by Vicky Josephino

Created on: November 20, 2009   Last Updated: November 21, 2009

For people living in the cities with small backyards for gardening purposes, the alternative is to plant and grow herbs in containers. This is very convenient for the hobbyist as it is easy to move the herbs around as the situation demands during their growth.

For the sunlight that the herbs grown this way need, the containers can just be brought outside the house when there is enough sun for them. Or you can have window boxes which have good exposure to the sun. As different kinds of herbs need different amounts of sunlight, put the types needing much sun in the window boxes which have sunlight available the whole day.

Those needing less sunlight may be placed in the window boxes that have sunlight only a limited time in a day. If the sunlight is insufficient, some people have opted in using grow lamps and fluorescent lamps.

Herbs grown in containers also need enough water for their growth. This is not difficult to provide as they are within easy reach of the water faucet and the grower can just sprinkle them with water regularly. As the container-grown herbs need more water than those planted on the ground, the grower must have a regular watering schedule for them to provide them the moisture they need. The watering though must not be overdone, as it will not be good for the herb plants too.

Another important ingredient in the growing of herbs in containers is the soil. The soil mixture ideal for the potted herbs is one part of coarse sand and two parts of sterilized potting soil, plus a supplement of some lime to sweeten the soil. Use one teaspoon of lime for every five inches soil thickness.

Planting herbs indoors is beneficial for hobbyists who cannot stay out long hours outdoors for one reason or another. It is also easy to do it as the area one moves around in is limited. And when the need for the herbs is there, like when one has to use some herbs for her cooking, she can just reach for them anytime.

With regards to herb types that are sensitive to temperature changes, they can be easily transferred indoors where the condition is better controlled by the grower. She can just leave the perennial types of herbs like mint, chives, and tarragon outdoors as they need the cold frost too for their growth.

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