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Herb garden light

By: Julio Villanueva

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While growing herbs indoors is very handy, indeed, it does depend on large part on a delicate balance of soil, water and light. Discover just how crucial these three elements are.

ardening outdoors sounds great, doesn't it? But a bit more than you're willing to handle right now? I can totally understand that. If the lure of the fresh herbs is whispering your name, but your back is screaming enough already, then perhaps you should consider confining your initial foray into herbs to your home.

Actually, there are some advantages to this, not the least of which is growing a small group of herbs -- and maintaining their health. Your taste buds will thank you, the herbs of courses will thank you and your back will be grateful as well.
Perhaps you would rather start small - and indoors. Many people do. Many discover their love of herbs after they've grown several merely for practical purposes, never suspecting they would end up with a life long love of the plants.
If that's the case your kitchen herb garden may very well take the form of a window box full of plants or perhaps just a group of planters in your kitchen. Just because it's small though doesn't mean it should be thrown together without some basic forethought.

I see the light!

There's really only one catch to growing herbs -- especially in the initial stages. These plants crave -- and they really do need! -- ten to 12 hours of sunlight every day to thrive. And herbs do prefer natural light to artificial, hands down.
Before you make your final decision on what herbs to grow, take a good look at the sunlight that comes through your kitchen windows. This ultimately dictates which herbs you can grow. Got a southern or a western exposure? This means you've got a sunny, hot climate.

If your windowsills aren't wide enough to place containers on them, consider extending the sills. No you don't have to be a carpenter to do this. You can easily add a finished one- by six-inch board to the windowsill. You can easily secure this simply by screwing it into the existing board of the sill. If you just bring yourself to place screws in your sills, I understand.

Simple Guide to Successful Herb Gardening

Or you may want to consider looking purchasing one of the windowsill extenders that cat lovers use to ensure their felines have a nice view of the outdoors. You should be able to get several plants on one of these.
But if you don't want to do that, simply put shelving up in front of the window.
The only step left is to figure out which specific windows face which direction. This you'll need to know as an avid indoor gardener. Those windows on the south side of your home, for instance, are privy to the longest lasting and the brightest light.

This also means that this is the hottest portion of your home. But that doesn't mean every herb will want to live there. The more tender of your plants may burn with that much light.

More indirect light and much less heat come through the windows on the north side of your house. Light on the other two sides -- the east and the west -- offer bright light, yet, but nothing that can compete with that southern exposure. If you must put some flowers either in the west or east windows, choose west first. This direction will be warmer than the windows facing east.
And yes, you really should turn your plants once a week or so to allow the sunlight to reach all sides of the plant.

Artificial light.

If even on your best windows you can't give them that, then perhaps you should invest in a grow light. This form of lighting is relatively inexpensive and you can find them at just about nursery or discount stores and even hardware stores.

You'll want the artificial lights to be about 10 inches above the young herb starters. For more mature or larger plants, hang them about a foot to a foot and a half above the plants.

And yes, keep these lights on the plants about 10 hours a day. This simulates the time the sun would be shining on these guys.

Let there be light!

But what kind of light?

Talk to any three cultivators of indoor herbs and you're very likely to receive three very distinct and opinionated ideas when it comes to what kind of light to place above your herbs. You have basically two choices: fluorescent and high-intensity discharge light.

Let's talk about fluorescent lighting first. This kind is the most recognizable to us: you see them everywhere. They're usually long and thin. And believe it or not, at home.

Simple Guide to Successful Herb Gardening

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

JulioVillanueva is a herb garden expert and an avid herb gardening writer. For more great information on herb gardening, visit www.livelyherbgardens.com

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