Will Herb Plants Live Inside During the Winter?

Many herbs grow well indoors in a container.

Many herb plants will thrive indoors in a windowsill or under a grow light during the winter months. Some herbs perform better than other indoors. Like other types of houseplants, herbs have specific growing requirements to keep them thriving.

Best Indoor Herbs

Basil does not preserve well, so grow it indoors to harvest during the winter.

Tender perennial and annual herbs are those that do not come back once a frost has hit them. These are the best herbs to grow indoors. Examples are basil, lemon verbena, horehound, winter savory, bay leaf, rosemary and lemon grass.

Container Requirements

Many herbs grow in strawberry, or herb pots.

Choose a container large enough to accommodate the root system of the herb you are growing, and that it has adequate drainage holes. Fill the container with well-draining potting soil. Choose a type of pot designed for indoor plants.

Keeping Indoor Herbs Thriving

Grow several herbs close together to increase humidity.

Herbs prefer daytime temperatures around 65 to 70 degrees F, with night temperatures that range about 10 degrees lower, according to Penn State University Extension. Average humidity and good air circulation are a must. If the area around the herbs seems dry, sit them in a saucer filled with pebbles covered in water.

References

• Penn State University: Growing Herbs Indoors

Resources

• "Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs"; Claire Kowalchik and William H. Hylton; 1998
• "The Encyclopedia of Herbs"; Thomas DeBaggio and Arthur O. Tucker; 2009
• "Growing & Using Herbs Successfully"; Betty E. M. Jacobs; 1981
• "The Herb Gardener"; Susan McClure; 1997