KUSA - If your winter diet has seemed bland, don't reach for the salt. Add fresh basil, chives or parsley for a taste of summer. Salad greens and dwarf tomatoes may also be grown inside.
You will need a very bright window facing south or west. Very few herbs or vegetables grow in shade.
Start with small but bushy plants that are large enough to harvest from. Use a standard potting mix and keep them just slightly moist. Except for basil, most herbs perform best when they dry out a bit between waterings. Soggy soil spells death. Lettuce and tomatoes should be kept consistently moist but not soggy.
Herbs may be grown in a sunny window year round, but they can also be moved to the patio or planted in the ground in summer. Small windowsill-size pots will dry out much too quickly in summer heat, so move them up to bigger individual pots or group them together in a larger pot. Herbs make excellent companions for many vegetables, since their scent and flavor often repels pests.
Stop just dreaming of summer and add it to your menu now.
Plants are courtesy of Tagawa Gardens.
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