Is indoor gardening from seed okay in the winter?

[jemshads moil]

Is it okay to start seeds this time of year (for herbs, like oregano, pennyroyal, thyme, roman chamomile, etc) if their intended use is for indoor containers? Or is it better to start in spring?

 

[j.w]

Hi and

Jem
It should be fine now as long as you have a well lit area w/ at least 5 hours of light. Keep moist but don't over water. You can add some stuff called soil moist to help it hold moisture.

 

[claudine]

I agree with j.w., it's okay to start seed them now. If there isn't very cold in your house the time of the year doesn't really matter when it comes to growing herbs indoors. Just check out if your window is sealed, mine hadn't been and all of my herbs that I had on the windowsill died, but it was a very cold winter.

 

[jubbly]

They should be fine if you keep them well watered and on a warm window ledge such as in the kitchen. You can also feed some herbs with an indoor plant food such as baby bio.

Stuff like peppers can do quite well indoors in the winter and they can be given tomato feed.

 

[firelily99]

They will be okay and like everyone said, keep them warm and watered. If it does tend to be cold in your house then you could make yourself a small window sill greenhouse. I've used plastic or scavenged old cake holders, drilled a few holes in the lid and voila! Instant greenhouse! Look around your home or home goods store, you will be surprised what you can find to use.

 

[cmckinney01]

Lots of people start plants from seeds inside their houses during the winter. Some people put them in their basements but it can get too cold down there. Others keep them on their window sill, as other posters have already noted. Wherever you start them, make sure you have adequate heat and sunlight. Don't keep them in the dark.

 

[jenjen8987]

We start something's inside during the winter. As long as the plants have enough warmth and light they are usually fine,

 

[ChanellG]

You can start seeds indoors at any time. They will only generate if the proper conditions, including the right amount of heat, are met. Any sprouted plant you manage to grow will only develop a certain amount indoors unless it is a plant that grows well in low light. I grew parsley on the windowsill that survived fine, but it didn't take off until it moved it outdoors. There is just less sun available in the winter.

 

[Pat]

Yes, it is okay to start plants indoors during the winter and as you can see from the above post the most important thing is to keep the plants warm, watered and make sure the plants receive plenty of sun. If you put the plants in a window sill make sure there is not a draft of cold air on the plants or the plants touch a cold window that will harm the plants.

 

[DancingLady]

It should be fine as the indoor temperature is similar to spring or early summer temperatures outdoors. As long as they get some sunlight they will sprout. I've just planted cilantro and am waiting for it to germinate. It is possible that due to less hours of sunlight, they will be a little slow to get going, but just be patient, if they have moisture, they will likely sprout in time.

 

[JessiFox]

Wow, great to see such informative answers, I've wondered about this too because I'm eager to start but was starting to wonder if most things would just have to wait until the season passes. Great information here