How to Start an Indoor Herb Garden: Your Guide to Fresh Greens

Creating an indoor herb garden is more like bringing a slice of nature’s flavour factory into your home. Imagine plucking off a few leaves of basil for that awesome pasta sauce you’re cheffing up, a constant supply of mint for your TGIF mojito rounds, or better yet, snipping up chives to garnish your soup. All of these from plants you nurtured to full growth all in your apartment. With a bit of planning, a few essentials and a can do attitude, you can have a thriving indoor herb garden for your daily needs, even if you have limited space or a non constant source of natural light.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the 5 key steps you need to get you started on the journey to building your own indoor herb garden, from choosing the right herbs to ensuring the all the light and nutrients they need. So, grab a pot, some soil, and get ready to bring your herbs to life indoors.

Step 1: Choosing the Right Herbs

You want to create an indoor herb garden. The first step to ensuring your success is to actually know what herbs you want to grow. Some herbs are more forgiving than others when it comes to lighting and daily care needs (great news for someone who - at least at the beginning - will often forget to tend to the precious little plants).

Let’s look at some top choices and what makes them good fits for your indoor herb oasis, at least at the beginning:

1. Basil: An annual herb with a lifespan of about 6-8 months. It requires regular pruning to keep it bushy and flavourful. Loves direct light and can also be watered around once a week or when the top soil is dry.
2. Mint: A fast grower that does best when it’s planted in its own pot. Planting it in its own pot prevents it from spreading uncontrollably. Usually requires lots of light to grow and develop flavour. Excess water can easily cause harm, so water about once a week or when the top 2 inches of soil is dry.
3. Chives: They are hardy perennials. They can stand up to low temperatures and survive. This makes them a long lasting choice for your garden. They are an excellent companion plant that deters pest. Grows best in full sun. Water once or twice a week, or more often in dry conditions.
4. Parsley: A biennial (two year) life cycle popular and flavourful cooking herb. Thrives on direct light for about 6 to 8 hours a day. Needs consistent moist soil, but you should allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry before watering.
5. Rosemary: A safe herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. Thrives on direct light for at least 6 hours a day. Because its needles (leaves) do not wilt as broad leaves do, it’s sometimes difficult to determine when it needs water. Water around every 1 - 2 weeks (when the soil is completely dry).
6. Thyme: A perennial herb performs well in somewhat dry, sunny conditions. Should be placed in a bright window that receives around 8 hours of direct light a day. Doesn’t really need much water. Watering every 10 to 15 days is fine (at least when the top 2 inches of the soil gets dry).

When selecting herbs to grow, consider the lighting availability in your own (or if you have access to grow lights which can substitute for natural lights) and also the amount of free space you have for the plant. Also consider selecting a mix that suits your cooking style so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. Basil, mints, and chives are more popular amongst beginners because they are especially forgiving and rewarding to grow indoors.

Step 2: Finding the Ideal Location for Your Indoor Herb Garden

At this point, you should’ve picked which herbs you want to grow. Now, let’s find the best spot in your home for the little ones. We know now that herbs love light, so your choice of location (the more light the space gets) is bound to affect how well your plants grow. If your apartment, or that special spot in your apartment, gets lots of natural light, then it’s best to just use that spot. If your home, on the other hand, is on the darker side, don’t be sad - grow lights can make up the difference.

Window Considerations

• South-Facing Windows: These are the jackpot for light loving herbs. They receive the most consistent sun light throughout the day and are able to blossom because of this.
• East-Facing Windows: These get regular morning sun light, but as the day goes on, it gets gentler and less intense than direct afternoon sun. Herbs like parsley and mint can do well in east-facing windows
• West and North-Facing Windows: These most often don’t get the required level of sun light for herbs and as such, you may need to supplement with artificial light, especially for light loving herbs like basil and rosemary.

Seasonal Light Changes

Even when you have a south facing window for your plants, there’s a possibility that having grow lights might be beneficial due to seasonal changes affecting the intensity and duration of sunlight. In the winter, light is less intense and days are shorter. Because of this, even south facing windows may not provide enough sunlight. During these times, the use of a grow light can help supplement the amount of lights your plants gets from the sun, thereby saving their lives and preventing them from becoming “leggy” or weak due to the lack of light.

Some Additional Indoor Gardening Placement Tips

Elevate Your Garden: Windowsill, shelf, counter - these are places to put your plants that makes it easier for them to access more natural light. The higher they are off the ground and the closer they are to the window, the better. You can also use plan stands and give it a decorative, cohesive look

Temperature and Humidity: Moderate humidity, temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C) are great conditions for herbs. Placing them near drafts, heating vents, or areas with fluctuating temperatures is a recipe for danger.

Space Requirements: You want your plant to be able to breathe and grow comfortably. You don’t want moulds, or pest issues, especially in more humid areas (according to the tip above, you should avoid very humid areas at all cost). To achieve this, spacing out the plants works best. Leaving a bit of room between each plan promotes airflow. Airflow in turn helps fight against moulds, etc.

Step 3: Gather Essential Supplies for Your Indoor Herb Garden

Okay, we now know what type of herbs we want to grow and we have picked out the perfect spot for it (and also picked out the type of grow lights we need - just in case).

Now, we need to actually gather the supplies that we are going to need for this little indoor herb garden of ours. We’ll specifically be looking into pots, soil, and other tools that will make our lives easier as we embark on this beautiful journey of growing herbs indoors.

Choosing the Right Pots

First, let’s look a the pots.

According to Wikipedia - pot (flowerpots planter, planterette, or plant pot) is a container in which flowers and other plants are cultivated and displayed.

The lives of our indoor herbs depend on the pots, the soil, the water and the amount of light they get. Since pots are so essential to your indoor herbs, let’s look at some of the characteristics our chosen post should have:

• Drainage is Key: Drainage holes allow water to escape. This prevents water logging. Water logging can cause lots of issues, one of which is root rot - a very common issue with indoor plants. If you have a pot you love (due to sentimental value or because of the design) does not have drainage holes, it’s best to either drill some holes or place the herbs in a secondary pot with holes that can sit inside this favourite pot of yours. That way, water can be drained away and you can always have the water drained somewhere and you can easily put it out once it gets filled up to a certain level while still maintaining the usage of the pot you love.
• Ideal Size: 6-8 inches in diameter is an ideal size for a pot for most herbs. This not only provides enough room for the growth of the herb but it also allows to fit well on windowsills or shelves.
• Material: Choosing the right pot material depends on what your watering habits are. If you’re the type that can consistently keep up with the watering process daily without fail then Terracotta might be the right material for you as while it’s breathable, it dries out quickly. Drying out quickly shouldn’t be a problem for you though as you are able to keep up with the watering process daily. On the other hand, for beginners or people who might not be able to keep up with the watering process daily, probably due to a busy lifestyle, a ceramic or plastic material might work. These old moisture longer giving you more time to be able to catch up with the watering process.

Choosing the Right Soil

Soil is the second essential thing your indoor herbs need to survive and live a life of blossom.

Determining the soil that’s right for your herbs needs is a vital decision to make before you go ahead planting.

Potting Mix Over Garden Soil: Indoor plants are fragile and as such might not be able to handle a lot of the pests and diseases that outdoor plants are able to handle (at least to a certain extent). This makes it impractical and unadvisable to use garden soil in your indoor garden. Instead, use a lightweight potting mix. This mix allows for proper drainage and should carry pests and diseases that can harm your precious little indoor plants.

Adding Perlite or Vermiculite: As we’ve discussed before, drainage is very important to indoor herbs. Another thing that’s important to them is aeration - the process by which air is circulated through, mixed with or dissolved in a liquid or substance. To improve these two in your soil, you should consider adding perlite or vermiculite. They improve drainage and aeration, and this in turn helps your herbs establish strong roots and grow faster.

Organic Options: Going organic or not mostly depends on the end goal of your plants. If you plan to eat your plants (if you’re growing edible plants), then organic potting mixes are ideal. They lack synthetic chemicals that can harm you through your plants.

Watering Cans and Other Tools

For your watering can, it should have a narrow stout. This allows you to control water flow effectively. Also, you might want to acquire a moister meter to check soil moisture levels, small shears for pruning, and a spray bottle for misting herbs like basil and mint that enjoy added humidity.

Step 4: Setting Up Proper Lighting

As stated above, light is also some that plants depend on. It is their primary energy source for growth. It is absolutely essential for them, and because we’re growing indoors, we need to take extra care about the light. Many herbs love the sun and rely heavily on bright, direct light to thrive. Because we’re growing indoors, the amount of light the herbs get will vary a lot, especially when there are no south facing windows. In this case, using supplemental light - especially LED grow lights - is often the best way to ensure that your herbs always get the lighting they need, regardless of the amount of natural light your home gets.

Understanding Light Requirements for Herbs

As stated above - in the “Choosing the Right Herbs” section, each herb has its own ideal lighting condition. Knowing what these conditions are and what amount of light is needed for the herb to thrive will help you set up an effective lighting plan.

I will list them here again just to refresh your memory on the lighting conditions of these herbs:

1. Basil: Loves bright, direct light. If you’re using artificial light (we’ll cover this later in this post), basil does best under full-spectrum LEDs. Requires about 6 to 8 hours of light daily - can perform well in partial light but is recommended to have full light for those hours.
2. Mint: Requires lots of light to grow and develop flavour. Most varieties can tolerate indirect light or part shade. Grow lights can be used when natural light is limited. Loves 5+ hours of light
3. Chives: Grow best in full sun, though they are also able to tolerate some shade. Should grow well with around 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Artificial grow lights, like LED grow lights, can be used in absence of natural light
4. Parsley: Thrives on direct light for about six to eight hours a day
5. Rosemary: Thrives direct light for at least 6 hours a day. If growing indoors, then grow light might be needed and it’s best to grow on a south facing windows. Works best with full-spectrum LED lights if access to natural light is limited
6. Thyme: Can tolerate up to 13 hours of light a day. Should be placed in a bright window that receives around 8 hours of direct light a day. Can supplement lighting needs with grow lights using fluorescent or LED grow lights.

💡Pro Tip: Place your herbs near a south facing window if possible, as these typically provide the most intense and prolonged sunlight. For other window orientations, consider supplementing with grow lights

Choosing the Right Grow Light

For grow lights, LED are the ones to go for. They are efficient, long lasting and highly effective on indoor hers. They emit full-spectrum light that very closely mimics the effects of natural sunlight on the herbs, helping them perform photosynthesis and grow properly.

There are two major classifications of LED grow lights:

• Full-Spectrum LEDs: There are designed to provide the right balance of wavelengths that plants need to thrive.
• Regular LEDs: These lack the specific spectrum that plants require to grow and thrive successfully.

When looking at grow lights, going for a Full-Spectrum LED Grow Light would be a wise choice.

Apart from the classifications of grow lights, there are also three major types of grow lights:

• Clip-On Grow Lights: These are ideal for very small setups with just a few posts because there are easily adjustable and also can be easily clipped directly to shelves or counter tops.
• Standing LED Lamps: These are ideal for larger or multiple plants. They allow for greater coverage and many of them come with adjustable heights too, so you can set them up to achieve greater coverage
• Light Panels or Bars: These are perform for herb gardens comprising of multiple pots or trays. They are usually placed over head (maybe hung on the top part of the windowsill or the roof), as hanging them there provides greater and consistent light distribution across all plants.

Light Distance and Duration

You want your plant to grow successfully in a safe environment with everything they need to thrive available to them in the right amount. This aids optimal growth and the placement of your grow lights is one of those things that need to be configured to run from the right distance, in the right amount and with the right duration.

Distance
Grow lights should be positioned at about 12 to 14 inches above your herb. Moving the lights too close can have them touching the leaves and in the worst case scorching them. And having them too far might not deliver the amount of energy needed for the plants to survive. LED light emit less heat than other bulbs so they’re less likely to burn the plants, but it’s still wise to keep some distance because you just never can tell.

Light Duration
As stated above, herbs need a specific amount of light per day to be able to thrive. This applies to the use of grow lights too. A good rule of thumb is to add about 3 to 6 hours more on top of what plants need to thrive on natural light if we’re using grow lights exclusively. For instance:

• Basil and Chives: You should aim for 12 - 16 hours under the grow light daily. This simulates the length of a full day of sunlight and provides ample energy for these light loving herbs.
• Mint: You should aim for 10 to 14 hours as mint doesn’t generally demand as much light as basil and chives.

💡Pro Tip: Be cautious about over-lighting, as constant light exposure can stress plants. Stick to the recommended duration and make sure they get some “dark” time for a natural light cycle.

Monitoring and Adjusting Based on Growth
Okay, how do we know exactly what amount of light to expose our plants to and when it’s either too much or too little. Well, this is where monitoring and taking notes come in.

• Signs of Insufficient Light: if your herbs start to grow “leggy” (tall with thin, sparse stems), this is a sign that the light source is too far and they’re trying to reach for light. You should try moving the lights closer or increasing the duration of the light. When increasing the duration, you can start by increasing it in increments of one hour until you see changes in the plants to determine they no longer suffer from insufficient light
• Signs of Too Much Light: If the leaves start looking pale, scorched, or even dry, this might be a result of too much light. Try reducing the light duration (in decrements of one hour) or increasing the distance between the plants and the lights.
• Rotating Plants: Rotating your plants around every week will ensure that all sides of the plant receives equal light and one side isn’t suffering from shade. This also promotes even growth across the plan instead of one side growing better than the other.

Supplementing with Natural Light
LED grow lights - especially the full-spectrum ones - are highly effective, although combining natural and artificial light is even more beneficial whenever possible. Placing your herbs near a sunny window while also supplementing with grow lights ensures your plant gets bright, consistent light, even on cloudy days or in the winter.

East or South Facing Windows are the best because they provide the longest and strongest light exposure. When placing plants on a window, be mindful of temperature fluctuations and try moving the plants closer to grow lights on darker days to keep the temperature consistent.

Also, natural light varies throughout the year, so adjust your use of grow lights regularly, decreasing it in the summer months while increasing the duration or relying only on grow lights in the winter months will ensure you get the best of both worlds.

Step 5: Planting and Caring for Specific Herbs

Now, your herb garden setup is ready but before you start enjoying the fruit of your labor, there are some nitty-gritty details you need to consider when planting and caring for your herbs. Each herb has its own quirks, care techniques and preferences. An understanding of these will help you give each one exactly what it needs so it can thrive in the perfect (or at least near perfect) conditions.

We’ll focus more on three of the most popular herbs - basil, mint, and chives - because they are both versatile in the kitchen and generally easier to grow indoors.

Basil

Basil is loved for its fresh, peppery flavour and it’s a superstar in the kitchen. It complements everything from Italian dishes to Thai curries. It does require a bit of care and attention, but once you get your setup and routine right, it can thrive all year-round.

Planting Depth and Spacing

• If you’re starting from seeds, they need to be planted at about 1/4 (quarter) inch deep. Include spacing of about an inch apart if you’re growing multiple plants in a larger container.
• If you’re starting with seedlings, when transferring it into a new pot, ensure that the roots are fully covered and the plant is at around the same depth that it was growing at previously.

Light Needs

• If you have natural bright sunlight, keep the basil under about 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day.
• If natural light is limited or you’re going fully with full-spectrum LED grow lights, then keep your basil under the grow light for about 12 to 16 hours a day
• Ensure to rotate the plant every few days to ensure even light exposure as basil tends to grow towards its light source.

Watering

• Basil loves consistently moist soil. Be careful not to water log the soil though. Only water when the top inch of the soil feels dry to the touch, which typically means every 2 to 3 days in warmer, drier environments
• When watering, water the soil directly so the leaves don’t get wet. Wet leaves can lead to some fungal issues.

Pruning and Harvesting

• Regularly prune off the top leaves to encourage bushier growth. Once the plant reaches about 6 to inches in height, you should start harvesting the leaves.
• Do not let the basil flower as flowering can turn the leaves bitter. If you see flower buds forming, prune them off to prolong the plant’s growth phase.

Common Issues

• Yellowing Leaves: This is often due to over watering. To fix or prevent this, make sure the pot has good drainage and the soil isn’t too wet or water logged.
• Leggy Growth: This is often due to insufficient or no light. To fix this, move your basil closer to a light source. You can also consequently increase the time under grow lights incrementally.

Mint

A refreshing herb that grows fast and is ideally used in teas, garnishes and sometimes even in dishes. It can easily take over gardens, so is best to grow it its own pot indoors to keep it contained.

Planting Depth and Spacing

• Its best to grow it in its own pot so it does not spread over and dominate other herbs.
• If you’re starting with seedlings, plant them about 1 to 2 inches deep and ensure that the roots are covered fully to allow some room for new shoots to spread out.

Light Needs

• They can tolerate lower light conditions but more bright and indirect light works best for them.
• If possible, you should give mints about 4 to 6 hours of light per day
• If you are using a grow light, mint will do absolutely well with 12 to 14 hours of light per day

Watering and Humidity

• They enjoy moist soil and can even tolerate some more water than the other herbs on this list. This isn’t license to water log the soil though as it can lead to root rot for the plant. A good run of thumb is to water the soil when the top inch is dry.
• Mist the leaves periodically to create a more humid environment
• Using a pot with good drainage is essential to ensure that the soil doesn’t get waterlogged.

Pruning and Harvesting

• Mints grow very quickly and pruning them often can encourage busy growth and also prevent leggy stems.
• Also ensure to harvest the leaves from the top to ensure the plant fills out more densely
• Pruning and trimming will tend to be more frequently than with other herbs in this list because they grow out aggressively.

Common Issues

• Browning Leaves: This is usually cased by under watering or low humidity. Increasing water supply slightly and also misting the leaves if the air is dry or in warmer conditions can solve this issue
• Sparse or Leggy Growth: This is usually caused by the mint plant not getting enough light. Try moving it to a brighter spot or moving the grow light closer and incrementally increasing the duration of the grow light.

Chives

Hardy and low maintenance. They are an ideal herb for indoor growing. They are perfect for garnishing soup, salads, and potatoes. They are also perennials. This means they’ll keep coming back year after year (depending obviously on if you properly care for them).

Planting Depth and Spacing

• If planting from seeds, sow them about 1/4 inch deep.
• If you’re using seedlings, plant them at the same depth they were in their original container
• As opposed to Mints, Chives grow well in clusters so placing multiple chive plants together in one pots is great for a fuller look.

Light Needs

• They love moderate to bright light. They should ideally get ate least 6 hours of sunlight per day
• If growing under grow lights, then they should be exposed to about 12 hours per day
• Rotating the plant every few days ensures all sides get equal light exposure. This will help keep the growth evenly spread out

Watering

• Chives love the soil slightly moist although they can tolerate drier conditions than basil or mints (they are hardy plants after all)
• Water them only when the top inch of the soil is dry
• Do not overwater though, as this can lead to root rot
• Ensure there is good drainage to prevent waterlogging

Pruning and Harvesting

• Regularly harvest the outermost leaves as this encourages the plant to keep producing new leaves.
• Prune leaves at about an inch off the top of the soil level
• Avoid cutting an entire plant down at once as this can massively hinder regrowth and also cause stress for the plants

Common Issues

• Yellowing Tips: This usually happens due to under watering. Ensure the plant is getting consistent moisture. Watering when the top inch of the soil is dry
• Slow Growth: Chives may grow very slowly or go dormant in cooler conditions. Adjusting temperature or using grow lights in winter keeps them active

Long-Term Care and Maintenance for Indoor Herbs

Now your herbs are established, thriving and providing garnishes for your food and drinks. You might now be wondering about how you keep them healthy and productive for as long as possible. Indoor herbs require more ongoing attention to stay lush and flavourful than their outdoor counterparts and with a bit of maintenance and care, you can enjoy fresh herbs all year-round.

1. Pruning and Harvesting

You should regularly prune your herbs to keep them healthy and encourage new growth. This prevents herbs from becoming leggy and overgrown. It also promotes fuller plants with more leaves for harvest.

You should prune your herbs around every 1 to 2 weeks. Frequent light harvesting is usually better than a single large prune. Pruning lightly, every so often encourages ongoing growth

Use a sharp scissors or herb snips to avoid crushing the stems. Also always cut just above a set of leaves to encourage branching

In the winter months when growth slows, reduce the frequency of pruning to allow the plants be able to conserve more energy.

2. Fertilising

Plants in pots usually use up the nutrients in the soil faster. To solve this issue and to ensure that plants always have access to all the nutrients they need all the time, you need to periodically feed them.

You should fertilise your herbs every 4 to 6 weeks during the growing seasons (spring and summer). Reduce or skip fertilising all-together in the winter months because most herbs go into a slower growth phase during this period.

Using a balanced, water soluble fertiliser at half of the recommended strength to avoid overwhelming the plants. Organic fertilisers are best for herbs intended for cooking as they don’t have synthetic chemicals that can harm either you or the plants.

3. Repotting and Refreshing Soil

As time goes on and your herbs mature, they can become root-bound, or their soil may lose its quality. Repotting allows the root to move to a bigger pot with more space to grow and also refreshes the soil’s nutrient profile

Most herbs need repotting around once a year, typically in the spring. If roots are visible around the edges or poking out of the drainage holes, then it might be time to move the plant up a pot size.

To repot, gently remove the plant from its current pot, shake off excess soil, and place it in a new pot with fresh soil. Ensure to water thoroughly after repotting.

4. Monitoring for Pests and Diseases

Indoor herbs are less prone to pests. This doesn’t mean they can’t still attract insects or develop fungal issues.

The more common pests for herbs are aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies. Always look out for these and when you see them, or any other pests for that matter, rinse the plants gently and use an insecticidal soap spray as needed

Overwatering and poor air circulation can also lead to fungal problems like powdery mildew. To protect against this, ensure plants are kept in well ventilated areas and avoid overwatering.

Conclusion

To sum it all up:

1. Choose herbs that suit your light availability and taste preferences. Some popular ones are basil, mint, or chives.
2. Find the ideal location for your indoor herb garden in your apartment taking into consideration seasonal light changes, space, temperature, humidity and elevation
3. Gather essential supplies for your garden, including the right pots, the right soil and watering cans
4. Set up proper lighting. Natural sunlight are the best to aim for but full spectrum LED grow lights also work well and are ideal for low light environments
5. Care for your plants regularly. Water and fertilise wisely to maintain the healthy growth without overwatering. Prune regularly to promote fuller plant growth and to avoid the herbs from becoming leggy and overgrown. Repot and refresh the soil at least once a year to encourage more growth and to prevent soil from losing its quality and from the herb becoming root-bound. Also ensure to monitor for pests and diseases.
6. And lastly, enjoy the fruits of your labor.

From snipping fresh basil leaves for tonight's pasta to brewing a cozy cup of mint tea, your indoor herb garden is about to become the heart of your home—a little oasis of flavour, fragrance, and fun! So grab those pots, get planting, and prepare to be amazed as your green friends flourish and bring a delightful splash of nature indoors. Let the herbal adventures begin!