How to Grow an Indoor Herb Garden

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Grow an herb garden indoors to extend the growing season in your climate and to provide you with savory seasonings for your kitchen. Indoor herb gardens also lift your spirits during winter with unlimited aromatherapy sessions. Pinch and sniff every time you pass by your plants.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Herb plant divisions
Herb seeds
Clay pots
Light potting soil
Full spectrum fluorescent tubes
Spray bottle

Step1

Take divisions from your outdoor herb garden at the end of the growing season. Dig clumps of perennial herbs such as chives and mint. Take half the clump for your indoor garden and plant the rest back in the ground.

Step2

Start easy to grow annual herbs from seed. Choose basil, chamomile, dill, oregano and cilantro. Plant the seeds in potting soil on top of the refrigerator for maximum warmth until they germinate, then move them to a sunny window.

Step3

Keep your herbs in clay pots for air circulation and use a light potting soil that drains quickly. Most herbs originate from Mediterranean climates and do not appreciate wet feet.

Step4

Grow herbs in the kitchen, where you can snip fresh leaves for your soup or tea frequently. Snipping the ends of the plant for your culinary needs also helps the plant maintain a bushy shape.

Step5

Supplement the natural light from your windows during the winter months. Herbs are sun loving plants and grow gangly in winter's dim glow. Use full spectrum fluorescent tubes and hang the lights a few inches above the plants for greater light intensity.

Step6

Monitor your herbs for signs of pests. Spider mites are common pests in the dry indoor environment. Discourage them by misting the garden daily with a spray bottle filled with water.