growing herbs indoors  

Even a few potted herbs indoors can give you amazing flavors all year round at your fingertips. All you need is a sunny window or grow lights. Here are seven herbs that will grow well indoors and give you beauty, taste, and aroma in winter!

Everyone has some herbs that you can't do without. We are big fans of fresh basil, rosemary, and oregano. Herbs are easy to like because they add flavor to dishes - and a beautiful aroma to the kitchen.

These herbs can be grown indoors in winter but at any time of the year. Indoor herbs prefer the same temperature that most people do - about 65 to 70 degrees F - so this is a comfortable relationship!

The best herb to grow indoors

Greek oregano is a perennial propagated by the root system. If you have an installed plant, cut it into pieces and bring it inside. New plants can be started from seed but it can take a few months to reach the harvest level.

Basil is annual, so it is best to start new plants from seed or cuttings from the established plant - they will root in water. Varieties of small leaves such as dwarf Greek basil or ‘Finisimo verde’ are ideal for windowsill culture, but I still grow the ‘Genovese’ pot and reduce the size by frequent pruning.

Thymes like caraway, lemon, French with short leaves, and English garden thyme are all good recipes. They are perennial (although some are not hard to spot where you live) and can separate new plants from the parent plant.

Parsley is a biennial plant that goes into sowing in its second season. If you are growing an existing plant, use a deep container to avoid injuring the root of the tube. You can start new plants from seeds.

Sage can be grown by cutting or dividing a perennial and delicate wood. If you prefer the ornamental plant to the ordinary garden sage, try the three colors or gold color. Their taste is not pronounced but they grow well indoors.

Rosemary is a soft perennial that I live with, so I grow it outside in a pot so I can bring it in when the weather cools. If there is a plant installed outside you can cut. Rosemary may be troublesome. It requires bright light, cool space, plenty of air circulation, and frequent fog but is worth the extra bombing effort, especially as it rewards you with its delicate blue flowers.

It is best to start with coriander seeds but they will grow faster. Use this before flowering for the best taste. Continue to plant new plants from seed as needed.

The seven herbs listed above have herbal growing guides for information on planting, growing, and harvesting.

Note: Not every herb grows well indoors. Forget coriander (coriander), dill, and other spices in their seeds. Parsley does not work well when grown indoors from seed, but the plant installed from the outside can be brought inside and grown well in pots. The French Tarragon and Chives especially benefit from the cold season, so they are not the best candidates.

Herbs Starting From Seeds Vs. Small plants

Perennial herbs like rosemary, Greek oregano, and thyme are easy to grow from the young plants you buy at a garden center.

If you are buying small plants, it is important to check for pests, especially aphids (sticky residues) and spider mites (fine webs between and between leaves).

Use small plants from your garden

You can also use small plants dug from the garden.

Cut down any plants that have been dug to bring them inside. They may experience some trauma and may take some time to repair and begin to grow again.

Be sure to use a pot large enough to accommodate rootballs and remove as much old soil as possible to remove any pests or their eggs.

Isolate them from your other houseplants for a few weeks and spray with a soapy water solution every 3 to 7 days.

To encourage new growth, start fertilizing as soon as you move them to your sunny window.

Tips for growing herbal interiors

Light

Keep in mind that herbs are sun-worshipers that grow in the Mediterranean, so they need a lot of light.

Herbs need 6 to 8 hours of bright light. South-facing windows to rosemary, thyme, basil, and oregano are generally warmer and better choices. Bright light Prum east and west-facing windows are fine but are best for unpacked herbs like parsley, chives, and chervil. Herbs do not tolerate north-facing windows.

We recommend installing auxiliary lighting to ensure strong growth. Grow lights will work for any herb as long as the light intensity is sufficient. Place the plants within a foot of the full-spectrum bulbs and leave for 12 to 16 hours a day or as instructed.

Soil and food

Be careful not to overwater the herbs.

High tropical or semi-tropical herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano) work well with equal parts of cactus mixture and regular potting soil. Let the soil dry slightly before watering.

Other herbs thrive in regular potting soil. Keep the soil slightly moist, but never wet.

Fertilize with liquid houseplant fertilizer once or twice a month.