How to grow herbs indoors all year round
Fresh basil, parsley and mint on your windowsill, even in winter. Here's what each herb needs.
An indoor herb garden is cheap, useful and smells wonderful. The key is matching each herb to the light you have.
Light is everything
Most herbs need at least 6 hours of bright light. A south- or west-facing window is best. In winter, or in darker homes, a small LED grow light placed 15 to 30 cm above the plants makes a huge difference.
Easiest herbs for indoors
- Basil: loves warmth and light. Pinch the tops to keep it bushy.
- Parsley: tolerates slightly less light.
- Mint: very easy, but keep it in its own pot.
- Chives: snip to 5 cm and they regrow.
- Thyme and oregano: like it bright and on the dry side.
Pots and compost
Always use pots with drainage holes. Use a peat-free multipurpose compost mixed with a handful of perlite for Mediterranean herbs like thyme and rosemary.
Watering
Overwatering kills more indoor herbs than anything else. Water when the top 2 cm of compost feels dry, and empty saucers after 15 minutes.
Harvesting
Never take more than a third of the plant at once. Regular picking actually keeps herbs productive and stops them flowering too early.
A note on supermarket herbs
Those pots of basil are many seedlings crammed together. Split the clump into 3 or 4 smaller pots and they'll last for months instead of days.
