10 Best Herbs To Grow Indoors Year Round
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Today I’m writing about what I consider to be the 10 best herbs to grow indoors year-round. This could be on a windowsill or near a window.
Herbs accentuate the taste of our food. I just love fresh chives on a baked potato or as a topping for potato soup.
Here is a list of the ten best herbs I think are suitable for growing indoors year-round.
Basil
You can start basil from seeds. Place the pot in a south-facing window, as it likes lots of warmth and sun.
Chives
You can dig up chives at the end of summer and replant them in a pot. Leave the pot outdoors until the leaves die back.
Move the pot to your coolest indoor spot in early winter (like your basement), and after a few days, put it in your brightest window.
Cilantro
It’s best not to transplant cilantro from your garden, as it doesn’t transplant well. You can grow cilantro from seeds or starter plants.
Mint
You can grow mint indoors in soil or even in a bottle of water. It needs adequate drainage when planted in soil, and prefers a slightly moist environment.
Oregano
It is probably best to start with a cutting from an outdoor oregano plant. Once the cutting is planted in a pot, place it in a south-facing window.
Parsley
You can dig up a clump of parsley from your garden at the end of the season. Parsley prefers full sun, but will grow in an east or west-facing window.
Rosemary
You can start your indoor pot with a rosemary cutting. Keep in a moist soil-less mix until it roots.
Rosemary grows best in a south-facing window.
Sage
You can take a sage tip from an outdoor plant to start your indoor plant. Sage will tolerate dry, indoor air. It needs intense sun from a south-facing window.
Tarragon
A dormant period in late fall or early winter is essential for tarragon to grow indoors. Pot a mature plant from your garden and leave it outdoors until the leaves die back.
Then bring it to your coolest indoor spot (like a basement) for a few days. After that, place it in a south-facing window.
Thyme
Thyme can be started with a soft-tip cutting. Or you can dig up and pot an outdoor plant. Thyme likes sun but will grow in an east or west-facing window.
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Not only can you cook with herbs, but fresh herbs make beautiful garnishes. They’re also packed with valuable nutrients and antioxidants.
Great information, Brenda! Thanks.
My all time favorite thing to do with Rosemary is to take a branch, strip it of leaves (dry them for later use) and skewer chicken strips on the branch and grill it. Yummo!
Sometimes I take a rosemary branch and drop it in the floor of my shower and let the hot water hit it. Smells just like a spa.
Great post. I live in northeast Florida along the coast and had not planned to bring any of my herbs indoors over the winter. We had a freeze last night and I am glad that I did bring my mint, rosemary, and thyme in yesterday afternoon. I love the smell of the herbs and the plants do brighten up the house.
We brought our large pots of chives, sage and two kinds of parsley inside this fall and have been so surprised at how well they’ve done. Wish we’d had room for all the pots. It’s pure luxury to me to be able to clip from them daily!
This is an awesome tutorial, Brenda! I’m wishing I would have read this at the end of the season so I could have brought some of my herbs indoors. Pinning for the future, though! I highly doubt any of my herbs will come back this spring after the insanely cold temps we had this winter – it would be a miracle.
I have tried with no luck to grow some herbs indoors.
Love various herbs…obviously for seasoning and garnishing… but they smell so good as well… great tips that I am going to try!! Thank you !!!
I love fresh herbs and can grow some year round outside here in Florida. I love to snip a few sprigs and use them in tiny bouquets in my kitchen.