Might it be a good idea to use one-way glass in a greenhouse?
It occurred to me that if light was allowed through from the outside, but the inside surface was a mirror, then this might result in an abundance of light. Getting even more carried away, I wonder if theoretically you could have one-way glass on every wall and a mirrored or reflective surface on the floor. Could this create a super-greenhouse that could grow tropical plants in a temperate climate? Or is there a reason why this wouldn't work?
It would also reflect all the heat. Greenhouses have a vent system to keep temperatures reasonable. It's not that they need more light, they need protection from too much heat. Some green houses paint the foundation black inside to absorb more heat for the cold nights.
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Once you discover growing herbs in pots, you'll never want to go back to either of the alternatives, both of which are dire: using dried herbs (disappointing in the taste stakes and unappetizing to look at), or buying them when you need them from the supermarket (convenient but really expensive and wasteful).
Personally, one of the biggest attractions for me of growing herbs indoors was basil. I cook Italian food all the time and basil is just amazing with any type of pizza or pasta. I think tomatoes should always be paired with basil. I use it in Southeast Asian food as well (Vietnamese in particular), and I also sometimes make my own pesto with it (olive oil + pine nuts + basil = delicious pesto). Growing herbs in pots at home allows me to have basil-on-demand in my kitchen, which I absolutely love.
You might've heard that basil is one of the trickier herbs to grow indoors, and that's true in a way. The main thing with basil is that it's really light-hungry, so if you live somewhere that doesn't have a lot of sunny days then it will seem a lot more difficult than if you live for example in Florida. You might also find that it grows ok during summer, but struggles when fall rolls around. I need my basil year-round, so accepting that I'll only be able to use it in summer is a no-no for me!
If you grow basil and it's not getting enough light, the first signal you'll get is that it will start to get 'leggy' - i.e. tall and without as many leaves. This behavior is prompted by a lack of light. Essentially the plant is putting energy into getting taller in the hopes of finding more light up there. If you see this happening to your basil, it's time to consider artificial light to supplement the natural light that your plants are getting.
A good lighting set-up for your basil uses fluorescent bulbs that are labeled as being 'full spectrum'. This basically means that they emulate daylight, which is what plants need. Put these in a clamp-on reflector light (this focuses the light so that it's more efficient) and place them as close as possible to your plants. You'll find that basil begins to love you again! Ideally it's best to set this up near a window, so that your basil gets any available daylight plus the artificial light, for a total of 6-8 hours per day. You might not want to have this set-up in your kitchen; a better place is probably your laundry or utility room.
One more thing: basil freezes well but dries badly. If your basil plants give you more basil that you can use, pick the excess leaves and coarsely chop them (you can do this in a food processor), then mix them with some olive oil and put them in small clean plastic containers. These can go straight into your freezer for use anytime.
Arthur McLay is a herb grower enthusiast and author of the book "The Secrets of Herb Growing". To learn more about the art of growing herbs in pots, visit http://www.herbgrowingcenter.com
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