DATE:   12/25/97        
WRITER: Bob Polomski, (864) 656-2604

Growing Herbs on the Kitchen Windowsill

     Q:  I would like to grow herbs indoors during the winter
months. Do you have any favorite herbs that will do well inside
my kitchen window?
     A:  Herbs that do not do well indoors include sweet basil,
lemon verbena, summer savory, and tarragon. These are all poor
choices because they either go dormant or shed their leaves
excessively.
     However, with these exceptions most other herbs do very well
in a south-facing windowsill.  
     Oregano, thyme, parsley, and sage can all be grown in small
pots and trimmed as needed for the kitchen. Pots of rosemary and
sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) are equally valuable, though they need
more space.
     In the onion family, windowsill candidates include chives,
onion sets and garlic cloves. The onions and garlic can be
started in pots. Clip emerging foliage when it reaches a couple
of inches high.
     If you have only an east or west facing windowsill, try
mints such as peppermint, spearmint, or lemon balm.  Provided
they are sheared regularly, these, too, make excellent 
houseplants.   
     If you find you have insect pests, remember that plants
intended for human consumption cannot be sprayed with the
pesticides used on ornamentals. Discard infested plants.
     As for the potting medium, indoor herbs grow best in a
mixture of two parts potting soil to one part coarse sand or
perlite. Setting the pots in trays lined with gravel will keep
them from getting wet feet should you overwater.  Cool
temperatures (60 degrees F), especially at night, will keep herbs
at their best.
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     If you, have gardening questions or comments, write to
Agricultural News and Publications, A-101 Poole Agricultural
Center, Box 340311, Clemson University, Clemson, S. C. 
29634-0311.
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