City Garden

[classicnyer]

I would love to start growing my own herbs, but I live in a city and I don't have a yard. I do get a lot of sunlight through my window though (and that's a rare blessing in the city). Also, I've never really grown plants before and I'm a little paranoid that I might be really bad at it, haha! Still, spring is here, and I'd like to try...

Can anybody suggest a good starter plant for a newbie windowsill garden grower? Thanks.

 

[Hysssss-teria]

Chives for the Beginning Indoor Gardener

Classicnyer, many herbs lend themselves very well to indoor cultivation for the beginning gardener. Here’s an article that I wrote on growing chives year round in your special sunny spot indoors.

Chives are wonderful for flavoring a variety of dishes, like baked potatoes with sour cream, soups, salads, bagels and cream cheese, Latin and Asian foods, or anything else that you would put onions in.

Not at all fussy about their living conditions, chives are among the easiest of all plants to grow and maintain, even indoors. If you grow them inside during the winter, they can be transplanted in the garden as soon as you can work the soil in spring. But many people grow them indoors and enjoy the attractive clumps of grass-like leaves as potted plants, harvesting the tasty herbs year round. Once established, your chives will continue to produce for years to come.

Things You’ll Need
4” or 6” planting pot
Chive seeds
All-purpose potting mix
Liquid fertilizer or plant spikes

STEP 1
Fill the pot with soil to about ¼ to ½ inch from the top in March. Sprinkle the tiny black chive seeds onto the surface of the soil, and press them lightly into it.

STEP 2
Water very gently so that you don’t dislodge the seeds, and keep them uniformly moist until they’ve sprouted.

STEP 3
Set the pot in the brightest area of your home, but out of direct sunlight. The thin, grass-like seedlings will emerge in about 7-10 days.

STEP 4
Water the seedlings lightly when their soil begins to dry out. When they mature, feed your chives with an all-purpose liquid or fertilizer spikes every 4-6 weeks throughout the growing season.

STEP 5
Remove the purple flower heads when they begin to emerge late in the spring and in June or July if you are growing the chives strictly for eating. Blooming reduces the growth of new leaves. Use the blooms in salads or as garnishes, if you like.

STEP 6
Use scissors to harvest mature chives whenever you want them, beginning in July, or when they grow to about 6 inches tall, to promote tender new growth. Wait until then so that the young plants have had a chance to develop strong root systems. Start by cutting the outermost leaves, nearest the inside of the pot, and work your way inward. Trim off as little or as much as you wish, as long as you leave about 2 inches standing.

 

[jason]

You should be able to grow most herbs on the window sill, especially your typical kitchen herbs. Tomatoes and peppers may even grown inside. I've seen people here in Florida grow them in their garage during the winter months.

 

[classicnyer]

You know, I've never cooked with chives before, but maybe I should start, especially if they're easy to grow.

 

[misumaru15]

I will have to plant some. I think the kids will enjoy growing them. We have started a tomato plant from seeds.

 

[2Nature]

Some building have flat roofs where you can create a small garden, like ours has. But you need good neighbors to agree with this idea. In larger cities people are usually not that prone to giving up their space for this.

 

[dissn_it]

I have a rectangle shaped plant container that sits inside my kitchen window sill just for herbs. I would suggest trying to grow any type that you will also enjoy cooking with. I have chives, basil, thyme, sage, oregano and french tarragon in my planter right now. All of these are easy to grow and last year after year. They constantly trimmed back for cooking purposes, which helps them to grow more. If any of them do get out of control, I will trim them back and either freeze or dry them to preserve them. I love having my little kitchen herb garden, not only to cook with, but because it always smells so good in my house because of them. Best luck with yours!

 

[april222]

Thyme and basil both grow with relative ease. Have you considered an Aerogarden? I had a six plant Aerogarden and I was able to grow six different varieties that all grew into healthy plants. They required minimal care and were very space saving.

 

[shaunche]

Don't be afraid of being bad at it, it's easy! Do a little research and start growing. You should definitely harness the window sun to grow herbs. I grow herbs like basil, coriander and oregano through window sunlight.

 

[dashboardc33]

We live in the city as well and do not have a big yard. Since we love gardening we planted a small garden anyways. Just a few different seeds of many kinds of crops is perfect for us. This year they even started a community garden on our side of town. It will be perfect for us to pick out plot and plant a few more seeds in the community garden. I'd look in your town to see if there is a community garden close to you.

 

[classicnyer]

I use basil all the time, actually. I'll probably save a bit of money by growing that.

 

[konstantina]

I would start with something easier like parsley or basil. They grow easily, don't require much attention, and will also make your room smell nice and subtle. I wouldn't start with tomatoes and peppers as they will create a fuss, but the choice is yours. Do start it, though, it is a very good idea.