Best Herbs For A Kitchen Herb Garden

When the fall chill is in the air, I start thinking of bringing in some of my best growing herbs. Not everything can be transplanted to to the windowsill, however.

The main reasons that herbs grown outside may not make it in an indoor garden are:

• They have already gone to seed- This means they have finished their life cycle and are dying back until the next growing season.
• Insufficient lighting - Your window seems bright enough for you, but plants that require full sun like at least 4-6 hours of bright light, in order to make enough energy to survive. Less than 4, they become leggy and pale.
• Not enough water or overwatering - Plants outside can drain away the excess moisture of natural rainfall. Often, they have inadequate drainage in small indoor pots, so their roots sit in the water and rot. Temperatures also are higher inside. This means that your herbs will need a different watering schedule than being outside. Remedy this problem by closely monitoring their growing habits.
• Rootbound - Herbs grown in pots all summer, may need to be divided in order to refresh their growth. Marie Ianotti, About.com Gardening Guide, offers information on rootbound plants. It is timely information for preparing your herbs to bring indoors.

Because there are so many choices, and so little space on that windowsill, I have compiled my 5 best herbs for a kitchen herb garden. What do you think? Do you have other favorites that must be included? Share them in our herb forum!

Photo by Flickr user Saragoldsmith