Indoor Herb Gardening Sub Title Mary Beth Culver

Indoor Herb Gardening Sub Title Mary Beth Culver, Gul Behsudi, and Sid Abel Howard Co. , 2013 XX@sss. sls

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 2

What you will take away from today v How to successfully grow herbs indoors v v Cultivation Soils/Growing medium Nutritional needs Insects and disease control v Herbs to grow indoors v Harvesting your bounty v Sources of Information

Herbs Plants valued for their flavor, fragrance, medicinal and insecticidal qualities or economic or industrial use, or in the case of dyes, for the pigments they provide

History “An herb is the friend of physicians and the praise of cooks. ” – Charlemagne v Lascaux cave paintings depict herbs dating back perhaps as much as 25, 000 years! v Referenced in Indian, Chinese and Egyptian writings for medicinal uses v In the Middle Ages, herbs were uses to preserve meat, mask odors, and were associated with witchcraft and paganism v First accounts of food use or in cooking date back to the Romans

Why Grow Herbs? v Easily grown indoors or outdoors, in pots or in the garden v Very little space is needed v Few pests or diseases v Rewards are tangible

Indoor Container Cultivation v Types of plants: – Annuals – Biennials – Perennials v Grown from: – Seeds – Cuttings – Division of roots v. Well drained growing medium using soilless mix and compost or Leafgro

Indoor Container Cultivation v Prefer full sun or under grow lights – 6 or more hours of sun daily – Under lights, 14 -16 hours under T-5 fluorescent lights (more expensive than T-8 lights, 2 -3 times the output) v Fertilize sparingly with a slow release form, if at all v Water requirements depend on indoor environment and location

Soils v The right mixture: 50% compost and 50% soilless potting mix, OR… – 30% Topsoil (weedless commercial) – 30% Compost – 30% Peat Moss – 10% Perlite v Test soil p. H – 6. 0 -6. 5 is optimal

Indoor Nutritional Needs v Fertilizer: seedlings will require an initial small dose v Plants should be fed about every 2 weeks v Most sources recommend natural or organic – follow the label v Water when the soil feels dry to the touch – don’t drown them!

Insects and Disease v Less susceptible possibly because of their fragrance and flavors v Major insects: Aphids Whiteflies Mites Slugs

Control of Diseases and Insects v A healthy growing environment is important to control insects and especially diseases v Mechanical control – preferred for light insect infestation v Chemical control of insects: – Home Remedies - insecticidal soap, Neem oil, lemon or vinegar spray – Registered pesticides - Safer’s Insecticidal Soap and Eco. Blend Organic Insecticidal Soap

Ideal Indoor Herbs v Most any herb can be grown indoors, good light, water and the right nourishment are key v Food Favorites: Sweet basil Chives Cilantro Dill Oregano Sage v Aromatic Favorites: Lavender Chamomile Mint Parsley Thyme Aloe vera

Harvesting and Preserving Highlights Harvesting: • Flowers – Pick as they fully open • Seeds – Fully ripe (no green showing) • Leaves – depends on the species Preserving: • Freezing – Rinse well, pat dry, cut into small pieces and place on waxed paper or ice cube tray wrapped in freezer bags. Drying: • Similar to dehydrator directions; bundle stems removing leaves near base, secure with elastic band, hang in dark cool location.

References • https: //www. herbsociety. org/herbs/documents/Beginners. Herb Garden_pdf. pdf • http: //www. nal. usda. gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb 9606. htm • http: //www. wvu. edu/~agexten/hortcult/herbs/ne 208 hrb. htm • http: //www. coopext. colostate. edu/boulder/horticulture/pdf/Ye ar-Round%20 herb%20 Garden. pdf • www. extension. umd. edu/hgic (search HG #600)

References • http: //www. caes. uga. edu/publications/pub. Detail. cfm? pk_id=7751 • http: //clark. wsu. edu/volunteer/mg/gm_tips/Herbs. html • Herb gardening from ground up , 2012 by Sal Gilbert and Larry Sheehan • Homegrown herbs, 2011 by Tammi Hartung • Beautiful easy herbs, 1997 by Laurence Sombke

Resources • Grow it! Eat it!- http: //extension. umd. edu/growit – Access to valuable and practical gardening tips and information. Share your experiences in our blog. • Maryland Master Gardener Programhttp: //extension. umd. edu/mg – Consider becoming a MG volunteer • Home and Garden Information Centerhttp: //extenstion. umd. edu/hgic – Can answer your gardening questions… – Call the “hotline” Mon-Fri, 8 am-1 pm. 1 -800 -342 -2507 – Send questions and photos 24/7 through this web site for a quick and thorough answer.

This program was brought to you by Maryland Master Garden Program Howard County University of Maryland Extension