How to Start Growing Herbs at Home?

Indoor herb gardens are a great way to have fresh herbs on hand, as well as fill your home with fragrance and greenery. Here are some tips on how to grow herbs indoors, including what herbs to grow indoors, tips on care and lighting, and indoor herb garden ideas.

Whether you’re short on garden space or just want to add a dash of green to your interior, growing herbs indoors is a great way to enjoy homegrown produce. For newbies, it can also serve as a low-stakes entry into more substantial edible gardening–all you need is a sunny window.

You don’t need to have a green thumb to have a successful indoor herb garden. Just follow these tips and you’ll be cooking with fresh herbs in no time.

The Right Plant

Growing herbs indoors is easy and fun! Some of the best herbs to grow inside include basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. You can start your indoor herb garden from seed or by taking cuttings from an existing plant.

To take a cutting, cut a branch from the plant at the node and place it in a glass of water. New roots will sprout within a few days. Another option is to buy seedlings from a garden store. Either way, you’ll be enjoying fresh herbs soon.

Container With Holes

While there are dozens of different types of herb pots you can buy, at the end of the day you can really plant herbs in just about any container – so long as it has some type of drainage.

The pots also need something to protect the surface underneath them, like a saucer or round plastic protector which you can find at most garden centers. If you’re feeling creative, you could even up-cycle an old mug or mason jar into a pot for your herbs.

You can use any size container you like for your plants, as long as it’s big enough for them to fit! Keep in mind that the smaller the vessel, the more often you’ll need to repot the plant.

If you want to get creative with your planters and use something nontraditional, like a mason jar, just remember to put a layer of pebbles at the bottom. This will catch any excess moisture and prevent your potting soil from getting too saturated.

The Right Spot

Most herbs need a lot of sunlight, so you should give your indoor herb garden at least six hours of sun per day. Place plants near your brightest window–the bright light of a south-facing window is best.

Avoid setting them in the center of a room or near a window with northern exposure–neither will offer enough light. Growth may be slow in the rainy days when there isn’t much natural light, but during those months, you can invest in a grow light or led light.

Regular Hydration

You don’t need to drench your plant to help it grow – in fact, too much water can be just as harmful as not enough. Keep the soil moist by watering it regularly, and make sure you don’t let it get too dry in between watering. If the leaves start to wilt or turn yellow, that’s a sign you need to cut back on the water.

Changing Pots

Your indoor herb plants won’t last forever, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The good news is that if you’re taking care of them properly, they’ll eventually outgrow their containers and need more space. If you see roots coming out of the drainage holes, growth seems to have stalled or the plant starts to flop over, it’s time to transplant.

Perennial herbs, like lavender and mint, can be started indoors and moved outdoors after the last frost date. Annual herbs can be moved outdoors through the end of the growing season.

When cold weather approaches, you can either bring the pots back indoors or leave them outside, but be sure to take cuttings before the first frost so you can start the whole indoor herb garden process over again. Both annuals and perennials can be moved into larger pots within your home at any time; just keep them close to a light source.

Plants to Grow Indoors

There’s nothing quite like the taste of fresh home-grown coriander leaves. Soaking the seeds overnight in lukewarm water helps them germinate faster. You can either plant them in a pot or a spot in your garden.

Once you have picked a location, sprinkle the seeds and cover them with a layer of soil before giving them a light spray of water. Within 35-40 days, you will see shoots of coriander that can be plucked and used in your chutneys, to garnish your food, or for any other purpose you might need them for.

Chamomile herbs are not only pretty to look at, but also useful! The best time to plant this herb is during the spring season. It does well in cool conditions and should be planted in an area that receives partial shade. It’s also a low-maintenance plant – it doesn’t require frequent watering, and is drought tolerant.

You can start by sowing the seeds indoors and then moving the plant outdoors when seedlings appear. The seeds should germinate in about fourteen to sixteen days. Both the flowers and leaves of the plant are used – so go ahead and add them to your tea and enjoy the soothing effect.

Parsley is a great herb to enhance the flavor of your dishes. It’s also an evergreen. Not to mention, this plant is rich in Vitamin A and C and has other medicinal properties. Soak the seeds overnight for best results, then plant them close together – they thrive in competition.

Once the true leaves appear, space the seedlings out 6 inches apart. Parsley is a slow-growing plant, so it’ll take about 3-4 weeks to germinate. But once it does, you can pick the fresh leaves to add a unique flavor to your food.

Key Takeaway

Now that you know growing herbs at home is simple, why not get started on your own herb garden? You won’t have to go out and buy herbs anymore – plus, there’s nothing better than food made with freshly picked herbs.