DIY Indoor Herb Garden In Mason Jars

I'm not the official green thumb of the family but for a while now I've wanted to try my hand at a Do-It-Yourself Indoor Herb Garden In Mason Jars project. The prospect of growing them myself appealed to me mainly because I like the idea of hand-picked and fresh. I have always been one for the all-natural, make it at home thing. To me it means, first of all, that you don't have to worry about unnecessary additives or ingredients which always translates into healthier and better tasting food. Secondly, if you love to cook then you might also realize that buying fresh herbs gets expensive and they always seem go bad before you can even use them all. At least that's been my experience. In any case, growing them this way looked so cute and seemed fun and easy enough I figured it was something I could do with my daughter.

If you like this idea and would like to give it a try the first thing to decide is what do you want to grow. After a little research we found that the following were the most popular for indoor gardens: Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Chives, Parsely, Mint, Lavender, Sage, Cilantro and Rosemary. Basil, Oregano and Thyme were the three main staples, especially for beginners, with Basil being the easiest to grow. If you follow along with the video below you can use Basil, Mint, Rosemary, Green Onions and Italian Parsley.

To make your own planters you can start with either seeds or plant cuttings (propagation) or potted plants in containers that you can prepare for transplanting. This video begins with plant propagation. Plant propagation is the process of creating new plants from stems, leaves, root cuttings, or other parts of the plant.

STARTING WITH PROPAGATING PLANTS

If you choose to start with propagating you will need to place plant parts in water to give them time to form roots. You can use parts from prepackaged herbs in the grocery store or you can cut them from another plant.
Here are the steps
-> take a stem cutting that is about 3-8" long from the newest growth
->Remove the bottom 3 or 4 leaves from the stems
->Place stems in a glass container of water
->Place in a well sunlit area until roots form
->Prepare jars for plant transfer (See Below)
This whole process of forming roots can take about 1-6 weeks depending on the plant.

Supplies Needed

32oz Mason Jar (Pack Of 2)

Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix

Herb seeds, packaged herbs or herb containers
5lb. River Rock Soil Cover or small gravel stones or rocks
potting charcoal or sand
Labels (I like the mini chalkboard labels) for jars
Spade or tablespoon for scooping dirt
decorative lace or twine

Step by Step Instructions

PREPARING MASON JARS FOR PLANT TRANSFER

If you don't want to take the time to wait for the roots to form you can buy plants in containers that are ready for transferring. You will need to ensure that there will be good drainage. Although you can drill holes in the bottom of the jars another method that also works well is by placing a layer of sand and then a layer of stones on the bottom of the jar to allow a place for water to seep down to.

-> Place about 1-2 inches of sand on the jar bottom
-> Place 1-2 inches of Soil Cover or small gravel stones or rocks on top of the sand
-> Add potting mix leaving enough room for the plants
-> Remove plants from containers and roll soil area around in your hands to prepare
-> Place the plant in the jar (or add propagated plants here)
-> Make sure plant base (top of stem area) is even with jar base (opening)
-> Cover with additional potting mix
-> You can add cover stones or decorative rocks on top of that if you want
-> Add labels to identify plants

Make sure there is good access to sunlight, at least 5 hours of direct or partially direct sunlight. Water plants in the morning but be careful not to overwater or roots can rot, just make sure to keep the soil moist. The secret is in the rocks at the bottom; they help with drainage. You can watch water trickle down into the sand and, as it evaporates, it will come up from the sand through the soil.

Here are some more useful tips to help your garden grow:

(1) Don't get potting soil, use the soil with the word "mix" on the end. It's specifically designed for container plants that are grown indoors as it has the ability to hold just the right amount of water. Moisture control is very important; potting soil can get too soggy for the plants.

(2) For an extra special effect you can decorate the jars. You can paint them and/or use other decorative items such as lace or twine around the opening of the jar. It looks very pretty.

(3) You can use just a simple tablespoon for mixing in the dirt. It's just the right size for maneuvering soil around the plants.

(4) Pick leaves off or cut from the top to use for cooking or steeping and don't cut away more than 2/3 of the plant.

(5) Did you know you can make a salt mixture out of your favorite herbs? Try this Basil salt: equal parts Basil and kosher salt. Grind them all together in a food processor. Bake on a baking sheet for 20 minutes in a preheated 225-degree oven. Stir it up after 10 minutes then continue baking for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and regrind them to remove any additional lumps. Store it in a glass container. It smells incredible and will last up to a year, but ideally use within six months. It will also make a great gift. Try this with any of your favorite herbs.

You'll love growing and using fresh herbs in your kitchen!