Indoor Herbal Gardening

Written by Debra Wyatt (last updated January 30, 2023)

The best way to get the freshest herbs is to grow them yourself. The easiest way to start growing an herb garden is indoors on the kitchen windowsill. Growing an herb garden indoors is not a complicated or as hard to do as it sounds. Growing an herb garden doesn't take anymore time than growing any other houseplant.

There are some things that one should keep in mind when growing an indoor herb garden. Lighting, temperature, soil, water, fertilizing, and airflow are just a few things that should be considered when growing an indoor herb garden (or any houseplant, for that matter).

When planting herbs or other houseplants one needs to give thought to the lighting that is available. If planting an herb garden on the windowsill remember that a plant requires at least six hours of natural light. If there isn't enough natural light then plan on using artificial lights. It takes about fourteen to sixteen hours of artificial light to equal that of six hours of natural light. If the plants begin to get long stems and the leaves seem to fade or simply fall off then the herbs are not getting enough light. Increase the light by changing the location of the plant so that there is more natural light, or increase the hours of the artificial lights.

Try to keep indoor temperatures between 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If the house gets too cold, under 60 degrees Fahrenheit, it can shock the plant, making it hard for the plant to thrive. If the plant gets too hot it will change the watering and maintenance and then extra care will be needed.

Proper airflow keeps bacteria and pests down. The air needs to keep moving around the herb garden. It sometimes seems that gardening inside increases the pest problems of gardening. Part of this is due to the lack of air movement in the house. To prevent this from happening it helps to watch the garden carefully. When you first see the pests on the plants remove as much as you can by hand picking them off. Then using a soapy spray, spray on the plants both on top of the leaves and underneath to control the pest problem.

The soil for an indoor herb garden needs to be light with good drainage. There are two options when it comes to using soil for your herbs. One is to buy the soil specifically for the herbs or, two, make your own mixture of soil. A good mixture for making your own soil would be mixing in three equal parts of soil, sand, and peat moss.

An indoor garden needs to be fertilized just as much as an outdoor garden. When it comes time to fertilize the herbs remember that they require a different schedule than what is normally used for gardening outdoors. With an indoor garden that is growing all year long you need to watch and maintain the garden according to the type of plant that it is.

Watering your herb garden requires careful attention, but doesn't require any more time than working on an outdoor garden. Different herbs do require different amounts of water. Some herbs need extra moisture while other herbs require a drier environment.

Herbs can be used for cooking, their aroma, and for the beautiful flowers they produce. When herbs are used for cooking the herbs can perk up flavor to bland vegetables, meats and stews. With your indoor herb garden, soon you will have some wonderful herbal additions with little fuss. Another great benefit is that soon you will have a healthy hobby that is cost efficient.

Author Bio

Debra Wyatt

Deb has a communications degree and applies her talents to her position as Marketing Specialist at Sharon Parq Associates. In her spare time she spends time with her children and grandchildren and devotes time to her church. ...

MORE FROM DEBRA

Finding Professional Cleaners

The house is out of control and you just don't have the time to clean your home yourself. Then it's time to think about ...

Discover More

Purse Etiquette

A woman's purse is a necessary accessory. To get that finished look the right type of purse should match the style for ...

Discover More

Wearing Button-Down Shirts for Women

Wearing button-down shirts can help create a versatile wardrobe. But, if you are not wearing the right type of shirt for ...

Discover More
More Gardening Tips

Gardening on a Rooftop

If you are lucky enough to have access to the rooftop in your city apartment, you can create a rooftop garden. Rooftops ...

Discover More

Make a Small Garden Look Larger

While we may all wish that we had a large and spacious garden, unfortunately we don't. For those who have to live with ...

Discover More

Planting Along a Sidewalk

Have you ever noticed how there is one area of the home that tends to get overlooked when it comes time to garden? That ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Receive an e-mail several times each week with a featured gardening tip. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Receive an e-mail several times each week with a featured gardening tip. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)