7 Important Tips To Grow An Indoor Herb Garden

Don’t be afraid to grow an indoor herb garden. We’ve got 7 important tips to help your plants thrive plus our favorite indoor gardening supplies.

A few years ago I made slatted mini crates that each held three 4″ clay pots. These were birthday gifts for my friends, so they could grow herbs indoors.

Ever since then I wanted to try growing herbs indoors, too. But the last few years have been hard. Kim’s anxiety levels mean she needs more from me, so when she’s feeling better, I tend to take the chance to relax. I hate to admit it, but age has really affected my energy levels.

But lately the idea of growing herbs to use in cooking sounds so appealing, so I’ve been doing a little research.

Tips to grow an Indoor Herb Garden

Here’s what the experts say:

1. Pick the right plants.

A green thumb, like my mom was, can grow any plant indoors. Newbies should think about choosing easy care plants like basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme.

I have rosemary growing in my yard, and I don’t use thyme. But the rest sound like plants I’d like to try.

Most of the experts say a first-time grower should stay away from trying to grow your plants from seed. Purchase seedlings from a garden shop for best results.

2. Herbs don’t like wet roots.

When you shop for those special planters to match your kitchen décor, make sure they have drainage.

My mom was known to start plants in large margarine containers. She would poke holes in the bottom and use the lid underneath it to catch the drainage. She grew up in the Great Depression of the 1930s, so she knew every trick in the book to save money. If she needed her margarine containers or ice cream pails to look nice, she’d crochet a pretty cover for them or wrap them in fabric.

3. Plants need room to grow.

The size of the pot will affect the growth of the plant.

The smaller the planter, the sooner those spreading roots will fill a small pot and you will need to get bigger and bigger pots. However, you may want to keep your plants a certain size so they don’t take over your kitchen. Just take them out of the pot, divide the plant at the roots, and repot the part you want into new potting soil back in the same pot.

4. Herbs like lots of sunlight.

Your indoor garden needs at least six hours of bright sunlight each day to grow properly. A south window is the best, with east or west being next best.

My kitchen doesn’t have direct sunlight. The windows are shaded by the patio, so grow lights will go into the light above the plant shelf. The ideal would be timers on the lights, so they don’t get too much light. That can be as harmful as insufficient light, giving them a pale, washed out look, which would mean they wouldn’t have the nutrients and flavor of darker leaves.

5. Watering is sort of important.

Herbs do grow with surprisingly small amounts of water. So don’t over water, but don’t forget to give them a drink once in awhile.

Let the soil get slightly dry, then water sufficiently, but don’t flood them. If the leaves turn yellowish, cut back on the water.

6. Harvest often.

Herbs produce their best flavors on new growth. So keep them trimmed even if you’re not cooking a lot. Dry the cuttings for later, or share them with the neighbors. Even small pots can grow fast enough to keep up with the average family’s flavoring needs. While the ends of the plants need trimming, don’t cut more than 1/4 of a plant off at one time. It will cause the plant too much stress and regrowth will take longer. Think of your trimming like a landscaper with his hedge shears. A little off the top to keep them looking good.

And if you grow mint, be aware that it’s a ground cover. Don’t even think about putting your extra mint into a garden. Always plant it in a pot, unless you want to be pulling mint like weeds all summer.

7. Humidity and Temperature

Indoor herb gardens want the same type of atmosphere they’d get outdoors. A little humidity causes them to thrive, so growing them by a sink would be a good choice.

Most herbs can stand quite a bit of heat, but sudden changes in temperature will affect them. Room temperature is good, however, if you let the house get below 50° F the plants might not like you very much.