Tips for Starting an Indoor Herb Garden

There’s nothing quite like growing your own herbs and having them handy to add to your favourite recipes whenever you need them.

While it is great to have space in your backyard for a big herb garden, this isn’t always possible. You might not have the right soil or climate for it, or you might be living in an apartment or condo that doesn’t have the yard space. Fortunately, you can still grow some herbs indoors by using containers. These tips will help you get started.

Tips for Starting an Indoor Herb Garden

Find the Natural Light

Even herbs that grow well indoors or with shade need some type of natural light. Try to find a location in your home that has the best light, aiming for four or more hours a day of natural light. This might be near the sliding glass door heading out to your patio, or in a south-facing window. Try to avoid north-facing windows as they don’t usually provide enough sun. If you want to see how much sunlight a particular area gets, turn off all the lights in that area, then see where the most light comes in.

Choose the Right Herbs

Most herbs can grow indoors under the right conditions, but some of them do better than others. Some of the easiest herbs to start with indoors are chives, mint, parsley and lemongrass. With chives, they don’t need quite as much direct sunlight, which makes them good for indoor conditions. Mint needs its own pot as it tends to take over, but it grows wonderfully indoors. Lemongrass can be grown without any soil.

Ensure Good Drainage

This is one thing that people are often intimidated by when it comes to growing plants or herbs indoors. Outside, it is pretty straightforward when you are trying to add drainage to plants in containers or those in your yard. However, it is not difficult to add drainage for indoor herb gardens, and it is a really important step in the process. For good drainage, you want to put the herb in a potted plant with soil, but one that has holes in the bottom. This should then be placed on a pan that is able to catch the water. You don’t want moisture to get through the saucer, so metal and plastic are good materials to use.

Maintain the Indoor Temperature

While many herbs can be grown in containers inside your home, you still need to pay attention to the climate. This includes checking the temperature in your home and making sure it doesn’t get too cold or too hot. A temperature of around 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit is usually ideal. Have a thermometer attached to the window where the plants are being kept so you can see what the actual temperature is near the plant. This will be the most accurate reading.

By following these simple tips when starting your indoor herb garden, you will soon be well on your way to enjoying fresh herbs to use all year round.

Want to get started with indoor herb gardening? Find out the top 3 easiest herbs to grow indoors.