The Benefits of Indoor Herb Gardening

Growing herbs indoors is a great way to have fresh herbs on hand year-round for cooking. Many popular culinary herbs can easily be grown indoors with basic gardening supplies and a sunny spot. This guide covers everything you need to know for indoor herb gardening, from choosing the right herbs and containers to proper care and maintenance.

Benefits of Growing Herbs Indoors

There are several advantages to growing herbs inside compared to an outdoor garden:

• Convenient access – Having an indoor herb garden right in your kitchen gives you easy access to snip fresh herbs anytime you’re cooking. No more last-minute runs to the store!
• Year-round harvest – Outdoor herb gardens go dormant in winter, but indoor herbs can thrive and produce leaves all year as long as their needs are met.
• More control – It’s easier to control growing factors like water, light, pests and temperature with indoor gardening. This leads to healthier plants.
• Aromatic ambiance – The pleasant scents of herbs like mint, rosemary and basil will fragrance your home.
• Decorative appeal – Herb plants in pretty pots look nice on windowsills and can enhance your decor.

Choosing the Right Herbs

When deciding which herbs to grow indoors, choose varieties that meet these criteria:

• Easy to grow – Focus especially on herbs that thrive in containers, are tolerant of dry indoor air, and don’t need a lot of fertilizer. Avoid fussy herbs.
• Frequently used – Grow herbs you cook with often. Otherwise you won’t use them before the plants go bad.
• Enhance indoor air – Many culinary herbs naturally clean the air inside. Opt for these respiratory wonders.
• Compact growth – Low-growing herbs are best suited to indoor spaces, especially windowsills. Tall or sprawling herbs take up too much room.

Based on these guidelines, here are 10 of the best herbs to grow indoors:

1. Basil
2. Chives
3. Cilantro
4. Dill
5. Mint
6. Oregano
7. Parsley
8. Rosemary
9. Sage
10. Thyme

These herbs check all the boxes for an ideal indoor garden. They’re productive yet compact in size, extremely useful in various cuisines, unfussy when grown in pots, and appreciate the same basic care.

Choosing the Right Containers

To give your indoor herb garden the best chance of success:

• Use pots with drainage holes – This is crucial to prevent soggy soil and root rot. Add pebbles or broken pottery shards in the bottom of pots to improve drainage before filling with potting mix.
• Choose pots at least 6 inches deep – Shallow pots will restrict root growth. Aim for a pot depth around 6-12 inches. Match pot dimensions to the herb’s expected mature size.
• Use food-safe containers – For culinary herbs, use pots made from food-safe materials like clay, plastic, wood, ceramic, glass or food-grade metals. Avoid painted terra cotta, pressure-treated lumber, and galvanized metals.
• Pick decorative pots (optional) – Part of the fun of indoor gardening is choosing pretty ceramic planters to display your herbs. Just make sure pots have drainage first and foremost.

Plastic nursery pots work fine, or get creative with materials like vintage tins, repurposed baskets, whiskey barrels cut in half, etc!

Best Potting Mix for Indoor Herb Gardens

Good potting soil is the foundation of healthy container herbs. Using a lightweight, fast-draining soil mix avoids problems with saturated roots. Here’s how to make an ideal potting mix for indoor herbs:

• Ingredients:
  • 1 part peat moss or coco coir – improves moisture retention
  • 1 part perlite or vermiculite – aerates the soil
  • 1 part compost – supplies nutrients
  • Optional: Worm castings or composted manure for fertility
• Mix thoroughly – Blend ingredients into a loose, crumbly texture. It should feel airy and fluffy, not dense or soggy.
• Pasturize first (optional) – For a sterile, seedling/cutting friendly mix, bake the potting soil at 180°F for 30 minutes to kill pathogens before planting.

You can certainly use bagged indoor potting mix from the garden center instead of mixing your own. Just check that it contains peat/coir, perlite/vermiculite and fertilizer.

How to Plant Herb Seeds & Seedlings

There are two ways to start growing herbs indoors:

1. From Seeds

Herb seeds offer more variety and are very inexpensive. Things to know:

• Check seed packet for indoor planting instructions
• Start 6-8 weeks before your last frost date
• Sow more seeds than needed, then thin out
• Expect slow, erratic germination (2 weeks+)

2. From Plant Starts

You can also purchase young herb plants to transplant. Advantages are faster growth, no germination guessing, and instant gratification! Just make sure plants are:

• Available in early spring
• Grown in containers (not bare root)
• Labeled for indoor/container use

Follow these steps to transplant herb seedlings from nursery pots into your indoor containers:

1. Fill pot with pre-moistened potting mix, leaving 1 inch at top.
2. Carefully remove seedling from nursery pot. Tease roots loose.
3. Plant at same level it was growing (don’t bury stem deeper).
4. Backfill soil around roots and gently firm down.
5. Water thoroughly until it drains from the bottom.

And you’re done! Repeat for all your herb seedlings.

Caring for Indoor Herb Gardens

Growing productive indoor herb gardens does require some basic care and maintenance. Be diligent about these four essentials:

1. Lots of Bright Light

Lack of sufficient sunlight is the number one reason indoor herbs fail to thrive. Culinary herbs need at least 6 hours of direct sun daily from a south-facing window (8-10 hours is better). If this isn’t feasible in your space, set up artificial grow lights.

Rotate pots regularly since light comes from one direction. Periodically prune and trim herbs to encourage dense, compact growth. Trailing stems signal needing more light.

2. Moderate Watering

Check soil moisture frequently, watering whenever the top 1-2 inches become dry. When watering, thoroughly drench the entire root zone until excess drains out the bottom. But don’t leave standing water in saucers beneath pots.

Drooping, yellow leaves suggest overwatering. Let soil dry out more before watering again. Use pots with drainage holes, a fast-draining soil mix, and lift pots occasionally to prevent wet feet.

3. Occasional Fertilizing

While herbs don’t need overly fertile soil, they do require some nutrients over months of growth. Use a water-soluble indoor plant fertilizer every 2-3 weeks during active growth and monthly in winter. Slow-release granular fertilizer mixed into the soil works too.

4. Maintain Humidity

Lack of humidity from indoor heating/air conditioning can cause leaf tips to brown. Help by misting plants daily with a spray bottle, set pots on pebble trays filled with water, or use a humidifier.

Harvesting & Preserving Indoor Herbs

With proper growing conditions, most indoor herb plants will be ready to start harvesting within 8-12 weeks. Don’t wait too long before cutting leaves or plants bolt and turn bitter.

Harvesting

• Cut leafy growth early in the day after dew dries but before flowers appear.
• Use clean, sharp scissors/shears for clean cuts.
• Cut back to a leaf node on stems so they regrow.
• Take no more than one-third of growth per harvest.
• Floating row covers deter pests (aphids, slugs, whiteflies).

Preserving

Proper preservation stops harvested herbs from spoiling quickly. Good options are:

• Air-drying – Hang upside down in small bundles.
• Freezing – Chop leaves, pack in ice cube trays with olive oil/broth.
• Vinegar/Oil – Infuse chopped herbs into vinegar or oils.
• Salt preserving – Layer salt and herbs in jars to make “herb salt.”

Troubleshooting Common Indoor Herb Problems

Even with good care, indoor herb gardens can still experience a few issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot them:

Slow growth: This usually stems from insufficient light. Rotate pots for even sun exposure, place under grow lights to supplement, or try a different window.

Leaf drop or wilting: Overwatering is the most common cause. Let soil dry out more before adding water again. Can also result from under or over-fertilization.

Leggy, stretched stems/leaves: This lanky growth happens from inadequate sunlight. Try a different window, set up grow lights or prune frequently.

Leaf spots/discolored leaves: Fungal leaf spot diseases are spread by water splash. Don’t mist leaves directly and space/prune plants for better air flow.

Curled leaves: Could indicate insect infestation like aphids or mites. Isolate and inspect plants closely, spraying leaves with insecticidal soap. Sticky traps can also catch pests.

Root rot: Identified by foul odor, slimy roots and wilting. Usually caused by too much moisture. Repot plants in new, sterile soil mix and pot with drainage.

With attentive care in meeting plants’ light, water and nutritional needs – plus watching for pests – you can avoid most problems with indoor herbs.

Get Growing!

Now that you’re armed with tips for indoor herb gardening success, it’s time get planting! Start seeds or pick up a few herb plants on your next trip the garden center. Soon you’ll have fresh parsley, basil and cilantro ready to flavor your recipes. Position herb pots in sunny windows where you’ll brush against and smell the lovely aromas every day.

In no time at all, you’ll be reaping organic herbs, adding garden-fresh depth to home cooking. The end result is well worth the modest effort to care for these hardy, useful herbs. Before you know it, your indoor garden will transform into a productive, beautiful spot brimming with possibilities.