Growing herbs indoors: thyme, oregano and sage
The wonderful aromas of holiday cooking often are because of the
addition of culinary herbs such as thyme, sage and oregano. These
herbs are easy to grow in the home garden, and they can be grown
indoors throughout the winter, providing a source of fresh herbs
for cooking.
Herbs grown indoors should be placed in the sunniest window
available, but they still will require supplemental light to do
their best, especially during winter’s short, dark days. Any
fluorescent light fixture will provide a good-quality light
spectrum for your plants, and use a timer to provide a minimum of
10 hours of light per day.
Place the herbs as close to the light as possible. Eight to 10
inches is ideal, because light intensity drops dramatically at
greater distances. Follow the seeding and growing guidelines below,
when starting herbs for your indoor garden.
* Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is native to
the western Mediterranean and prefers full sun with loose,
well-drained soil. Very well-drained or gravelly soil is especially
important for woolly or creeping thymes that may develop root rot
if grown in soils with poor drainage. Thyme grows as a small, often
creeping, woody shrub with tiny pink, white or red flowers and
often is hardy to Zone 5.
Establish thyme with transplants or by seeding. Scatter seed
directly on the ground in spring. Keep the emerging plants moist
until they are established, then thin them to about 6 inches apart.
Once established, the plants will need little extra watering or
fertilization.
Thyme reaches a height of 12 inches and a width of 10 to 12
inches. It can be propagated by cuttings, layering or division.
Harvest the entire plant by cutting it back to 2 inches above
ground in midsummer and again at the end of the season.
Thyme has small, wiry stems so only the leaves are used in
cooking by stripping them from the stems. It’s often used to season
turkey, potatoes, tomatoes, summer squash and eggs.
* Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is another native
of the Mediterranean region. It also requires a site with full sun
and well-drained soil. Oregano is a perennial and can be propagated
by seeds. Direct seed it in the garden and do not cover seeds; they
need sunlight to germinate.
Flavor can vary greatly among seed-propagated plants, so
propagate by root divisions or cuttings from plants known to have
strong flavor. Oregano reaches a height of 12 to 24 inches and a
width of 10 to 20 inches.
Sprigs of oregano can be cut off when the plant is at least 6
inches high. In June, one-third of the top-growth of vigorously
growing plants can be harvested. Allow the top-growth to
regenerate, then the plants can be harvested again as needed
throughout the summer.
Oregano often is used in Italian cooking on pizza or with
tomatoes or peppers. It also works well with lamb or steak. Oregano
leaves should be stripped from the stems and chopped before
use.
* Common garden sage (Salvia officinalis) is a
perennial herb hardy to Zone 3. It grows like a small woody shrub,
2 to 3feet tall, and prefers sandy, well-drained soil with full
sun. The leaves are oblong, somewhat wooly and gray-green. Sage can
be started easily from seed or transplants.
Sage is a strong-flavored herb used in sausage or stuffing and
works well with poultry, rabbit, pork or baked fish. Harvest young
sage stems before they bloom, and strip leaves from the stems
before use.
Using fresh herbs
Harvest young, tender stems that have not bloomed for the best
flavor. After cutting several stems from your plant, it will
regenerate new growth, so allow it to keep growing throughout the
winter. Be sure to wash stems well before using, even when growing
them inside as houseplants.
Fresh herbs usually are added to recipes toward the end of the
cooking time to preserve their flavor. Less delicate herbs, such as
thyme, oregano and sage, should be added during the last 20 minutes
of cooking. When using fresh herbs in a recipe that calls for dried
herbs, the general guideline is to use three times the amount of
dried herbs indicated.
For more information on cooking with herbs, take a look at these
publications online:
“Cooking with Fresh Herbs,” University
of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.
“Healthy Cooking with Fresh Herbs,”
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.
“Growing Herbs in the Home Garden,”
West Virginia University Extension Service.
Sarah Browning is an Extension Educator with University of
Nebraska- Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County. Reach her at
402-441-7180; 444 Cherrycreek Road, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68528; or
[email protected].
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