I am excited to learn about growing veggies

Basil is a sun-lover. Indoors in winter, it often doesn’t get enough light even in a bright window. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬: * + hours of strong light (more is better) * Ideally a south-facing window * Or a small grow light if winter light is weak 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: * long stems with big gaps between leaves (“leggy”) * leaves stay small * plant leans hard toward the window 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐱: Move it to the brightest spot you have and rotate it every few days. If it still stretches, a basic grow light turns basil from “meh” to “wow.” 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 #𝟐: 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐠𝐠𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 Most indoor basil deaths come from roots staying too wet. 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬: * evenly moist soil (not bone dry, not swampy) * a pot with drainage holes (non-negotiable) * a lighter potting mix that drains well 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫: * yellowing leaves (especially lower ones) * droopy plant even though soil is wet * a musty smell from the pot 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐱: Water thoroughly, let excess drain, and empty the saucer. Then wait until the top 1 inch of soil feels dry before watering again. 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 #𝟑: 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲, 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 (𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥) If you don’t pinch basil, it grows like a skinny little tree. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨: * Once basil has 3–4 sets of leaves, pinch the top stem right above a leaf set * This forces it to branch into two stems… and then four… and then eight… 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞: ✅ take from the top to encourage branching ❌ don’t only pluck the biggest bottom leaves (that makes it leggy) 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐱: Make “pinching” part of your routine—every time you use basil, give it a little trim. 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 “𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥” 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 (𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬) * Basil loves warmth. Keep it away from cold window glass at night. * If your basil came from the grocery store, it may be multiple plants crowded together. Splitting into a couple pots can help. * Basil is a light hog. If you’re only going to use a grow light for one herb… basil is the best candidate. 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: What’s your biggest basil struggle indoors right now?

One of the easiest ways to get more from your space is planting 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭. But the secret is pairing herbs that like 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐠ht. Because herbs don’t argue about personality… they argue about moisture. 😄 Below are the best “herb buddy” combos for containers, plus a few pairings that usually end in drama. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 ✅ 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬: * 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 (most want bright sun) * 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 preference (moist vs dry-ish) * 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 (so one doesn’t smother the others) If you match those three, you’ll have a happy pot. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐬 (𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬) 𝟏) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐧 “𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫” 𝐏𝐨𝐭 These herbs prefer to dry out a bit between waterings and love sun. ✅ 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 + 𝐓𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐞 + 𝐎𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐨 + 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐞 (𝐿𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑗𝑜𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡.) 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬: similar sun + less frequent watering. 𝐏𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐩: use a well-draining mix and don’t overwater. 𝟐) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐌𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐭-𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠” 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛 𝐏𝐨𝐭 These herbs like more consistent moisture and aren’t fans of drying out completely. ✅ 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 + 𝐂𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨 + 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 Optional: Dill (if you give it space) 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬: they like similar moisture and grow well in cooler temps too. 𝐓𝐢𝐩: This combo is great for shoulder seasons and indoor windowsills. 𝟑) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐓𝐞𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧” 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 If you love making herbal tea, this is such a fun pot. ✅𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐭 + 𝐋𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐦 Optional: a little chamomile (if you have enough light) 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭: Mint and lemon balm are vigorous. In one pot they can take over, so plan to trim often or give them a larger container. 𝟒) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐧𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐨𝐭” (𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲) Good for everyday cooking and easy harvesting. ✅ 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 + 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 Optional: Thyme if you’re careful not to overwater 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬: chives and parsley are steady growers and don’t need intense fussing. 𝟓) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐏𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐭” (𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐧) ✅ 𝐎𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐨 + 𝐓𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐞 + 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥 (𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Basil likes more moisture than oregano/thyme.

(𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑎𝑡… 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘.) If winter has you feeling like your garden life is on “pause,” microgreens are the quickest way to get that 𝐈 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝! dopamine hit—right from a windowsill or a little shelf. We’re talking 7–14 days from seed to harvest for many varieties. No big pots, no outdoor temps, no drama. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲)? Microgreens are baby greens harvested when they’re small—usually after they sprout their first true leaves. They’re: * fast * space-friendly * easy for beginners * and honestly… kind of addictive 😄 You can grow them in a shallow tray indoors with minimal gear. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐩 (𝐍𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝) 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝: * A shallow tray/container (even a takeout tray works) * Potting mix or seed-starting mix (or a microgreen grow mat) * Microgreen seeds * A spray bottle (or gentle watering method) * Light: a sunny window or a basic grow light 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 “𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐧” 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬: * Radish (fast + reliable) * Broccoli (easy + mild) * Mustard (quick + zippy) * Pea shoots (chunkier, super satisfying) * Sunflower (nutty, sturdy, fun) If you’re brand new, start with radish or broccoli. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩-𝐛𝐲-𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩: 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐲 (𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟏: 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲 Add about 1–1.5 inches of moist potting/seed mix. Level it gently—no need to pack it down. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟐: 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 Microgreens are grown close together. Sprinkle evenly like you’re salting food (but more than you think). 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟑: 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 Gently press them into the surface so they make good contact with the moist mix. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟒: 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭 + 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 (𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤”) Mist well, then cover the tray (another tray on top, a clear lid, or plastic wrap with a few holes). This helps keep moisture consistent and speeds germination. Check daily so it doesn’t dry out. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟓: 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭 Once you see sprouts popping up, remove the cover and give them light. * Window light works if it’s bright

If your indoor herbs look tall, skinny, floppy, or like they’re reaching for something they can’t quite grab… You’re not doing anything wrong. They’re just hungry for light. Leggy herbs are one of the clearest signals plants send—and thankfully, one of the easiest problems to fix. 🌱 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 “𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐲” 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 Leggy herbs have: * Long, stretched stems * Wide spacing between leaves * Smaller or paler foliage * A leaning or flopping habit This happens when plants grow toward light that’s too weak or too far away. In winter, even sunny windows often aren’t enough. 🌿 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐲 Here’s what’s usually going on behind the scenes: 𝟏. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 (𝐓𝐡𝐞 #𝟏 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞) Winter sun is lower, weaker, and shorter. Herbs need bright light to stay compact. 𝟐. 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 A window across the room ≠ usable light. Herbs need light close, not just visible. 𝟑. 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠g When herbs aren’t trimmed, they stretch upward instead of filling out. 𝟒. 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐬 Warm rooms + low light = fast, weak growth. ✂️ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐱 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 You don’t need to start over. Try this simple rescue plan: 𝟏. 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 * South- or west-facing windows work best * Rotate pots every few days 𝟐. 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐚 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 (𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲) * Place lights 6–12 inches above herbs * 10–14 hours per day is ideal * Even a small clip-on light can help 𝟑. 𝐏𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 * Cut stems back to just above a leaf node * Don’t be afraid as this encourages bushier growth * Use what you trim (hello, dinner!) 𝟒. 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐔𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 Leggy herbs often get overwatered. Let the soil dry slightly between waterings. 🌿 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬 These are the usual suspects in winter: * Basil * Cilantro * Dill * Parsley * Chives They’re not failing. They’re just asking for better light support. 🚫 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐨 * Don’t fertilize to “fix” legginess * Don’t keep moving plants daily * Don’t ignore trimming out of fear Legginess is a 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞, not a nutrient issue.