Herb garden in an apartment

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taunto
taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I use up alot of herbs (Mint, cilantro and chives to be specific along with some basil once in a while). The problem is that I don't always get to use them right after I buy them. I might have to use them after a week of buying them and by that time its starting to go bad.

So I was thinking about having like a small herb "garden" inside the apartment. More like few small pots with said herbs growing. Is it even possible or rather practical or should I just stick with buying the herbs directly? Never really have had much experience with gardening so I will research heavily but just wanted the opinions of more expert MFP users if its something worth looking at

Replies

  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
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    Depends on how good you are with plants. I am terrible and even aloe vera dies with me. But my sister has a few pots with herbs on the window sill in her kitchen. You can also put them outside on the balcony if you have one. Just get one of those plant holders you can put outside on the balcony with hooks, the plant's won't take up any space on the balcony directly.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    I've been thinking about a hydroponic garden for our house. You can grow herbs and veggies and stuff hydroponically and there is a superstore near my house.
  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 999 Member
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    im trying right now...

    But don't buy seeds, buy already sprouted plants...
    I have them on my window sill but we don't get so much direct sun light.. so we will have to see how it goes.

    I bought cilantro and basil yesterday.
  • braign
    braign Posts: 89
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    I'm trying out a little parsley plant and a chive plant. We live in an apartment and they're on the kitchen windowsill at the moment, and we'll move them to the balcony when it's warmer out. They grew pretty good but then stalled when the cold weather/clouds came through though :(

    Good luck! I'd always suggest trying something like that, it's awesome if it works and not too much expense if it doesn't!
  • bluemist248
    bluemist248 Posts: 207 Member
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    I have a pot of basil on my kitchen shelf near the window. I found it easier to buy it already grown and potted from the supermarket and keep that alive rather than grow it up from seeds. I have a bad history with live plants, they tend not to grow or I just accidentally kill them off. :laugh:

    Buying it in a pot lasts a lot longer and is much fresher than the herbs that come ready-picked in a packet so if you're not much of a green fingers buying ready-grown & potted could be the answer.
  • oharabears
    oharabears Posts: 85
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    Consider an Aerogarden! I love mine, especially in the cold, Ohio winter when I can have green stuff growing on my kitchen counter! : )
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
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    You've a few options. First off, keep the herbs you buy in water, just like you would flowers, but in the fridge.

    Secondly, Walmart/Kmart/etc sells ultra cheap kits for about 5 bucks to grow your own herbs. Out of two kits...i have 3 herbs growing..and I don't know what they are =P

    Third, you can just go to a local garden center and probably pick up some already grown.
    Place them on or near a windowsill and you are set.

    As others have said there is also this fun ...hydroponic stuff you can do if you have a ton of spare time (link to website with instructions http://our.windowfarms.org/ )
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,171 Member
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    i have one with like lettuce and herbs in it on the window sill
    its great :D
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    wow awesome! Thanks for the info everybody :)

    umm, quick question though. If I buy one of those tiny pots, how fast do the herbs grow? Like can I expect a bunch that they sell in the market a month or something out of those pots that can fit on your palm (Really hard for me to explain things, sorry )
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
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    I planted my herb thingie 3 months ago. One plant is about 3 inches tall...

    Not sure how fast the full grown plants grow
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Rosemary plants do well in pots (watch out they can grow big), and in the spring and summer the plant gives little blue flowers that are very decorative.

    You can cut some branches and bring them inside in a flower base to use when you need them. They last a long time in water and they help remove odor from the kitchen. You can also rub some leaves in your hand after handling fish or if you came in contact with bleach.

    They love the sun so they will do great outside but if you get snow during the winter, bring them inside in a sunny location.
    You can also "dry" the leaves and keep them in a zip lock bag in the fridge.

    I forgot to write that Rosemary is a perennial plant, which mean that they will not die with the change of season and of course they are great in soups and in chicken dishes.
  • miniberger
    miniberger Posts: 70 Member
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    I'm an avid gardener. (Just finished planting about 60 ft of brassicas.) Please feel free to friend me if you'd like some advice. Basil, parsley, cilantro all do really well in pots. The biggest challenge I have found is keeping them moist. Mint will do well anywhere.
  • Aineko
    Aineko Posts: 163
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    My partner loves growing herbs and we had some in our previous apartment. he is now thinking of setting up aquaponic system in our new place.

    I really don't know much about it, but if you have a window on the sunny side it could work. give it a try. :)
  • suzibanshee
    suzibanshee Posts: 62 Member
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    you can grow and regrow chives or green onions SO EASILY. all you do is cut off about an inch or two above the root part. put those in soil and water it. put it in a sunny window. they will keep growing. all you do is clip the green parts to use in your cooking.

    here is a youtube video that explains it:

    http://youtu.be/ikukXcmOJag

    PS. You can plant them about a half inch to an inch apart in a pot. The lady in the video planted them way too far apart.

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