I too am dealing with an aphid attack on my mint. I initially had a mint plant from Trader Joe's (mixed with oregano and sage) that I got in February. I threw it away after about 6 weeks from the uncontrollable aphid AND spider mite outbreak. Since then, my Aerogarden mint has matured wonderfully and my own mojitos were just around the corner when I discovered aphids!!! Since the Areogarden tank is this all-in-one shebang, I can't really wash the plant, so I just cut off the stems that were infested. That worked for about 2 weeks; pruning and pest control at the same time. This week, the aphids are back with all their cousins and friends. Yesterday, I swung by Menard's and picked up "Garden Safe" insecticidal soap (made by Schultz). I doused the mint and am waiting to prune again. I'm just hoping now that those pests don't spread to my basil and oregano (in the Aerogarden as well). It's only been a day, but I'm optimistic. Since I've never had any pest issues, I've decided that I won't be buying Trader Joe's herbs again...

You can always try but these plants prefer and will do much better outdoors even if kept in containers. If you search back through the posts here you will find many questions about indoor keeping of herbs and most responses are the same to the letter - these herbs are really plants that thrive outdoors and are a challenge at best indoors. I'd suggest finding a place where you can keep them outdoors in containers. There is information on the web about "wheelchair gardening" that may have some suggestions to help you do container gardening outside. As far as books, there are many on growing herbs. I suggest visiting your local library (which is free!) or your local bookstore to find a book where the format and type of information appeals to you. They are all the same in basic growing info so it's all up to what you like. FataMorgana

Definitely brew some chamomile tea, let it cool, and pour or spray it all over the plants with mildew. In the words of Don Knotts, "Nip it in the bud!" You can give most herbs a haircut anytime. Just never cut more than half.

Well, it's been a looong time, since I've posted here. Starting up a new business took up all my time for most of this year. Was just browsing, while I fight a head cold (on the excuse that I can't work, while medicated) and saw this post. Thought I'd add my two cents. I've been bringing potted herbs indoors for several years to enjoy during the winter. Each year I overwinter 30 to 40 pots. Winters in New Hampshire are long and cold. Some plants survive fine outdoors up here (e.g. mints, thymes, tarragon, chives), but many don't make it (e.g. sage, rosemary, basil). So, I grow lots of herbs in pots outdoors spring through fall and bring them inside just before the first frost. Some plants do great; some just hang in there until spring. But, even if I don't get enough fresh herbs to use for all my cooking, adding some snips of fresh leaves to the dried stuff adds a nice dimension of flavor. Here's what I've learned. Every "dont" listed is something I did, so the end result described is from personal experience, not book-reading. 1) Give plants all the sun you can. This is more important than humidity, temperature or proper soil moisture (which is a close second). I have several southern windows where the bulk of the plants go and a couple of eastern windows for those that can take a little more shade. I don't use supplemental light, but my southern windows have unobstructed sun. 2) Tropicals, like Vietnamese coriander and Rau Om, don't like to be right up against the window, since it gets pretty cold there. Tough plants, like, oreganos, thymes, mints, etc. could care less. 3) I usually dont bother with annuals, since they get very leggy indoors. Thats one of the reasons why I grow Vietnamese coriander and Mexican culantro instead of cilantro. An exception this year is Greek columnar basil (also called Greek bush basil). It is supposed to do well potted indoors. It is almost three feet tall and sitting in a southern window as I type this, so we shall see how it goes. Even if it doesnt make it, the plant puts out very dense growth only 10 inches wide and I think the flavor is more like Genovese basil than sweet basil (although I have seen it listed under sweet basil). It doesnt flower, doesnt bolt, and did fine all summer in a 10-inch pot, so it is a winner in my book. 4) Water less in the winter, since most plants will slow down with the shorter days. Drier soil is better; damp soil will kill many plants. Exceptions include tropicals, like Vietnamese coriander and Rau Om. 5) Leafy plants, like standard oregano, thyme, African blue basil, lemon savory, etc., I cut about two thirds the way back before I bring inside. The new leaves will be better adapted to the reduced light and the older leaves usually drop anyway in a few weeks. 6) Rosemary I don't cut at all, preferring to prune it in the spring. Same for bay laurel and other, tough-leaved plants. Thick, fleshy leaved plants, like Cuban oregano, Spanish oregano, Portuguese oregano (also called broad-leaved thymes) I leave as is and let hang naturally. They look nice that way. 7) No matter how hard you try, you will get pests, especially white fly and white spot. I use a pyrethrum-based pest spray, which is rated as safe for fruit, and a copper-based fungicide. Have never had luck with the tea-type fungus remedies. 8) Keeping a few carnivorous plants around, like a Cape Sundew (Drosera capensis) or one of the heavily branched sundews (D. multifida extrema), will also help control white flies. Capes are easy to grow indoors and look cool, too. 9) Herbs are tough plants to begin with, so I fertilize infrequently and use a dilute plant food, when I do. 10) Prune regularly to remove dead and yellowed leaves. Don't let dead leaves pile up on the soil; since they will become a breeding ground for mold. 11) If you intend to bring plants in for the winter, try growing them in pots all summer. The transition will be a lot easier for them. There are some varieties, like Blue Boy rosemary and Grolau chives, which are bred especially for pot culture. Oreganos do great in pots, too, especially the less hardy varieties, like Cretan, Italian and Syrian. For plants that I put in the ground, like Berggarten, purple and tri-color sages, I take cuttings and root them. 12) For potting soil I use plain, old Sam's Choice from WalMart. Nothing fancy, but it drains well and still holds moisture. 13) The toughest time is December. Days are the shortest and the plants are just coming out of the adjustment period. If you can keep them hanging on until the New Year, they will usually start perking up and will look a lot better within a month. Up here, I think the snow on the ground actually helps by reflecting a lot of light up to the plants from below the window. 14) Since its deciduous, lemon verbena, no matter what you do, will drop its leaves within a few weeks of being brought indoors. Dont try to prolong the agony, since it will just end up getting spider mites. Just move the plant to a cool place out of the light until March. Bring it out, give it sun, water it, and it will put out all new growth. If you leave it out until first frost, it will drop all its leaves outside and save you the trouble of cleaning them up for a month before you put it away. 15) Some plants, especially mint cuttings, can have a funky smell, when you first bring them inside. That will change to the normal smell as the plants adapt and mature. I hope some of this is useful. Overall, I think that herbs as a group are easier to grow and less fussy than plants grown for their flowers or fancy foliage. And, they are a lot tastier. narcnh