Herbs are one of the easiest and most rewarding plants to grow. Most of them can be grown easily from seed or bought as herb plants from our hand-picked selection. They provide you with a rich diversity of flavours and scents. Growing herbs indoors is fun as they can create a beautiful display and keep you supplied with fresh herbs for your cooking.
Many herbs will thrive on a sunny kitchen windowsill, and learning how to grow herbs indoors is very straightforward. Here we will look at growing herbs indoors and how to get the best out of your crops.
How to grow herbs indoors
The first thing to know about how to grow herbs indoors is choosing the right plants. Some plants are better suited to being grown indoors than others. Once you have the right plants, it’s about giving them the correct conditions to grow.
While you can grow your herbs all together in one large pot, it can be difficult to achieve the right conditions for each plant, and one might end up taking over, pushing the others out. So, we recommend growing your herbs in separate pots, as in container gardening.
We have an extensive range of high-quality herb seeds and herb plants selected by our experts for 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Here are some of our favourite herbs you can grow indoors:
Basil
Basil is a firm favourite among gardeners and cooks for its richly aromatic leaves and its soft, delicate texture. It works beautifully fresh in salads or cooked.
Basil needs a warm sunny spot with at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, and temperatures of around 21 degrees C. Easy to grow from basil seeds or cuttings, they are usually grown in clumps, though as they get larger basil plants can be separated to allow them more space to grow. Make sure you have a large enough container with drainage holes, and if the compost dries out too quickly, give it a larger pot. Water only when the surface of the soil dries out, and regularly prune off any flowering stems. Harvest or prune Basil by cutting the stem just above a set of leaves. This will encourage bushy growth with lots of leaves.
Coriander
Another herb that is easy to grow from seed, coriander, is ideal for growing herbs indoors. This short-lived annual plant generally only lasts around 6 to 8 weeks, so if you want a constant supply in your indoor herb garden, make sure to keep sowing coriander seeds at 3-to-4-week intervals.
Coriander plants can be grown all year round, but given too much warmth, it will quickly go to seed, so keep this herb in a cooler position than Basil, ideally below 20 degrees C but above 10 degrees C, with plenty of sunshine. Make sure the compost is well-drained and water it when the top of the compost feels dry. Coriander has a deep tap root, much like a small carrot, so give it a nice deep pot so it can develop well.
Parsley
Parsley plants are loved for their bright, fresh flavour and their crisp, curly or flat leaves. Parsley can be used fresh or cooked, where it will hold its shape well and add a mild, clean and slightly grassy taste.
Parsley prefers a sunny spot with around 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day, and steady, moderate temperatures. It’s easy to grow from parsley seeds, though germination can be slow, so patience is a must! Choose a container deep enough for its taproot, with good drainage. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, and remove any yellowing leaves to keep the plant healthy. Harvest parsley by snipping individual stems at the base; this encourages new growth from the centre of the plant.
Chives
Another popular choice for indoor herb gardening is Chives. With their mild onion flavour, they add a delightful lift to dishes and are best served fresh.
Grow chives in pots all year round. Chive seeds are easy to grow, or you can create plants by dividing an already established clump of chive plants. Like other herbs, they like moist, well-drained potting compost and a bright, sunny position.
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FAQs
Can you grow herbs indoors?
Yes. Growing herbs indoors is easy, but make sure to give them a bright, sunny spot on a windowsill and plenty of drainage. Some herbs, such as Rosemary and Sage, grow into large, woody plants, so after a year or so on your windowsill, you may prefer to plant them outside where they will continue to grow and thrive.
Can herbs grow indoors all year?
Yes, herbs can grow all year indoors. However, you must be able to provide your herbs with enough warmth and light. During the winter months, you will find that herbs such as Coriander plants and Basil plants are slower growing, and therefore care should be taken not to harvest from them too often. Plants need plenty of leaves to photosynthesise, especially when light levels are low.
What herbs should not be grown indoors?
Herbs that should not be grown indoors include Dill and Fennel, these are simply too large to keep indoors, and they will fail to reach their full (and rather wonderful) potential. Chamomile needs a lot of light to flower, so is best grown outdoors. Large, woody herbs such as Sage, Bay and Rosemary will grow much larger outdoors than indoors and be all the happier for it too, though as young plants they can do well indoors. Try our container herbs for an excellent selection of pot-grown herbs, suitable for indoor or outdoor growing.
A Wide Range of Herb Plants and Seeds at D.T. Brown
Now that you know all of our best tips on how to grow herbs indoors, you can get started on sowing your favourites to add wonderful fresh flavours to your home recipes.
At D.T. Brown, we have a diverse range of herb seeds and herb plants to grow, with many flavoursome and aesthetically pleasing cultivars to choose from. With everything from mint seeds to dill plants, all of our plants and seeds are chosen especially for their quality to ensure simple and reliable growth.
If you’d like to know anything more about our many gardening products, contact us today, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
