The nice thing about growing your own herbs is that you can grow them pretty much anywhere, indoors or outdoors. They take up very little space, need minimal care, and even the smallest harvest from the plants can be very rewarding.
But should you grow your herb plants indoors or outdoors? Does it matter? The truth is, it is totally up to you. Some gardeners and cooks like having plants both indoors and outdoors to ensure year-round harvesting and to always have fresh herbs to add to dishes in the kitchen.
Herbs Don’t Take Up Much Space Either Way
Don’t worry if you’re limited on space – you don’t need much space to grow herbs. You can grow several varieties in just a single planter if you want. That works both indoors and outdoors. Apartment balconies, tiny patios, and kitchen windowsills are all fine and dandy if you don’t have a big patch of garden to plant your herbs in.
If you opt to grow indoors ther is no shortage of fun kits and decorative window sill pots that you can choose from, including countertop hydroponic kits that help you grow fresh herbs quickly and effectively with very little care. If you decide to go outdoors with your planting, you can use up the outer edges of raised bed vegetable gardens, go for containers, or get creative and use things like wagon wheels and old tires for your herb garden.
I have a tiny kitchen inside, but I live in an area where it’s warm year round and we don’t get a hard frost, so I opted to put mine outdoors on the patio in containers. That way if it does happen to get really cold once in a blue moon I can grab the pots and bring them inside for the night.
If Amount of Sun is an Issue, Some Herbs Grow Well in Partial Shade
Sometimes when you choose to grow your herb garden indoors you have to deal with finding the best spot to put them so they get enough sunlight throughout the day. It can also be an issue on apartment balconies or very small yards. No worries, even with minimal sunlight exposure you can still have fresh herbs grown at home.
A few shade tolerant herbs that you might want to try include:
- basil
- chives
- mint
- rosemary
- lemongrass
- parsley
Even with Almost No Natural Light, Hope is Not Lost!
If you decide to grow indoors and are still having a difficult time getting the right amount of sunlight through your windows, you can always try a planter with artificial sunlight attached to it. They’re a little expensive, but the rewards of owning one can be delicious in the kitchen. There are several varieties and sizes to choose from (small for two or three herb plants, medium for lettuces and herbs, and big for cherry tomatoes and other small vegetables) so it makes sense to shop around a bit and find the best planter for your situation.
Ultimately, it comes down to preference. Herbs can be grown both indoors and outdoors, so weigh your options and go for the place that has the best sun, the most space, or just go all in and have planters both indoors and outdoors.
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