5 Helpful Tips for Growing an Indoor Herb Garden

If you’ve always thought of growing an indoor herb garden in your kitchen but keep putting it off because you don’t think you have a “green thumb” or it seems too difficult, don’t worry! We are here to help. 

Growing an indoor herb garden does not have to be difficult if you know a few simple tips and tricks that make indoor gardening successful. We’ve put together some of the most important information to help get you started growing some of your favorite herbs in your very own kitchen!

Here are 5 helpful tips for growing an indoor herb garden:

1. Choose appropriate containers and give each herb its own pot

2. Use appropriate indoor potting mix or soil and fertilizer

3. Position herbs to receive strong sunlight

4. Maintain proper indoor temperature

5. Ensure slow, even, and infrequent watering

1. Choose appropriate containers and give each herb its own pot

Growing an indoor herb garden successfully starts with choosing appropriate containers for your herbs.

Drainage

One of the most important things to consider when choosing an appropriate container for your herbs is drainage. 

Herbs do not do well being kept in standing water. So a good container for growing herbs will have a way for water to drain out. Look for proper drainage holes. Or if you are repurposing a container to be an herb pot, make sure you create adequate drainage holes in the container.

Catch tray

Since drainage is an important factor, saucers or a catch tray can help you catch the drainage. If there is nothing beneath the pot to catch the drainage, this can cause a mess and damage over time to surfaces. 

Anything from a simple and cheap plastic plant saucer from a garden store to a decorative tray or plate you want to use will work well.

Capacity

Another important consideration for choosing an appropriate container for growing an herb indoors is the capacity and overall size. 

Different herbs have varied root size capabilities. If the container is too large for the roots, it will be difficult to keep the soil in a state of even moisture throughout, causing dry patches and uneven root growth. Alternately, if the container is too small, this can stunt the growth of the roots and plant as a whole. 

Type

When choosing the right containers for the herbs in your indoor herb garden, consider the humidity level in your home environment. 

Different materials are varyingly porous in nature. Some materials like ceramic or metal hold in moisture, while materials such as clay are relatively porous and allow moisture to escape faster. 

If you live in a sufficiently humid environment, a clay pot will work fine. However, if you are in a dryer environment, a pot made out of clay, metal, or another nonporous material will keep your herbs from drying out too quickly.

Use individual pots for each herb

Growing an herb garden indoors is much different than having the preferable conditions of a garden outside. 

One way this difference affects your indoor herb garden is crowding. If you have an herb garden outside in the ground, there is plenty of space and it’s okay to plant multiple herbs together. But in an indoor environment, this overcrowding will stunt the growth of one or more plants. 

Avoid this by planting just one herb plant per container so each one gets all the nutrients, moisture, sunlight, and space it needs to fully grow. 

2. Use appropriate indoor potting mix or soil and fertilizer

Another important factor when growing an indoor herb garden is the type of potting mix or soil used. 

Potting mix or soil

As mentioned before, drainage is extremely important for growing herbs indoors. Different soil types and potting mixes allow drainage better than others. 

Never use soil straight from your backyard for your indoor herb garden. It will be much too compact to allow proper drainage and may contain bugs and pests that you do not want in your home. 

Potting soil and potting mix are different. A potting mix contains soil mixed with aerators such as perlite that produce a mixture that is lighter and encourages drainage. You can purchase a reliable potting mix. Or to be more economical long-term you can also create your own potting mix, making sure to use all the proper elements.

Fertilizer

Another important factor to consider when it comes to the soil for your indoor herb garden is fertilizer. 

Using a fertilizer that is seaweed or fish-based is best for your herbs. These substances have a high nitrogen content and promote the healthy growth of leafy greens.

In the summer months when plants experience a strong growth phase, fertilize your herbs once a week. In the months that your plants experience a slower growth phase, they should only require fertilizer about once per month.

3. Position herbs to receive strong sunlight

The next factor to consider for successfully growing an indoor herb garden is sunlight. 

It’s no secret that plants need sunlight to grow. But a little-known fact is that the boldness of the flavor of your herbs is influenced by the intensity of the light involved in their growth.

Most herbs require about 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. So place your indoor herb garden in front of a big, sunny window that gets plenty of sunlight throughout the day. 

If your living space doesn’t allow for much natural light, don’t give up on growing an indoor herb garden of your own! Add an artificial light that works well for growing plants indoors. Or consider an indoor self-contained planting system such as an AeroGarden to easily grow just the herbs you really need. 

4. Maintain proper indoor temperature

Maintaining a proper temperature inside your home is another critical factor to consider when growing an indoor herb garden. 

Herbs are pretty sensitive to temperature, which affects their sturdiness and growth. The ideal growing temperature for herbs is between 60℉ and 70℉. Anything over 70℉ and the herb begins to become limp. Anything under 60℉ causes the plant to grow more slowly. 

There are exceptions, however, such as basil. Basil is fond of slightly warmer temperatures and prefers an indoor environment of about 80℉. 

Preferable home temperature is a common debate many family members and roommates get into. If you’re a fan of keeping the home on the chillier side of 70 degrees, you can add the health of your indoor herb garden to your debate arsenal!

5. Ensure slow, even, and infrequent watering

The watering technique you use also largely influences the success of growing an indoor herb garden.

When an herb is grown in a pot, the soil on the top becomes dry faster than the soil in the bottom. So just because the topsoil is dry doesn’t mean the roots are not getting any moisture. 

In fact, it is preferable with an indoor herb garden to allow the soil to become partially dry before watering again. This encourages a healthy root system by forcing the roots to grow deeper, stronger, and longer to absorb the water. 

Use your finger to test the topsoil. Depending on the size of the pot, wait until the soil has dried out for about 2 inches before watering again. 

When watering your herbs, use a very slow, even pour. Overwatering your plant too fast will cause the water to fall through unevenly and not soak into all of the soil properly. A slow, even pour allows all the soil to evenly soak up all the water it needs until the excess begins to drain out. 

Hopefully, you found these tips for growing an indoor herb garden helpful and will be able to start growing some of your favorites in your home today!

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