How to Grow 8 Awesome Herbs Indoors All Year Long
Growing herbs indoors is a great way to expand your gardening space. Whether you’re growing herbs indoors because of the season or because you’ve outgrown your garden, you’ll love have them close at hand. I have found that not all herbs do well growing in the house; but these 8 seem to consistently do well and keep me in herbs all year long! I like being able to snip off some fresh herbs for recipes without leaving my kitchen! I love having plants indoors and the herbs are a great addition to my Pothos plants and ferns. Growing herbs indoors, like all indoor plants, has great health benefits too! Indoor plants help keep our indoor air clean and so much more!
Herbs Indoors – Tips to Get You Started:
To grow herbs indoors you don’t need special equipment but there are a few things that will make it easier on you, and them.
- Choose an area that gets a fair amount of sun. Even herbs that do well in low light will appreciate a warm sunny area to grow in. This can be a window sill or you can use plant stands near a sliding glass door.
- Try to keep your temps as consistent as possible. If you have huge fluctuations in temps the plants may struggle more than in a consistent environment.
- Don’t put them where they will get direct contact with your air vents for heat or a/c. I have found this dries them out very quickly and they usually don’t make it. However many of the plants like the air circulation of a ceiling fan.
- Choose containers that will hold at least a gallon of soil and make sure it allows water to drain out. You’ll want to protect any area you put your plants, just in case.
- Consider growing from seed. I find the herbs that germinate and start their life in the area of the house I plant to keep them just do better than transplants from outdoors. That’s not to say you can’t grow transplants, but I have had more success when I start with good quality seeds. And grow more than you need – so you can choose the strongest; if they all do well you can share with a friend.
Herbs Indoors – The 8 Best to Grow
- Tarragon
Tarragon is a spice that is under-appreciated. It adds a wonderful flavor, with a subtle hint of licorice, to meat dishes. It can grow quite tall (up to 4 ft) so be sure to give it space. It loves light too so this one does great in a pot by my back door. It isn’t a fussy plant and does well in just about any soil. Not only does is provide delicous flavor, tarragon has some medicinal properties as well! - Thyme
I use a lot of thyme. Before I was growing it, buy fresh thyme to busting my grocery budget. I love it in soups, stews and to flavor my pot roast. But it has many uses and a little goes a long way with thyme. Thyme likes sun and an alkaline soil. Pruning like a shrub keeps thyme healthy. - Chives
I love the mild onion flavor from chives. Great in egg dishes or topping a baked potato – it always adds a little color to the top of a savory dish. Consider making some Chive Blossom Vinegar with the beautiful purple flowers. Chives really need at least 6 hours of good light to thrive. But I have found they enjoy the fluorescent light of the kitchen too. Chives will do well near a fan, where other herbs will not, although they do not care for an overly dry climate. If you find they are shrinking away, even with consistent watering, try misting them with a water bottle to keep humidity up a bit. - Rosemary
Not everyone likes rosemary but I find it delicious. It pairs very well with thyme so I use them as a combo often (see my pot roast recipe). Now I’ll tell you that rosemary can be tricky – I killed a few trying to get it right. But once you get it down, they do well and will keep you in flavor all year long. The number one thing that will take your rosemary down is lack of sun; make sure your rosemary gets the brightest spot in your house; it is going to need up to 8 hours of good bright light. So if you can’t provide that make sure you have some supplemental lighting to keep the plant strong and vibrant. Next, be consistent with your watering – not too much, not too little. If your first or second rosemary plants bites the dust – don’t give up! I should note that rosemary is one that I DO recommend you buy as a transplant, from a reputable nursery; they are not easy to grow from seeds. - Parsley
Parsley is one of the herb staples that almost everyone uses in their cooking and presentations. And thankfully it does great in a pot in the house. Parsley needs good morning light and to be kept warm. It especially prefers consistent watering and will benefit from a wicking or self-watering system. Parsely loves a little fish emulsion every few weeks…if you can stand it. - Oregano
Oregano isn’t just for your Italian dishes! I love to add it to my taco soup and great on meat dishes too. Not to mention that oregano has AMAZING healing benefits. Indoors your oregano will do better away from harsh, direct, light. It, like thyme, likes the more alkaline soil; make sure you have good drainage. You may find that a little organic fertilizer keeps your indoor oregano happier. - Basil
Basil is a staple in many kitchens – both fresh and dried. It has more uses that I can probably list in this article and since most are probably familiar with it, I won’t go there. But do look into all the wonderful varities of basil, you may find that you want more than one! Basil is really one of the easiest herbs to grow indoors; just make sure you have good drainage for your soil and offer it consistent light. - Sage
If you cook poultry then you’ve probably used sage to flavor it. But sage is great with fish, lamb and veggies as well so don’t save it just for the chicken! Sage will do well for you indoors but will probably need a little supplemental lighting to keep it vibrant all winter long. Make sure you soil doesn’t get too wet, it won’t appreciate that either. You want to find a warmer spot in your house to grow your indoor sage as well. Sage is another herb that can grow several feet tall so that is something to consider when you’re deciding where to grow it.
I hope you’ll consider growing herbs indoors this winter or even all year long. They are a wonderful addition to your indoor foliage with lovely culinary and medicinal uses!
