With enhanced measures against the pandemic becoming stricter in the region, most are called to physically distance themselves from others and stay at home for the safety of all. Of course, days and days of being cooped up inside in the midst of this great health crisis can drastically increase your stress and anxiety levels. To help you cope in these troubling times, consider caring for household plants. The act of tending to little greens, according to a study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, can help reduce psychological and physiological stress. Also, if you opt to raise culinary herbs with health-boosting benefits, you'll be hitting two birds with one stone as it can help shorten your grocery check-list for your already-scarce trips to the store. Of course, there's also the fact that having plants in your home can incredibly improve its ambience. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and try growing these best indoor plants to kickstart your very own herb garden at home.
Lemongrass
Looking for the best indoor plants that can grow well even without soil? Next time you cook, save the root-ends of your lemongrass stalks. Don't throw them away and simply submerge them halfway through a jar of shallow water placed near a sunny window. When your lemongrass grows tall, you can simply snip off the tops and it will still continue thriving. Just make sure you refresh the water as needed and you'll virtually have an endless supply of lemongrass to last you for weeks.
Scallions
Onions are very persistent. They'll thrive and still give you edible sprouts even if you don't have the backyard space needed to actually produce the bulb. To spout new growth, you can either get a whole onion bulb — with or without its skin on — or cut the root part off the onion and cover it with soil in a pot. For those wanting to witness the day-to-day development of their plant, another option is placing a sprouted onion with its roots dipped in a glass of water. You can chop off the newly grown sprouts whenever you need them in your recipes, and they'll still continue growing as long as they have enough sun and clean water.
Garlic
Though garlic can't cure the coronavirus, it's still another kitchen staple worth growing in your home because of its great flavour and immunity-boosting benefits. And what's great about it is that it can grow from a single clove. Simply plant it with its root-ends poked halfway down the soil. Make sure to water it often enough so the soil is moist but not wet. When the garlic shoots start growing a couple of inches tall, cut it back so the plant produces a nice bulb.
Ginger
Ginger roots are essential ingredients that add spice to Asian cuisine. You're bound to find it in the home-cooked comfort foods you grew up eating. Start cultivating your own by looking for a piece of ginger with several bumpy nodules at the tips that are plump and not dark. These are called the buds. Sometimes, ginger pieces sold in the supermarket are treated so they stop growing. To ensure your plant will really reproduce, opt for organic if you can. Place a small chunk in potting soil with the buds facing up and keep it in a warm place that's not directly being hit by the sun. Gingers take weeks to grow, so feed it with lots of patience and water. Guaranteed, the wait and the effort will be worth it once you see the buds finally sprouting.
Basil
Lastly, for those ready to take on advanced gardening, how about trying your hand in cultivating basils? They're one of the best indoor plants that provide depth to your flavourful meals. On your next grocery run, remember to also pick up a packet of basil seeds. Sow them into a soil that's placed in a well-draining container. They're lovers of light and are super sensitive to the cold so make sure they're right on a windowsill to get the best of the sunny days when they can. They're fairly easy to grow, so in two weeks time, you'll finally see their tiny little leaves peeking out of the soft soil. When flourishing enough for harvest, just pick up the leaves you need for cooking as you go.
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