Growing herbs indoors will enhance winter meals

Just because we bid farewell to summer, we can still enjoy fresh herbs in our favorite recipes. Given what they need, many herbs can be grown indoors.

Purchase new plants. The journey inside is not easy for herbs that spent the summer outdoors. They suffer as they try to adjust to a new environment. Insects may also hitch a ride inside, and those pests are best left outdoors.

Plant herbs in a high-quality potting mix in containers slightly larger than the ones in which they were grown. Pots must have drainage holes. Most herbs suffer in soggy soil. After planting, water them generously and wait until the soil is dry before watering again. If leaves turn yellow, check the soil. This is often the first sign of too much water.

Herbs love sun. Set them in a sunny window that receives at least four hours - five or six is better - of direct sunlight. Turn pots each week to ensure even growth.

Fertilize herbs lightly with an organic, all-purpose liquid fertilizer, fish emulsion or granular fertilizer worked into the soil. In December stop fertilizing altogether. As days start lengthening, begin feeding again. Don't over-fertilize - more is not better.

The best defense against diseases and insect pests is to give herbs the best possible growing conditions. Keep a lookout for problems. Early detection makes it easier to manage common pests like aphids, spider mites and whiteflies.

If pests are spotted, dunk plants upside down in a container of insecticidal soap, or spray it directly on leaves. Spray in the evening so sunlight doesn't burn treated leaves. Always remember to wash leaves before cooking with them.

Herbs grown indoors will be leggier than their outdoor counterparts. Clipping leaves not only provides herbs for cooking, it also keeps plants bushier. Be sure not to remove more than one-third of the plant at a time.

Some herbs are easier to grow than others. These are listed in easiest-to-grow order.

Rating a 10 on the easy-to-grow scale, chives require less light and will tolerate a bit more moisture than other herbs. Whenever a craving for their mild onion flavor strikes in salads, soups, scrambled eggs or potatoes, simply snip a bunch of their grasslike stems.

Mints are vigorous growers, outdoors and indoors. If the lack of adequate light is stopping you from growing herbs inside, try mint. Grow several varieties so you will have just the right flavor for cooking lamb or fish dishes, creating a fruit salad or enjoying a mojito.

Both curly-leaf and flat-leaf types of parsley perform admirably indoors. Slow-growing, a little patience for the first harvest will be required. Cutting outer leaves encourages new growth at the center of the plant. Grow curly-leaf parsley for its pretty, frilly foliage and use as a garnish; and flat-type parsley for its bolder flavor with a hint of licorice.

Choose one of the more compact types of rosemary for growing indoors. Rosemary is intolerant of overwatering so be sure the soil dries out before watering and give plants good air circulation. Harvest sprigs by cutting just above where they meet stems. Rosemary is delicious with meat, fish, chicken and a wide variety of vegetables.

Oregano requires the most light of these easy-to-grow herbs - six to eight hours is best - so provide supplemental lighting if direct sunlight is insufficient. Oregano prefers to have leaves harvested often; the plant will remain bushier and new growth will quickly appear. Oregano is tasty on a large variety of meat and fish recipes, vegetables and, of course, spaghetti sauce.

Another sun-lover, thyme, may need supplemental light. When there are plenty of leaves, cut a bunch of stems and remove the leaves. Trim off flowers as they appear - it will encourage more foliage growth. Chopped or whole, they are tasty in soups, stews, chicken dishes and lots more.

• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist and the garden center manager at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield. Call (630) 293-1040, Ext. 2, or visit planterspalette.com.