In this post we will show you how to create your indoor garden of fresh herbs that can be so satisfying from parsley to basil, fresh herbs can make your everyday meal feel like 5-star dining. We include 23+ Brilliant Indoor Herb Garden Ideas to help make your home feel amazing.
For fresh herbs all year round, you’ll need to bring the garden indoors. Not only will you have the fresh ingredients you need, but you’ll also add a little life and air to your space thanks to your growing greens. Whether you’re ready for a small sage plant in your kitchen or want to dive into a full garden, these indoor herb garden ideas will make your space look—and smell—great.
I love herbs, and growing them indoors is easy. Herbs add a texture, feel, and scent to a room or a garden that is unlike any other plant. And, there is nothing like cooking with fresh herbs! But if you are like me, you like to do most things just a little bit differently following are some great ideas. Enjoy.
Which Herbs to Use when Cooking
The first step to any indoor herb garden is, of course, choosing your plants. The best herbs for you will depend, first and foremost, on your taste (there’s really no point in growing an herb that no one in your family will eat. The most popular ones that we use are:
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Basil
Parsley
Oregano
Thyme
Cilantro
Chives
Rosemary
Mint
Lemongrass
Sage
Bay Laurel
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Mkono Macrame Hanging Planter with 3 Ceramic Plant
Window Garden Double Veg Ledge – Suction Cup
Sonkir Soil pH Meter, MS02 3-in-1 Soil Moisture/Light/pH
Umbra Triflora Hanging Planter for Window, Indoor Herb Garden
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Back to the Roots Aqua Farm, 3600gm
COLMO Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit Herb Planter Seed
9 Herb Window Garden – Indoor Herb Starter Kit
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Provide Strong Light For Your Indoor Herb Garden
The more light you can provide for your indoor herb garden, the better off they will be. Did you know the intensity of the light contributes to the flavor of your herbs?
Herbs grown in strong bright light will most definitely have the best flavor. Good strong light also encourages their growth. Providing enough light is one of the most important factors in successfully growing herbs indoors.
Herbs prefer 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. A bright, sunny window or sunroom is an ideal location for growing herbs indoors. Southern-facing windows are the best choice. You can add a small table directly in front of your window if the window sill is simply not large enough to comfortably fit your pots.
The Temperature Should Be Between 60-70 Degrees
Temperature is another important factor in successfully growing herbs indoors. The ideal temperature for most herbs is between 65 to 70 degrees, which works very well in most home environments.
Occasionally when you want to slow the growth of your herb plants, the temperature can be reduced further to between 60-65 degrees. Some plants require a dormant period. If you are overwintering plants indoors, you can store them in a cooler location.
Do take care when placing herbs directly next to the window. If the leaves are touching the glass, they could burn as the glass heats up with the reflected sunlight.
Slow Thorough Watering is Best
The key to watering herbs indoors is to allow the pots to dry out somewhat in between watering. Test the soil by using your finger. If the soil is dry about 2 inches below the top (give or take, depending on the size of the pot) then it is time to water.
Don’t worry that this is too dry & will harm your herb plants. The soil dries out from the top first, so although the top is dry, the soil is probably plenty moist at the bottom of the pot. The goal is to get the roots to grow deep down looking for water. This encourages a strong healthy root system.
The Best Herb Pots For Your Indoor Herbs
Drainage
- Any pot used to grow herbs indoors needs to have adequate drainage holes. Herbs do not like to be kept in standing water, so there needs to be a way for the water to drain out of the pot.
Saucers
- Whenever you’re using pots, you want to make sure you have a saucer to place under them. Saucers catch all the water that drains out and protect the surface underneath your pot from any potential water damage. Most pots have matching saucers, but you can also buy plastic saucers that have a low profile and work just as well.
Size
- The second most important consideration in selecting the best pot for your indoor garden plants is to select pots that are correctly sized for the type of herb you are growing.
- For example, basil has longer roots & will benefit from a deeper pot. If you choose a pot that is too big, it will be harder to keep the soil evenly moist. If the pot is too small for your plant, your herb’s growth may be stunted.
Materials
- Choose an indoor herb pot based on the humidity level of your home. The amount of moisture can be controlled by the type of pot you choose.
- Ceramic pots will hold in the water, while clay pots can dry out faster. If you have a drier environment, use a ceramic pot instead of clay or porous pots.
Grow Each Herb in A Separate Pot
When growing herbs indoors, don’t combine multiple herbs in one container. This is a fine practice when growing herbs outside or if you have a self-contained light system such as the Aerogarden setup.
You may need to rotate your herbs to improve the air circulation or adjust the amount of light they receive. One herb may come under attack by an indoor pest like fruit flies or need to be soaked in the sink if you forgot to water it. It is much easier to grow herbs inside when you use separate pots. This allows you to address each plant’s needs individually.
The Best Indoor Potting Mix
The indoor herb garden requires a potting mix that provides additional drainage. When selecting a potting mix, look at the label and make sure it is suitable for indoor garden plants.
If you have a potting mix that seems heavy, you can add some perlite or vermiculite to the mix. Vermiculite will actually hold the water in a little more if you have a very dry climate.
Make your own potting mix blend with coco peat or peat moss, perlite, and coarse sand. This is an economical solution to commercially prepared blends and it lets you modify the ingredients to better suit the types of herbs you are growing.
Moisture-loving herbs like mint appreciate a little extra peat. And Mediterranean herbs like it on the drier side, so you can add more sand.
Feed Your Herbs With A Seaweed
The best type of fertilizer to use for herbs is either seaweed extract or fish emulsion. Both have a higher concentration of nitrogen which promotes strong leafy growth. During active growth, such as the summer months you should fertilize once a week. For slower growth periods this can be reduced to once a month.
- Sea Magic Dry Soluble Seaweed Extract which contains micro-nutrients and amino acids to promote healthy disease-resistant plants.
- Neptune Harvest’s Fertilizer is a blend of fish/seaweed blend fertilizer in an easy to use bottle.
Conclusion
There is nothing like cooking with fresh homegrown herbs, We hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful. Lots of ideas for all your spaces.
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