Window sill herbs

[Susan W]

As happens, a friend (lives E of Dallas) called for suggestions for 9 yr old g-son wanting window sill herbs. Can't say No, can't say set-up-to-fail, must need encouraging.
I checked out a couple of the herb-start kits I saw at Lowes, Walgreens. Yes, Chia Pet has herbs now. That one has 6 itty bitty 3" pots, growing medium and 6 varieties of seed. 3" pots? Fail! Lowes has a new offering, and I admit kinda cute. This is 3 4" metal buckets on a tray, growing medium, seeds. Of course the buckets don't have drain holes? Fail! (though holes could be done)

I ask myself about the growing medium. It might be fine for sprouting, but doesn't have nutrients for growth, at least that I can tell. Perhaps that could be used with some Miracle Grow mix worked in? (No big fan of MG, but a mix with nutrients is needed)

I figured another option is to get seeds, 4" plastic starter pots, Miracle Grow mix and hope for the best.

Any suggestions? We need to keep it simple, budget medium, and deal with the worst time of year for this.

[applestar]

I was going to respond but realized I have little knowledge of windowsill growing conditions in Texas during winter. But I have similar sentiments about store sold kits.

So assuming you'll put together appropriate containers and growing mx, I was thinking what would be fun herbs for a 9 yr old?
So far, my ideas are:

-- chives -- for eating with baked potatoes, butter and sour cream
-- oregano -- for eating with pizza and spaghetti and meatballs
-- garlic (greens) -- for keeping away vampires
-- lemon basil -- for eating with fish
-- cilantro -- for eating with tacos
-- mint -- just because they're "cool"

Ah ha! fun idea might be to paint or draw the food on the pot or label along with name of the herb. You could either do that or supply paint pens in the "kit" for the child to do it himself.

Oh! I agree about seed starting mint. In fact I've never ever tried that. So easy to start from cuttings.

[Susan W]

Thanks for ideas! I am putting together a couple of options that may work.

If they want to go with the cute pots in the kits, I'll suggest mixing in MG potting mix with the starter stuff (whatever it is!). If making their own, is it fine to start seeds in MG mix? Later on, if any really grow, they can up pot as needed.
As for windows, think there may be good exposure as my friend asked which windows the best.
Herbs I had thought about -
basil
chives
cilantro
parsley
mint. If they don't have an outside patch, I can send a few sprigs for rooting.

[rainbowgardener]

I start mint from seed all the time and my only problem is ending up with thousands of little plants, way too many to find homes for even giving them away. You just don't want to bury the seed, just press it into the soil lightly.

Cilantro is the one I have a hard time starting from seed, very low germination rate.

I start everything in regular MG potting mix. You don't need special seed starting mix, but once the plants have true leaves, they will need nutrients, which the seed starting mixes don't supply.

Parsley should be a good one for windowsill herb.

[applestar]

Wll that's good to know since I collected some Applemint seeds this fall. No bottom heat I assume? 60-70°F soil temp?

[rainbowgardener]

I don't keep good records, but I'm thinking I did start them out on the heat mat...

[Susan W]

Starting mint from seed? From my messing with mint and doing some checking, seems much doesn't grow true from parent plant. That could be more some than others. Just in the regular spearmint category there are way too many varieties to count! I even have some spearmint reverting to something I didn't plant from starts.

[rainbowgardener]

Well the mint I started from seed was from commercial seed packets. But if you don't care exactly what named variety you have, you could still grow out your own seed. I do that with other hybrids.

[applestar]

Yep. It'll be an interesting experiment since closest other mint growing was spearmint and another mint in my garden is peppermint. LOTS of nectaring insect activity in all of them, but all three tended to bloom heaviest at different times of the season. With the applemints' large oval fuzzy leaves, it should be relatively easy to determine if any cross pollination took place, and if it did, it will be interesting to see how the cross turns out.