Fresh from the garden versus dried from the jar — when it comes to herbs, is it even a question which ranks superior? Of course not. But it is November and as sad as it makes us to admit it, our days of digging into fresh garden soil beneath blue skies and bright sun are over for now. The good news? Most of the fresh herbs we need to accent the soups and stews, casseroles and comfort food we have planned for the cold months ahead can also be successfully grown indoors. For advice on how to do just that we turned to Sal Gilbertie, third-generation grower at Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center in Westport and one of the country’s leading experts on herbs. Gilbertie’s wholesale branch of the family biz grows more than 300 varieties of organic herbs each year, so trust us when we say that Sal has got you covered. Ready to get growing?
The plants
Parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme? Although most herbs can be grown indoors, there are some that do particularly well in a kitchen (or living room or sunny front hall) garden. Perennials and tender perennials like rosemary, thyme, chives and mint thrive indoors with natural light, according to Gilbertie. Annual herbs, on the other hand, such as basil, dill and coriander, need more light, best supplied by a grow light (which we’ll get to in a bit). Regardless, plant what you like to eat: cilantro to brighten up some shrimp tacos for Taco Tuesday, basil and oregano for your Sunday-supper sauce. If feeling particularly ambitious, you can start annuals from seed — perennial seeds planted now would not provide much in terms of a winter harvest. But your “best bet,” Gilbertie says, are “starter plants,” which, happily, are now available everywhere from grocery stores to big box stores to, yes, garden centers far beyond the traditional April-June growing season.
The pots
You know those photos you’ve seen of mason-jar herb gardens set in vintage crates with cute little “chalkboard” labels? Forget about them. They’re “just trying to be pretty,” Gilbertie says, and “as an old saying in farming goes, ‘pretty chickens don’t lay a lot of eggs.’ ” Your herbs are working herbs, and if they’re going to flourish in the great indoors, they need a good old-fashioned clay pot that’s a minimum 4 inches so they have plenty of room to spread out and get comfortable. (Bonus: the bigger the pot, the less often you need to water it.) Said portly pot should also have a nice-size hole in the bottom for drainage so that no one’s “feet” get soggy. Ideally each herb variety should be given its own home, especially fusspots like dill, coriander and basil that often require some extra attention, Gilbertie says. If, however, you want to mix things up, there are those that play together nicely when placed in a large oval or rectangular home. The quartet of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme is a prime example.
The light
How much light do indoor herbs need? That’s simple: as much as Mother Nature is willing to possibly provide in winter — and even that might not be enough. If you have the luxury of myriad window sills from which to choose, a southwestern exposure that provides plenty of afternoon sun is the ideal location for the whole gang. You will know your herbs aren’t getting enough light if “the perennials just sit there and stare back at you,” says Gilbertie (i.e. show no growth), and the annuals “start looking sleepy.” That’s when it’s time to call for reinforcements. Full-spectrum LED grow lights (Gilbertie’s preference) are readily available to either supplement whatever natural light you’re able to provide, or substitute for it entirely. The “magic number” if you’re going to use them is 16. “If you can provide 16 hours of grow light a day you can grow pretty much anything,” Gilbertie says.
The liquid
“Herbs are happier on the dry side,” Gilbertie says, and should only be watered when the surface of the soil “looks dry to the eye.” In fact, if it’s damp at all this is one chore you can happily put off for another day. On average, a stiff drink every five or six days should be plenty, but it really depends on the temperature at which you keep your home. You may not want to hear this, but most herbs prefer things about 60-65 degrees, Gilbertie says — time to get out those sweaters!
The mix
Potting success is “all about using a well-drained mix,” Gilbertie says. It shouldn’t be a “heavy” soil and it most definitely should not include vermiculite, which, he adds, “holds moisture for far too long for herbs,” Perlite? Sure. Sphagnum peat moss? Why not? Just remember to keep things light with plenty of air space for roots to grow, and fertilize with a liquid organic fertilizer (fish emulsion, rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, is a top choice) once every three weeks — no need to add any chemicals to the menu.
The harvest
Yes, harvesting your herbs will trigger new growth, but, truth be told, “you can’t harvest as much in winter as in summer,” Gilbertie says. Herbs grown indoors “just don’t have the same recovery rate.” A good rule of thumb: Avoid harvesting more than one third of a plant at a time. Go easy, reminds Gilbertie, and never cut “all the way back to the bottom.” If you do it right, any annuals should last most of the winter, while your stalwart perennials just might be ready to make the big move outdoors after any danger of frost has passed.
The yum
Sal Gilbertie not only has decades of experience growing herbs, he also happens to be quite adept at cooking with them — and over the years has authored cookbooks like Kitchen Herbs: The Art and Enjoyment of Growing Herbs and Cooking with Them and The Herbal Palate Cookbook to prove it. Since fresh herbs will soon be yours for the picking, check out this Gilbertie favorite. Warm soup for a cold November day certainly seems like a good place to start.
Sage vegetable soup
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup celery, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons barley
2 tablespoons split peas
4 cups chicken broth
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups shredded cabbage
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a 6-quart kettle, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Mix in sage and next five ingredients. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add cabbage and cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves four.
This article appears in the November 2020 issue of Connecticut Magazine.