It’s time to start talking gardens for the folks who don’t have the space to grow everything they want and this time I’m encouraging you to use those mason jars that you swore you’d create a craft from. Since this is the time for new gardens to pop up, I figured that showing how to create a mason jar garden would be a great opportunity for those of you easing into growing your own food.
Grow a Windowsill Mason Jar Garden
The logistics of this garden aren’t too difficult. You DO need several things though. Mason jars – wide mouth are the best, potting soil (garden soil is the best for vegetables) and windowsills that are south facing OR those that receive at least 6 hours of light daily.
Seeds that would be perfect for window gardens are most types of herbs. Think basil, dill, cilantro, thyme, chives, and oregano.
You may remember that we did a variation of this with basil several years ago, but we used 2-liter pop bottles and the basil that we grew was crazy!
What I love about this project is that everyone in your home from toddlers to adults can get involved. While it can be a bit messy, it’s an easy clean-up and you end up with something practical to use several weeks down the road.
I would tell you to use the soil from your backyard, but I can’t in good conscience. Mostly because it’s way too compacted, and who really wants to go and dig holes in their backyard at the moment? If you can do a seed starting mix, that’s even better.
Another great experiment to try would be carrots in a super tall mason jar. Not too many of course, but being able to watch the carrot develop from foliage to root vegetables would be a great science project for your family. Ultimately, you’d probably only be able to grow one carrot per tall mason jar, but if you have twelve of them collecting dust around, it’s not a bad use of them.
If you do take time to grow your own mason jar garden, tag us on IG using #WeSowWeGrow – we’d love to see your progress and cheer you on!
Steps to Grow a Successful Mason Jar Garden
How to Grow a Successful Mason Jar Garden in Your Windowsill
Create a herb garden right in your windowsill with this mason jar garden tutorial
Materials
- Mason Jars
- Potting Soil
- Herb Seed
- Plastic Sandwich bags or Cling Wrap
- Water
- Spray Bottle
Instructions
- Gather the supplies that you will need for your mason jar garden. Wide-mouth mason jars, seed, soil, and water.
- Find your south or southwest facing windowsill to house your mini gardens and clear it from all clutter.
- Fill mason jars with dampened soil - you can dampen after you add the soil to the jars, it just needs to be dampened before adding your herb seed to it.
- Sprinkle 3-5 seeds on the top layer and then cover with a layer of soil and spray with water.
- Cover jars with a sandwich bag or cling wrap and set in the windowsill for several days.
- Once seedlings have poked through - remove the plastic covering
- Make sure to keep the soil watered, but not soaked. Herbs don't do well in overly-watered soil.
- Growing in mason jars allows you to see the water used in the soil. Remember, we want damp soil, with no water pooling on the bottom of the mason jar.
- As herbs begin to flourish, make sure to snip them often to encourage continued growth.
- Don't cut too much off too soon as you could send the plant into shock from needing to recover all of its foliage.
- Enjoy your windowsill herb garden!
Notes
You can also use pots made for windowsills for this project, making sure they have enough drainage holes and a plate to sit on for excess water to pool.
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Great idea! Mason jars are much cuter than most other window sill plant ideas.