Grow salad greens and culinary herbs in your kitchen window!

FREELAND, Wash. - March 31, 2015 - PRLog -- Grow Cilantro in your kitchen window? You bet!

"Growing salad greens and herbs indoors makes a lot of sense." says Dan Vorhis from the kitchen of his Whidbey Island fruit farm. Vorhis designs products for Muscle and Arm Farm, a company in Washington State that caters to gardeners, farmers, foodies.

"When we grow greens and herbs on our kitchen windowsill, we avoid a lot of problems - slugs, rodents, weeds, roving bands of chickens. It's surprising how productive a windowsill garden can be."

Vorhis points to a container growing over the kitchen sink.

"With a container of arugula staring me in the face as I do the dishes, it's hard to forget to water!"

Muscle and Arm Farm sells an inexpensive container on their website perfectly designed for growing veggies and culinary herbs on a windowsill. The container is about 19 inches long, about 6 inches tall, and requires a windowsill about 5 inches wide. Unlike smaller containers, this has enough volume for plant roots to develop.

"Growing tender greens outside has always been a problem for me," says Vorhis. "Slugs and other bugs like that stuff as much as we do. Cilantro grown on our kitchen windowsill is fresh and ready when we need it.  And it doesn’t get slimy like the stuff in a baggie at the grocery store.”

Vorhis says it is essential that the indoor greens and herbs get enough light.

"Probably the most important factor for a successful window garden is adequate light - at least 5 or 6 hours per day of direct sunlight if you can. Or get the equivalent with, say, a couple efficient LED spotlights. And remember, winter days are shorter than summer days."

Other tips for growing salad greens and culinary herbs indoors:

·        Select greens and herbs that can be grown as annuals: Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Cilantro, spicy Mustards, mints, Parsley, Chives, Basil, Oregano, Thyme, dwarf Sage...

·        Use a pot with drain holes, and enough volume for root growth - about 6 inches deep, at least.

·        Use a clean, quality potting soil mix.

·        Pick a location with enough light, away from a heater register or cold air drafts.

·        Use your finger to check the soil surface for when it's time to water. When soil surface starts to feel dry, water gently until a little water comes out the drain holes. Most herbs will develop a stronger flavor with more sun and less water. Many greens will "bolt", or start to flower and seed, if they suffer moisture stress, but don't over-water.

·        With a good soil mix, fertilizing will probably not be necessary. Some fertilizers can hinder seed germination. Don't over-fertilize.

·        Harvesting is easy. Make sure your container is well-drained (to avoid drips in your salad bowl), then turn the plant container on its side and snip with a scissors, letting the leaves drop into your salad bowl. Don't over-harvest. Snip no more than about 1/3 of the outer leaves or top growth.

·        If your plant is a perennial herb, you may plant it outside in the spring (so it doesn't get root-bound), and start again! Use a fresh soil mix.

The WindowSill Garden container is available on the Muscle and Arm Farm website (www.MuscleAndArmFarm.com) (http://www.MuscleAndArmFarm.com).
For more information, contact

Dan Vorhis
21910 State Route 525
Freeland, WA 98249-8761 US
Email: dvorhis@whidbey.com
Phone: (800) 443-2607