the bottom of each container. This will help with water drainage and keep the roots of your herbs from becoming soggy.

Fill the containers with a mixture of two parts commercial potting soil and one part clean sand, or one part each of potting soil, sand, and peat moss. This mixture will give your herb plants nutrients with adequate drainage. Proper drainage for herb plants is the most important factor in growing herbs successfully. Herbs do not grow well in soggy soil, and may ultimately die if the roots are allowed to stay in water-saturated soil too long.

Put established herb plants in the prepared containers, or sow your herb seeds onto the soil surface and lightly cover the seeds with soil. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, during germination.

Water your container herbs when the top of the soil feels dry. Usually, during the summer, one inch of water per week will satisfy your herbs. During the winter months when your herbs are either slow-growing, dormant, or inside, allow the soil to slightly dry out---feeling dry about one-half inch into the top soil---before thoroughly watering.

Fertilize your container herbs sparingly. Most herbs need additional feeding only every few months. Over-fertilizing will create an abundance of foliage and early flowering. When you do feed your herbs, use an all purpose liquid fertilizer or fish emulsion and follow the instructions on the label.

Keep your container herbs outdoors during the summer months. In early fall, move the containers to a shady location. After five to seven days, place the containers in your home for several hours, then move them back outside. Continue to acclimate your container herbs for an additional five to seven days using the indoor/outdoor method. After your herbs have "hardened off" you may permanently move the container herbs indoors for the winter.

Place your indoors container herbs in a location that will receive four to six hours of sunlight a day. That is the minimum light requirement for your herbs. It is advisable to supplement the sunlight with fluorescent lights or grow lights for and additional six to eight hours a day.

SOURCE(S) : http://www.ehow.com/how_7178603_grow-herbs-indoors-outdoors.html