Growing Herbs on Baffin Island, NWT, Canada
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Ruth Tailleur
Posted on: September 28, 2005

I live in Zone 1, Pond Inlet on Baffin Island, NWT, Canada. We are approaching the dark season. I would like to grow herbs this winter. Could you please tell me what herbs would be suitable? Is it possible to grow garlic indoors? What kind of a grow light would I need? What about soil? or would a soil less mixture be better? Is a window sill a good environment for herbs? We have large window sills but they tend to be draughty.

You will definitely need flourescent lights to grow your herbs under. I would suggest you get double light, four foot fixtures and mount them over your windows. This way the light will seem to come from out of doors and make the nights seem less long! Put the lights on timers and keep them on for 16 hours a day. Maybe caulking the window-frames with silicone will make them less draughty and save you heating energy. Putting bubble plastic over the windows, held down with silicone caulking on the edges might help as well.

Garlic can be grown indoors under your conditions, but it has to be cooled in the fridge for at least a month, otherwise it won’t break dormancy.

Any tropical plant soil will do, including the soil-less mixes.The latter are less likely to contain insects and diseases, but need careful fertilizing with fertilizers containing micro-nutrients as well as macro-nutrients.

Do check our web-site in the Q&A section to get overwintering indoors advice on the herbs that interest you. eg.: Chives and tarragon need one month of freezing.

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