How To Grow Herbs Indoors: A Beginner’s Guide
There’s nothing better than growing something fresh right at home that you can use in your daily meals. An indoor herb garden is a great way to add delightful flavors to your meals and beautiful colors to your home. Here is a beginner’s guide on how to grow herbs indoors to get you started on your garden.
Choose Herbs That Will Thrive Indoors
Growing herbs indoors is a fun way to add something fresh to your cooking. It also makes it easier to harvest, since they are conveniently growing in your kitchen, with no need to go all the way out into the garden to get them.
Herbs can be grown both outdoors and indoors; however, there are certain types that tend to thrive indoors more than others. Before you start your indoor herb garden, make sure to carefully select the types of herbs that you want to plant.
Luckily, there are many popular herbs that can be grown indoors. With proper care and consideration, you can grow these delightful herbs to use in your meals and create a beautiful atmosphere in your kitchen and home. Here are some of the most popular herbs that you can grow indoors.
Types Of Herbs To Grow Indoors
- Basil
- Chives
- Mint
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Thyme
Plant Your Herbs In Suitable Containers
Container Types
Herbs can be grown indoors in almost any type of container you want. Whether it’s a small terracotta pot, a plastic planter, a mason jar, or something more unique, you can expect your herbs to thrive so long as you take care of them properly.
Size Of Container
Your container size can also vary; however, keep in mind that if you plant your herbs in a small container, you will have to harvest them more often and you may have to transfer them to a bigger container as they continue to flourish.
Other Things To Consider When Choosing A Container
- Any container you use for your herbs should have drainage holes at the bottom.
- Since you’re growing the herbs indoors, you’ll want to place a protective saucer underneath the containers to protect your counter and other surfaces.
- If you’re planting in a mason jar or another unique planter, make sure to put an additional layer at the bottom of it to contain extra moisture. You can accomplish this with pebbles or other small rocks.
Grow Your Indoor Herbs With Proper Care
It’s important to take care of your herbs so they’ll grow to their fullest potential and thrive in your indoor environment. If you put time and effort into your herb garden, you’ll be happy with your successful results.
First, you should find all of the sunniest spots in your house. Your herbs will need about six hours of sunlight per day; it’s crucial for their growth. Place them right near a window that receives the most direct sunlight. Try to avoid placing your herbs in the center of a room because they won’t get enough light.
Next, make sure you water your herbs regularly, but not too often. Overwatering can cause damage to the plants, so you’ll want to avoid drenching the soil. Instead, only water the plant when the soil is dry. That way, you’ll give your plants the correct amount of water they need to grow properly.
Lastly, make sure to always check the protective saucer underneath your plants. You’ll want to clean that regularly to avoid any build up or potential mold. Keeping everything clean will help you keep your herbs fresh and healthy.
Harvest Your Indoor Herbs Strategically
While you may be eager to harvest all your herbs to use them for cooking, make sure you do this strategically.
Don’t remove more than a quarter of the plant at a time, otherwise you will do more harm than good. Regularly clip off a few sprigs at a time to keep your herbs healthy and to encourage more growth.
Regular harvesting will help your plants continue to grown and flourish. Make sure to take caution when clipping off the sprigs. You can use kitchen shears to cut them or you can carefully pull some off with your fingers.
Move Your Herb Plants Outdoors When They’re Full Grown
While you can maintain indoor herbs for a decent amount of time, you can’t necessarily keep them growing indoors forever. When your herbs start to outgrow your indoor containers, you need to move them in order to help them continue growing. It’s best to grow herbs indoors in the wintertime and move them outdoors during the spring and summer. However, this decision can vary depending on the type of plant and the situation.
You can transplant your herbs outside in a couple different ways. You can either move them to grow in the soil on the ground to allow for a large herb garden, or you can transfer them to a large outdoor planter. Just remember that you should always move them back inside right before the first frost arrives.
When To Move Your Plants Outdoors
- When the roots are growing out of the drainage holes or when the plant is starting to droop over the side of the container.
- After winter has passed and warmer weather can nourish the herbs to grow outdoors.
- When the plant can no longer fit in an indoor container and needs to be moved outdoors into the ground.
Do you want to grow a beautiful indoor and outdoor garden this spring and summer? Check out our selection of garden decor, planters, live flowers, outdoor lighting, and more!
Very well written article. I am going to buy some more herbs this Spring.