How to grow herbs at home
Quick answer
Give herbs at least 6 hours of sunlight, plant them in pots or soil that drains well, and water when the top inch of soil feels dry. The easiest herbs to start with are basil, mint, chives, parsley, thyme and rosemary.
A pot of basil on a sunny windowsill costs less than two bunches from the store and keeps giving for months. Most kitchen herbs are forgiving plants, as long as you get three things right: light, drainage and harvesting.
The easiest herbs for beginners
| Herb | Sun | Water | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basil | Full sun | Keep lightly moist | Dies at the first frost; pinch off flowers |
| Mint | Sun or part shade | Likes moist soil | Spreads aggressively; grow it in its own pot |
| Chives | Full sun | Moderate | Comes back every year outdoors |
| Parsley | Sun or part shade | Moderate | Slow to sprout from seed; buy a small plant |
| Thyme | Full sun | Let soil dry out | Hates soggy roots |
| Rosemary | Full sun | Let soil dry out | Woody shrub; can live for years |
Indoors or outside?
Outside, herbs grow fastest in a sunny bed or containers on a patio. Indoors, put them on the sunniest windowsill you have, usually facing south in the Northern Hemisphere. If plants get tall, thin and pale, they need more light; a small LED grow light fixes that.
Pots and soil
Use containers with drainage holes and a light potting mix, not heavy garden soil. Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano prefer drier, gritty soil, so don’t plant them in the same pot as thirsty herbs like basil and mint.
How to water herbs
Push a finger into the soil. If the top inch (2–3 cm) is dry, water until it runs out of the bottom. Overwatering kills more herbs than underwatering, especially indoors in winter.
Once your herbs are growing, you’re halfway to a kitchen garden. Here’s how to start a vegetable garden.
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