How to Start an Indoor Herb Garden (8 Essential Tips)

Have you been thinking about starting an indoor herb garden?

How useful would it be for you to have the herbs you need at your disposal anytime you need them? If you had a beautiful herb garden right in your own kitchen or patio, you could make that a reality.

Plus, if you enjoy gardening but just don’t have the time or space for a full garden, planting herbs can scratch that itch for now and you can hone your green thumb! And indoor herb gardening is perfect for year-round gardening and cooking with home-grown herbs. YUM!

8 Tips for Starting Your Own Indoor Herb Garden

1. Choose the right herbs

Before you can start an indoor herb garden, you must decide what herbs you’re going to grow. Which ones do you use the most in cooking?

This is a great place to start because you will be motivated to grow them, and you’ll benefit from having them around. Also, consider herbs that you can grow year around. Some great herbs for year-round growth include:

• Oregano
• Chives
• Thyme
• Basil; and
• Rosemary

2. Decide to start with seeds or plants

This is a good next step. You need to know how you will be starting your garden.

Small plants that you can cultivate and grow with care are easier for some people. You can also usually start using them right away.

Seeds take a little extra care and babysitting, you need to plant at the right time of year and take care of them, so they sprout.

I personally decided to short cut it and purchase some plants. I found the cheapest place to purchase them was Trader Joe’s… just $1.99 per plant (as opposed to $3.69 at my local Kroger brand store).

3. Get a good Container for Your Herbs

It’s important to give your herbs breathing room and plant them in their own containers. You’ll also want pots that have ample drainage holes. Terracotta pots are the most popular and a good choice to use since they allow them to breathe.

It’s also important to look for pots that are 6-12 inches deep. I personally love this darling galvanized steel planter (see pic above). It is perfect for my indoor herbs, and is easy to move around the house. Each planter has a drain hold and the tray keeps them together so nicely!

4. Use Proper Soil

This is going to be a very important step. Your soil choice really matters. After you decide what herbs to grow, make sure you get the right soil for your herbs.

Potting mix is usually a safe choice for most herbs. You will also want to have slightly acidic soil.

5. Water Your Herbs

Like any plant, its important to water your herbs, but do not over water them! If you overwater your herbs, this could cause the soil and roots to rot.

If the herb leaves start to turn yellow, this is the first sign of over watering. A good tip to avoid over watering is to make sure that the soil is dry between watering.

6. Herbs Need Lots of Sunlight

Most herbs need around 8 hours of sunlight a day. A southern facing window will be the best spot for your herbs to grow indoors and receive all the sunlight they need.

Another important tip is to make sure your indoor temperature is around 60 to 70 degrees to allow for perfect growth.

7. Prune and Snip as Needed

Some herbs will start to die if they flower, so it’s important to prune, snip, and clip regularly. Study the herbs you’re growing so you know the best tips for caring for them properly. I personally love using some herb scissors.

8. Share your Cuttings with Friends

Once your herbs start growing, you can share your cuttings with friends and neighbors and they can grow their own herb gardens, too!

Conclusion

Even if you’ve never been much of a gardener, you can easily start a DIY indoor herb garden. They are so easy to care for and are so useful to have all year around.

If this is your first time doing anything like this, just start small. As you gain more experience caring for your plants, expand your garden and continue learning! Happy herb growing!

Sources: Kitchen Confidante, More Lifestyle, Spark People

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