As an avid gardener and cook, I love having fresh herbs to flavor my recipes all year round While my outdoor herb garden goes dormant in winter, I easily keep my kitchen stocked by growing herbs indoors. With proper care and conditions, many hardy herb varieties can thrive indoors through the colder months.
Below we’ll cover everything you need to know about successfully growing herbs inside over winter.
Best Herbs for Indoor Growing
Nearly any culinary herb can be grown indoors with the right conditions. Some great options include:
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Basil – Prefers lots of sun. Goes well in Italian dishes.
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Mint – Tolerates lower light. Perfect for teas, desserts, etc.
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Oregano – Loves sunlight. Essential for pizza, pasta, etc.
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Rosemary – Does well in a sunny window. Ideal with meats and roasted veggies.
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Sage – Thrives in sun. Used in stuffing, marinades, and more.
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Thyme – Sun loving. Fantastic with chicken, in soups, etc.
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Parsley – Handles lower light. Works well as garnish or in salads.
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Chives – Tolerates partial sun. Perfect for baking, mashed potatoes, etc.
This list just scratches the surface of what can be grown indoors. Have fun experimenting with your favorite herbs!
Providing Proper Lighting
Herbs need adequate sunlight to maintain their flavor and vigor over winter. When grown indoors, most herbs require:
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At least 4-6 hours of direct sun daily. South-facing windows are ideal.
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Bright supplementary lighting if natural light is insufficient. Use full spectrum LED or fluorescent grow lights.
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Light timers to ensure 14-16 hours of combined natural/artificial light per day.
Monitor herb growth and adjust lighting as needed. Leggy, weak growth indicates insufficient light.
Choosing the Right Containers
Quality containers with drainage holes are a must for indoor herbs. Good options include:
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Terra cotta or clay pots – Allow soil to dry out between waterings.
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Plastic pots – Retain moisture longer than clay.
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Ceramic pots – Come in various styles to suit your décor.
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Hanging baskets – Great for small spaces or cascading herbs like mint.
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Window boxes – Provide ample room for multiple herb plants.
Aim for containers at least 6-8 inches wide and deep for the healthiest root development. Match pot size to the herb’s expected mature size.
Providing Other Care Elements
In addition to proper light and containers, indoor herbs need:
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Well-draining potting mix designed for herbs and vegetables.
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Careful watering only when soil is partly dry. Avoid soggy soil.
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Occasional light fertilizing with balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength.
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Good air circulation from small fans to prevent disease.
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Pest monitoring for aphids, fungus gnats, mites, etc. Treat promptly if found.
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Pruning and Harvesting – Cut back leggy growth and pick leaves often to encourage bushiness.
Adjust specific care methods to suit each herb variety you are growing. Pay close attention to their needs and you’ll have happy, productive indoor herbs all winter long.
Step-By-Step Guide to Growing Herbs Indoors
Follow this simple process for planting and growing indoor herbs successfully:
1. Select a Sunny Window
South-facing windows are ideal. East or west facing can work for some varieties.
2. Gather Containers and Potting Mix
Choose containers with drainage holes and a quality mix formulated for herbs.
3. Take Cuttings from Outdoor Herbs
Take 3-4 inch cuttings from herbs like rosemary in fall to propagate plants for moving inside.
4. Plant Seeds or Transplant Starts
Sow seeds or transplant nursery starts into prepared containers. Bury to proper depth.
5. Provide Light and Warmth
Place in sunny window and maintain temperatures between 65-75°F for optimal growth.
6. Water and Fertilize Moderatey
When top inch of soil dries out, water thoroughly until excess drains from holes. Apply light fertilizer monthly.
7. Monitor for Pests
Watch for signs of aphids, fungus gnats, spider mites, etc. Treat promptly to control.
8. Prune and Harvest
Pinch back leggy growth. Pick leaves often, being careful not to overharvest.
Enjoying the Benefits of Indoor Herb Gardening
There are so many great reasons to grow herbs inside through winter:
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Always have fresh herbs on hand to flavor soups, stews, baked goods, and more
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Add beautiful greenery and pleasant scents to your indoor environment
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Provide your kitchen a taste of summer during the cold months
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Get your gardening fix while snow piles up outside
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Experiment with new herb varieties you can later transplant to your outdoor garden
With the right growing conditions and attentive care, it’s easy to enjoy fresh homegrown herbs indoors all winter long. I hope these tips help you keep your culinary creations flavorful until spring returns again!
Fine Gardening Project Guides
Even though it’s sad to see the summer garden go, gardeners can always do something in the winter to keep their spark alive. Cold-weather gardening techniques show up in different ways.
If you’re a gardener, you might grow a fall garden outside, a greenhouse full of different flowers and vegetables, or an herb garden inside. Finally, there are those of us who do all of the above and are determined to feed our plant addiction all year long.
Like any other houseplant, herbs can be grown indoors. But these plants will do double duty as tasty additions to your winter recipes. You’ll need some sunny windows and an idea of which herbs enjoy what kind of light exposure. I put together a quick rundown for you, although this list is far from exhaustive. Find something you’ve never grown before and experiment. It keeps you young.
The best herbs for a southern exposure
The best place for herbs like basil, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme is in a window that faces south. All of these herbs love sun and want about six hours of it every day. Chives often do well with southern exposure too. Since this is a hot window, make sure the soil doesn’t dry out. You may need to water them more often than herbs in other windows. That said, herbs in general like things on the drier side anyway. The exception I’ve found is chives. I always make sure they’re evenly moist.
4 Easy Herbs to Grow Inside In Winter – From Seed & Cuttings
Can herbs grow indoors?
• Perennial or annual herbs growing in garden soil in the summer can be potted up for winter indoors. Leave the plants in their new pots outdoors in a shady spot for 1 week before bringing them indoors; this will allow them to adjust to the change in light. Be sure to pot up herbs into containers large enough to accommodate their root system.
Can you plant herbs indoors in winter?
Sharing is caring! Pot up herbs for fragrant, fresh green leaves indoors in winter. Herbs set on a sunny window sill through the winter can be used at any time. While herbs are at their best in a sunny garden, many will grow quite well in containers indoors.
How do you grow fresh herbs in winter?
To make sure you always have access to fresh, soft-stem herbs, like basil, lemon balm, and mint, take cuttings of each plant throughout the winter. Place these cuttings in a small vase of water and they’ll soon develop roots. When the roots are a couple of inches long, pot the cuttings to expand your supply of fresh herbs.
How do you grow herbs indoors?
Outside in the garden, herbs grow best in full sun. To grow herbs indoors, place them by the sunniest window you can. A south- or southwest-facing window that lets in direct sunlight is best. Supplement natural light with an LED grow light as needed to give your herbs a total of 12-14 hours of light.