Looking how to grow a windowsill herb garden for your kitchen this winter? Look no further, as you’ve found the kitchen indoor garden biggest fan right here.
I absolutely prefer growing my own herbs at home year round both indoors and outdoors. Not only is the flavor stronger and fresher, but it’s so much more cost efficient!
Really, is there anything better than fresh, aromatic spices and ingredients straight from the garden and in to a recipe? I love a year round stash of garden plants.
You know as well as I do that fresh beats dried any day of the week. Drying your own and growing them at home comes in at a close second.
Having a nice variety of fresh options on hand also allows you to experiment with new and different flavors, aromas, seasonings and recipes.
You can make any single ingredient the star of a dish or a sauce, a nice complimentary flavor, a feature in a cocktail, or even a subtle backend note.
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While we can’t all have the luxury of a year-round outside garden, the next best way anyone can enjoy fresh herbs is by having a small indoor garden right in their own kitchen or sunny windowsill.
Getting Your Indoor Garden Ready
Anyone can do this, no matter where you live and no matter your climate, and any level of skill. They are so easy to grow and enjoy you’ll be asking yourself why you haven’t done this all along!
The options are nearly limitless and deciding to choose which ones you want to start with will be the most difficult part.
Luckily, with so many options to choose from, you can absolutely tailor your indoor garden based on what you need and enjoy the most.
My absolute favorite is basil. I love the fragrance, the fresh, sweet taste and the punch it adds to any meal. It’s also an herb I tend to use often and find it to be rather expensive in the store, especially when I only need a small amount for one recipe.
It doesn’t have a very long shelf life once picked, so it’s a good one for me to always have on hand.
Supplies for Indoor Herb Gardens
To get started, you’ll first need to grow herbs in pots or a fancy planters, and an area in your home that gets lots of light. You’ll also want to be sure you have nutrient rich potting soil for the planters.
These are a great option as a planter because they don’t take too much space, but are big enough to hold a plant that can get height.
Another wonderful feature on this one is the water dish underneath. You don’t need pools of water on your indoor surfaces!
When choosing the best pots for herbs, make sure there are drainage holes and are big enough to allow the plant to grow big. Otherwise, you’ll need to continue to repot your herbs and plants.
Unless you are growing succulents, try to avoid those cute little succulent pots that will stunt the herb growth.
If your window’s light is really poor, you can set a couple of swing-arm adjustable lamps with natural sunlight bulbs beside them.
You can even look for another room in the house that gets lots a light. The office, dining room, and living room are all perfectly acceptable places to grow indoor plants of any variety.
Why not practical spices and ingredients?! If you don’t have another space in your home to set them and decide to go with a grow light, just be sure to keep the bulb three inches above the plant to be careful not to burn them.
Or, set up a growing shelf and use grow bulbs keeping them just above the height of the plant. You’ll want to remember to also turn them off at night – plants need sleep too!
You can also opt for a grow system that will require little to no work. And these systems extend well beyond herbs. You can grow your own garden salad right in your kitchen!
Best Potting Soil for Herbs
When looking for the best potting soil for herbs, make sure you are picking one with lots of nutrients. Purchasing a potting soil look for a quality potting mix.
You can also sometimes find options that are indoor herbs specific.
You can’t go wrong if you purchase Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix or Burpee Organic Potting Mix.
Alternative Options to Traditional Indoor Gardens
This takes all the guess work out of when to water and how much. You don’t need to worry about the plants getting enough light.
Worrying about soil nutrition is non-existent, because this doesn’t use any! It comes with everything you need, including pods for 9 plants and seeds!
Growing herbs in water is as equally satisfying and just as easy! Try this Hydroponic Garden System for yourself!
Be OK With Saying Goodbye
Granted, they won’t last forever in your kitchen, but they’re annuals anyway, so they’re supposed to die. They will either grow out of their plant base, or lose nutrients if you aren’t careful with them.
However, if you’re at expert levels and can re-plant them and extend their lives in your outdoors garden when the weather warms up, then go for it as soon as soon as the climate is ready again.
You’ll definitely want to only considering planting outside well past the last frost of your season.
Best Herbs to Grow Indoors
Chives
Chives have a beautiful pink, edible flower. They will multiply quickly in your pot. Trim a few leaves to the soil whenever you want to use them. If the whole plant looks yellow, cut it all back to the soil to refresh it.
Rosemary
Growing Rosemary in pots is rather easy. Rosemary needs to be pruned often to keep it small and soft. Make sure it gets lots of sun, both direct and indirect, throughout the day.
Keep soil moist and water it when the top layer feels dry, however don’t let the full pot of soil become dry. Under watering and over watering will hurt Rosemary.
Thyme
Give Thyme some space to grow and give it lots of light. Again, it may do best with a natural light bulb, but if you have strong sun in one of your windows your plant should be successful. Thyme won’t need too much water while growing indoors over the winter.
Oregano
It’s is another sun lover! It is a bit more dry weather/drought ready so allow the soil to dry between watering. It can also become rather unruly so go ahead and trim it back from time to time to keep it fresh and tame.
Try your hand at regrowing those cuttings to propagate another pot! The bounty from Oregano is great for drying or freezing for your own stash year round too!
Basil
It will root in water with enough sun while indoors, usually within a week. Freshen the water often to keep it clear. Pot the rooted basil cuttings in two or three containers and try to grow it in your various locations.
It will be your “barometer” plant to help you decide where your other herbs will grow best also. Try to root other culinary herbs with stems the same way.
Dill
You can grow dill in pots easily all year round. One of my favorite culinary herbs! You can use fresh or dried dill in this deliciously creamy dill chicken recipe. Or even in a homemade dill pickle recipe!
Successfully grow dill in pots by choosing a deeper pot to support their long roots. This herb can grow rather high too, so make sure it have enough space to grow tall.
Water well and often using a good potting soil for herbs.
Don’t Stop at Just One
Recently, my husband bought a wood pellet smoker/grill. Now, it is his life mission to create the most perfectly seasoned and uniquely flavored rub he can find.
He’s been doing a ton of reading and research and has zeroed in on my porch garden.
Unfortunately, what I use in my day-to-day cooking isn’t going to suffice, so we are going to have to start a whole new batch of BBQ worthy herbs and spices for him to play with.
This will be fun because it’s going to give a reason to try new plants, grow new things, and experiment with drying techniques. This BBQ life is serious business!
Make It Fun!
Again, these are just some of my favorites that I tend to always wish to have on hand. Experiment a little and see what different plants you can grow and start using in your windowsill! Above all have fun and enjoy!
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