Though everyone can buy herbs in the supermarket – either dried, frozen or fresh – it may be more beneficial to grow your own. This is particularly the case if you want to benefit from the medicinal action these herbs provide. If you buy them in the supermarket, they are likely to be grown very fast, artificially fertilized and cultivated under unnatural conditions. These herbs will probably not last for a long time at your kitchen window, because they are weak and susceptible for plant diseases.
Thus, it is time to grow your own herbs. Mou might say OK, this is fine in the summer, but how shall I grow my own herbs now in the winter time? Surprisingly, this is not too difficult. There are numbers of medicinal and culinary herbs, which can easily be cultivated indoors. This is perfect, because winter time is flu time and lots of herbs, which are usually used in the kitchen, can help to prevent or cure a cold.
So, why don’t we start today and plan our indoor medicinal garden?
Culinary herbs with medical benefits to grow in your kitchen
Coriander
Coriander can easily be grown from seeds. It grows fast but stops growing as soon as it is harvested. Thus, it is recommended to plant 3 to 4 pots to get through winter time.
Coriander has proven to eliminate heavy metals from organ tissues, i.e. mercury and lead. It has also been reported that coriander is a useful remedy to cure nausea, abdominal pain, urinary tract infection, inflammation and headaches.
Parsley
Parsley is another herb that can easily be grown at the kitchen window. Parsley requires up to 7 hours of light to grow properly. The soil should stay consistently moist until the seeds germinate. After that, it merely needs some water when the top of the soil gets dry.
Parsley is a useful herb to cure the itchiness of insect bites. It can also help to cure urinary tract infections or the cough during the common cold.
Peppermint
Peppermint grows very fast and can easily be cultivated at the kitchen window. Ideally, the pot is positioned at a place with morning sun. It shouldn’t be grown near heat sources and requires water only once a week.
Peppermint’s medical benefits range from treating insomnia, stomach aches, flatulence and headaches.
Basil
Basil is very easy to cultivate, but the soil must drain well. It appreciates about 6 hours of sunlight per day and only needs water when the soil feels dry.
Basil is used to cure nausea and constipation when taken in orally. Also, it provides medical benefits in curing skin irritations.
Aloe vera
Aloe vera grows easily indoors. It is a dessert plant, so it appreciates dry, sandy soil and a sunny place. It only needs water when the soil feels dry and must be harvested carefully.
Aloe vera is predominantly used to cure skin irritations and burns. However, is also shows good medicinal properties to cure stomach irritations and to boost the immune system.
There are even more herbs that can be grown indoors. I think, it is time to start building our own medicinal garden even in winter time.
Enjoy it