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Tag Archive for: Basil

Growing Joy with Maria Blog: Windowsill Gardening 101

July 11, 2023/in Blog, Bloom and Grow Radio

Are you interested in starting your own windowsill herb garden but have no outdoor space? In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know to create a thriving herb garden right on your windowsill.

This blog is inspired by Episode 22 of Growing Joy with Maria Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Marianne Garceau, the Associate Director of the Garden Shop at the New York Botanical Garden, to share her expertise on best practices for setting up and maintaining a windowsill herb garden.

 

How to Grow Herbs Indoors

Choosing the Right Window

The most important thing to consider when starting a windowsill herb garden is finding a window that receives at least six hours of sunlight per day. A southeast or southwest-facing window would be perfect for this.

If you don’t have a sunny window, you can always use artificial lighting (grow lights) to grow your herbs. This is a wonderful option for year-round growth.

Finding the Right Container

In order to grow successful herbs, you’ll need to choose the right container size. A 6-inch pot is recommended, but you’ll need to make sure your windowsill is wide enough to accommodate it. Check to see if your pot has a hole in the bottom to allow water to drain out; this is important since herbs don’t like “wet feet,” meaning they don’t like excess water sitting at the bottom of the pot.

Potting Mix

Optimal potting mix is crucial for your herb garden’s success. It’s best to use Espoma Organic Potting Mix to grow healthy herbs, as garden soil is too heavy for indoor planting. Its all-natural, organic composition promotes excellent drainage, ensuring your herbs won’t sit in excess water.

Caring for Your Herbs

Once you set your herbs up for success with high-quality potting mix and pots with drainage, it’s time to nurture them as they grow. Water them thoroughly, but not frequently. Avoid overwatering by allowing the top centimeter of the soil to dry out. The remaining soil should stay relatively moist without drying out fully.

Plant Pruning

Pruning is essential to achieving a bountiful harvest of herbs throughout the season. When you prune a plant, it triggers growth hormones that allow the plant to grow bushier and more full in shape. Make sure to only prune up to a third of the plant at one time. When snipping, cut right above the leaves to encourage new growth.

Harvesting Herbs

Herbs are best when fresh, so cut them right before you’re ready to use them, and apply the guidelines stated above. Never harvest more than one-third of the plant at a time.

Common Mistakes

The biggest mistake people make when caring for indoor herbs is overwatering or not allowing enough sunlight to reach the plants. Overwatering can lead to fungus gnats and yellow leaves, while lack of sunlight can cause the plant to stop growing or get leggy.

Recommended Herbs

An ideal choice for budding indoor gardeners is Mint. You can enjoy the delightful taste and scent of peppermint, spearmint, orange mint, pineapple mint, and even mojito mint. Mint is a fast grower and can be used in cocktails, salad dressings, and so many other recipes.

Newbie growers might also find joy in nurturing basil, the queen of the herb garden. As long as it has the light it needs, basil can flourish on a windowsill, and the scent is incredible!

Oregano is another great herb to grow indoors and can even serve as a cute trailing houseplant, adding a touch of green and dimension to your living space.

*****

Starting a windowsill herb garden is both an easy and enjoyable activity. Before long, your windowsills could become tiny farms, rich with nutritious greenery, personality, and—most importantly—future caprese salads! With sunlight, appropriate pots, regular maintenance, and the helpful addition of Espoma products, you’ll be harvesting fresh herbs in no time.

 

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https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Espoma-Windowsill-Herb-Gardening.png 1080 1080 Matt Dauphinais https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.png Matt Dauphinais2023-07-11 13:06:442024-10-01 13:28:40Growing Joy with Maria Blog: Windowsill Gardening 101

Use These Garden Staples to Avoid Being Bugged at Your Next Barbecue

May 28, 2020/in Fruits & Vegetables - None

With Memorial Day in the rearview, summer is officially here once again — and while we wish that meant nothing but sunshine and barbecues, bugs seem to always make an appearance this time of year. But did you know there are ways to avoid getting bitten and bugged every time you want to relax outside?

The fragrance of certain plants can actually block the receptors insects use to find us. It’s just another great reason to get a garden going in your backyard, around your patio, or anywhere you like to enjoy fresh air. All you really need to sustain these helpful plants is some good starter fertilizer like Espoma’s organic Bio-tone Starter Plus and to make sure they’re fed every two to four weeks with Grow! to ensure they get the proper nutrients.

So, if you’re getting some unwanted guests during those summer cookouts, try planting some of these simple staples.

Lemon Grass

Did you know many mosquito repelling candles and sprays are made from citronella oil? Lemon grass naturally produces this ingredient and doubles as a beautiful grassy plant for walkways and around tables. Alternatively, you can plant it in its own pot and use it wherever your local mosquitos tend to congregate.

Other Lemon-Scented Plants

Similar to lemongrass, other plants that give off a strong citrus fragrance — like lemon-scent geraniums, lemon thyme, and lemon balm — work well to repel bugs. These plants use their fresh scent to keep their leaves from being eaten — and in turn can help you keep from being bitten.

Lavender

Despite lavender’s sweet smell being quite popular among people, most insects hate it. Keeping this plant near seating areas will help ward away mosquitos and other pesky flies. A great thing about this plant is that you can use it fresh or dried to get the job done — or even just use the extracted oil. This way you have different options on how you want to decorate while still keeping the pests at bay.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a great addition to your cookout. Throw a few sprigs on the grill as you’re cooking to release its fragrance into the air. It’ll smell wonderful to you and your family but make the bugs fly in the other direction.

Basil

Basil is another herb that will keep the mosquitos away. It’s also toxic to mosquito larvae, so placing this plant near water can help discourage mosquitoes from laying eggs.

Mint

Mint’s fragrance is great at repelling pests like ants, mosquitoes, and even mice. It’s also always a nice addition to any dish, so incorporating it into your barbecue can be beneficial in more ways than one.

Garlic

If cabbage moths are just as pesky as mosquitoes in your backyard, garlic can be your saving grace. When crushed, the garlic bulbs release allicin — an enzyme that produces that classic garlic smell. Your local pests will definitely not enjoy your garlic breath, so go ahead and use it up all weekend long.

Any and all of these plants can be used purely to keep the bugs away, but they’re also beautiful decor for your outdoor area. Be sure to keep up with them all season long in order to reap the benefits whenever your cookouts come around.

Here are some of our other blogs we thought you might enjoy.

BUG OFF – Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

Perk Up Summer Containers with Stunning Annuals

Growing Scrumptious Tomatoes in Easy Containers

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https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Basil.jpg 400 495 Danielle Kirschner https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.png Danielle Kirschner2020-05-28 13:39:152024-09-06 14:20:17Use These Garden Staples to Avoid Being Bugged at Your Next Barbecue
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