Windowsill Organic Herb Gardens for Kids

Windowsill Herbs

• Providing the right conditions for herbs to thrive means choosing suitable windowsills and potting compost, and watering plants sufficiently. Herbs vary in the amount of sun they need, but most can't tolerate full shade, so use a windowsill that gets at least three or four hours of sun a day. Fill the pots with a light potting compost as most herbs prefer free-draining soil. Kids can learn that compost should stay moist, not wet, but windowsills will probably need protecting with newspaper or similar material to catch spills from over-enthusiastic watering. As the plants grow, they'll naturally lean toward the light, so children can share responsibility for turning pots once or twice a day to keep the herbs growing upright.

Organic Herb Growing

• Organic fertilizers and pesticides are safe for kids to use. Potting compost contains enough nutrients for the first six weeks or so. After that, fertilizing with a liquid organic fertilizer, such seaweed extract diluted at a rate of 1 capful per 1 gallon of water, or according to manufacturers' instructions, improves herb growth. Water perennial herbs in spring and annual herbs after each harvest. Avoiding overcrowding and overfeeding should prevent serious pest infestations, but as a last resort, spider mite, whitefly and aphids can be controlled with premixed organic insecticidal soap sprays applied in the evening and rinsed off plants the following day. Avoid spraying young seedlings.

Perennial Herbs

• Perennial herbs are long-term projects as they can grow on windowsills for many years. Suited to south-facing, sunny windowsills, perennial herbs are easiest to grow from small, purchased plants. Two that tolerate frequent cutting are chives (Allium schoenoprasum) and oregano (Origanum vulgare), both of which grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8 and grow 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall and wide. Lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus) copes well with frequent rubbing of its leaves for a sniff of delicious scent and grows 6 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide. It grows in USDA zones 5 through 8.

Annual Herbs

• Growing annual herbs from seed in spring is a simple introduction to gardening. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) grows easily from seed, producing large-leaved aromatic plants on sunny windowsills. Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum), which tolerates partial shade, provides the opportunity for two-weekly sowing to ensure a continuous crop of leaves. Both plants respond well to pinching out of shoot tips to encourage bushy growth. Cilantro grows best when it's kept a little dry. Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) seed, available as curly-leaved or flat-leaved Italian types, requires generous sowing because germination is unreliable.