The seven herbs are parsley, chives, chervil, watercress, salad burnet, sorrel and borage. All of these herbs are available from Richters.
You can grow herbs in pots together as long as you remember two rules: avoid mixing those that like plenty of water (such as chives, mint, chervil, coriander, Vietnamese coriander) with those that like a well-drained soil (such as rosemary, thyme, sage, bay, and oregano).
Easy herbs to grow
- Sage. Sage is used primarily in poultry dishes and stuffing, making it a mainstay for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
- Parsley.
- Oregano.
- Mint.
- Thyme.
- Dill.
- Chives.
- Cilantro.
8 of the Best Houseplants That'll Thrive in Any Kitchen
- English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
- Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis Mille)
- Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra Elatior)
- Aluminum Plant (Pilea Cadierei)
- Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)
- Basil (Ocimum Basilicum)
- Snake plant (Dracaena Trifasciata)
- Pothos.
Most herbs need plenty of sunshine in order to grow and reach their full potential. Herbs, like most sun-loving plants that don't receive their minimum daily allowance of sunlight, will end up leggy, awkward-looking and unproductive instead of lush, beautiful, and useful.
Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow indoors, providing you can give it enough light. Alternatively, basil does exceptionally well under lights also, and with a regular compact fluorescent bulb, you can grow enough basil to keep your kitchen stocked all year round.
Growing Herbs in Low Light
- Chervil.
- Chives.
- Cilantro.
- Lemon balm.
- Mint.
- Oregano.
- Parsley.
- Sweet cicely.
10 Easiest Herbs to Grow Indoors
- Chives.
- Rosemary.
- Oregano.
- Parsley.
- Sage.
- Thyme.
- Cilantro.
- Dill.
Create an Indoor Herb Garden: 11 Tips to Grow Your Herbs
- Choose herbs that you plan on using while cooking.
- If you're short on counter space, plant your herbs in hanging pots.
- Think outside the pot.
- Install a window box.
- Or use a terrarium.
- Invest in a smart indoor garden.
- Put your plants in the right spot.
- Grow for good looks as well as taste.
An herb garden can be grown outside or inside depending on your needs, climate and space. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Whether you choose to grow inside or out, all herbs need plenty of sunlight, moderate temperatures, and a soil or potting mix that drains well.
Best garden kits for herbs
- The Smart Garden 3.
- Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 Indoor Home Garden.
- Modern Sprout Growhouse.
- AeroGarden Harvest with Gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit in Cool Grey.
- Worth Garden Self-Dripping Vertical Garden Wall Planters.
- Wally Pro 1 Black.
- Syndicate Sales Stacked Herb Garden.
- Chef'n Microgreens Garden.
Watering: How to Care for HerbsLet the soil dry a bit before watering. Other herbs grow well in regular potting soil. Keep soil slightly moist, but not soggy. Fertilize once or twice a month with a liquid houseplant fertilizer.
How to Keep an Herb Garden Alive
- DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO GROW YOUR HERBS INSIDE OR OUT. In the past, I've opted for indoors but be cautioned that some (not all) herbs need at least four to six hours of direct sunlight.
- ADEQUATE DRAINAGE IS IMPORTANT.
- ALWAYS REPOT YOUR HERBS.
- DON'T OVERWATER YOUR HERBS.
- BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU TAKE CLIPPINGS.
Most herbs need a fair amount of sunlight. As long as an herb is growing in a space where it gets at least 4 hours of sunlight a day, it will most likely do well. Most can tolerate much more sunlight, though, with herbs like rosemary, lavender and basil thriving in full sun (6 – 8 hours a day).
Perennial herbs like sage, thyme, lavender, chives and mint do not need to be replanted each year. But annuals like basil and cilantro will not survive an Iowa winter – so they must be replanted each spring. To make matters more confusing, dill, fennel, and a few other annual herbs reseed each year.
13 Easy Herbs To Grow Indoors
- Chives. Chives grow almost anywhere.
- Mint. Growing mint indoors may be the best plan for most of us.
- Parsley. If you choose to start parsley from seed, soak it in warm water to crack the seed coat before sowing it.
- Basil. Use the smaller globe types of basil for indoor growing.
- Cilantro.
- Thyme.
- Lemongrass.
- Oregano.
It's still well worth growing your own herbs and veggies to save money and have tastier produce at your fingertips. However, some small-scale food crops are easier to grow than others, which is why we collected this list of the best herbs and vegetables to grow at home if you can.
Here are 10 ways I plan to use my herbs now and preserve them for later.
- Freeze Them. Freezing is the best way to store the more delicate (and, in my case, most overabundant) herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley and mint.
- Chop Them.
- Dry Them (in the Microwave!)
- Drink Them.
- Drink Them.
- Make Scrubs.
- Make Oils.
- Make Butters.
Herbs are best harvested in the morning before any essential oils evaporate. You can harvest outdoor evergreen herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme sparingly all year round, but be aware that no new growth will occur until spring.
Herbs that prefer full sun include:
- Basil.
- Chives.
- Dill.
- Oregano.
- Rosemary.
- Tarragon.
- Thyme.
Herbs generally don't need much fertilizing. Too much can cause excess leaf growth and much less concentrated flavor in the harvest. Organic mulch, such as your own compost, often provides enough fertilizer for the whole season.
As well, different
herbs have different moisture needs and
growing them in
pots is an easy way to control soil moisture.
5 Tips for Growing Herbs in Containers:
- Pick the right containers.
- Fill pots with a good quality potting soil.
- Harvest regularly.
- Water consistently.
- Feed occasionally.
Growing Herbs & Herb Garden Care
- Bright Sun for Happy Herbs. Most herbs grow best in full sun. Plant your herbs where they will receive at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day.
- Watch the Water. While herbs appreciate water during especially hot or dry weather, don't overdo it.
To grow, herbs need roots. Potted plants are the easiest to replant, followed by plants with bare roots still attached. Only a few herbs sprout new roots from cuttings, so most cut herbs cannot be replanted.
As long as their roots still appear white and moist (not brown and dry), you can try “saving” them too. Just pot them up (again, at a rate of one to three plants per pot) in soil, as above. Now that your herb plants have room to grow, it's time to consider how you're going to care for them. Start by watering them well.
Like a box of instant cake mix, basil plants just need water. Keep the soil of your basil plants slightly moist at all times. Depending on how much sun your basil gets, you might need to water your basil plant every 1-2 days. But make sure that the pot has good drainage, because soggy soil can lead to rotting roots.
Sunlight. While many herbs tend to be fairly sensitive to too much sunlight, perhaps your herb plant is looking languished due to the lack of sunlight. If one of your plants isn't looking healthy, it might need more sun or it might be getting too much of it, so move and reassess where you're placing them.
You can get extra herb plants for free by dividing up pots of supermarket herbs and growing them on. These are mostly raised from seed, with many young plants tightly packed together in each pot. These can be split into several smaller clumps and repotted at any time during the growing season.
As with most container plants, you'll need to continue to water regularly (probably once every two or three days) and make sure to keep the soil just-moist. Do not let the soil dry out between waterings, and don't overwater either — you don't want it soaking wet, just damp.
A windowsill with southern exposure is often all you need to grow herbs indoors. Most herbs require at least 6 hours of direct sunlight and it doesn't hurt to put them under a grow light. The exceptions to this rule are mint, parsley and rosemary, which can take a little less light.
It is important to keep the soil moist and somewhat cool and to plant the Basil in a large pot; and to pinch off the flowers that begin to form as frequently as you can. Under perfect conditions, Basil plants can grow for up to 6 months in the ground, and up to four months in a pot.
If you already have a favorite basil plant that produces lots of tasty leaves, there's no reason why you can't keep enjoying it indoors throughout the fall and winter. Placed in a cozy spot on a sunny windowsill, it will thrive throughout the cold months.
