Guide
No garden or balcony? No problem! How to grow herbs indoors
by Darina Schweizer
I am the proud mum of Thym-Ian
14.6.2023
Translation: machine translated
A few days ago, I became a mother of three herbs. Here you can find out how the "pregnancy" of thyme, oregano and sage went in my living room and what complications there were.
"No garden or balcony, no problem: herbs also sprout indoors": When I read the title of my first Galaxus article, I have to laugh out loud. How easy I imagined my indoor herb garden experiment would be a month ago. But firstly, things turned out differently and secondly, than I thought.
Preparation with obstacles
The first complication arose after I had decided to become an herb mum. When the seed bags, the sowing soil and the clay pots arrived from our shop, I realised that, out of sheer anticipation, I had ordered pots with a diameter of four centimetres instead of 14 centimetres and had completely forgotten the saucers. "So be it", I thought to myself, placed a new order and dedicated myself to the "conception" a few days later.
Let's do it: the act of procreation
I carefully filled the thumb-width pots with a coffee spoon. Not an easy task, as the sowing and herb soil from Migros turned out to be coarse. Certain parts of the soil were wider than the pots themselves. "So be it", I said to myself again. I removed larger chunks of soil, dropped the thick sage seeds onto the soil and pressed them down lightly (because they need daylight to germinate).
"Now do the same with the oregano and thyme in green," I thought to myself and shook the sachet vigorously. However, I hadn't realised that the seeds of these herbs are many times smaller. So the contents of the bag emptied with a "whoosh" and my 4-centimetre pot was quickly covered in seeds. And what did I think?
"So be it."
After a drink of water, my plant children were ready to develop. Expected date of birth: in 8 to 10 days.
The pregnancy in 7 acts
Day 1
When do you think I first checked to see if anything was sprouting in my potty? Sure, on the first day. For the same reason you check your mobile: you don't want to miss anything. I noticed something in the first few hours after sowing: The soil dried insanely quickly in the mini pots.
Day 2
The next day, I was torn. Should I water or not? On the one hand, I knew that Mediterranean herbs like it dry. On the other hand, the soil seemed a bit dry. After some research, I realised that all seeds need to be kept moist in order to germinate, even the Mediterranean ones. However, it is important that there is no waterlogging. So I tipped a small amount of water into the pots and poured the water out of the saucers.
Days 3-5
In the days that followed, I repeated the procedure every day. But I wasn't entirely convinced of my approach. So I started sowing in three more pots at the same time and only watering every other day. Some of it had to work.
Day 6
I was slowly becoming impatient. Nothing was happening in my pots. I searched the internet again. I came across the following tip: you could cover pots with foil and poke holes in them. This would create an indoor greenhouse that would only need to be watered two to three times a week. Growth is also accelerated.
I thought it was worth a try. Even if it took me up to ten attempts and a whole tirade of swearing to stretch a rubber band with a tiny plastic film over a four-centimetre pot. Several slushies slapped me in the face.
Day 7
The low point of the herbal 'pregnancy'. I felt like a bitter raven mum - or herbal witch? - and had finally given up hope that my offspring would ever see the light of day. I was already thinking about what I would do differently the next time I sowed: Buy bigger pots? Different soil? Not put them in direct sunlight? Water more? Less?
A miracle of nature: the birth
And then, on the morning of the eighth day, it happened: the first sage sprout poked headfirst through the layer of soil. If pride were explosive, it would have blown my heart out of my chest
Source: Darina Schweizer
So now I'm a herb mum. I have learnt that growth requires patience. I have now removed the plastic film over the sprouts. If you leave it on for too long, there is a risk that the sprouts will grow too quickly and only become thin and long instead of sturdy.
The desire for privacy
In just a few days, sage, thyme and oregano will have their own "bedrooms". I will remove sprouts with a first pair of leaves from the soil with a thin wooden stick (pricking out) and place them individually in new pots. That way they won't interfere with each other's growth. At some point, all young plants have a desire for privacy.
Of course, I'll keep you posted on how my herbs are doing. In the meantime, I'd be surprised what you've already planted. What mistakes have you made? What tips do you have for sowing? Let me know in the comments.
Cover photo: Darina Schweizer
Darina Schweizer
Senior Editor
Darina.Schweizer@digitecgalaxus.chI like anything that has four legs or roots. The books I enjoy let me peer into the abyss of the human psyche. Unlike those wretched mountains that are forever blocking the view – especially of the sea. Lighthouses are a great place for getting some fresh air too, you know?
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