Best Indoor Herbs to Grow Year-Round

Herbs are a beginner gardener’s dream. They’re durable, smell great, and give you tasty ingredients used for cooking. But you don’t need a big backyard garden in order to cultivate these useful plants.

All herbs need is adequate sunlight and warmth to grow. Get some high-quality indoor potting soil and, of course, a pot, and you’ll have tasty herbs all year round.

Also, make sure the plants don’t touch a cold window pane and be sure to drain and excess water.

Basil

Plant basil seeds in a pot and make sure it gets plenty of sunlight and warmth. Basil usually isn’t cooked with a dish as the cooking can destroy its flavor. It’s best to add it in last minute.

Rosemary

The key to growing rosemary indoors is to make sure it has good drainage, as it can rot if the soil is too soggy. You should plant rosemary as a bud from a nursery or garden store, or try to grow roots from a cutting, but it is difficult to grow from a seed.

Chives

Chives are considered one of the “fine herbs” of French cuisine. To plant them indoors, make sure the soil is moistened, but not dripping with water. Plant the seeds about a quarter inch deep and cover with a thin layer of moist soil. Make sure it gets six to eight hours of sunlight.

Cilantro

Cilantro is also known as coriander, of which you can make tasty dried seeds, but the flavor is very different than the leaves. Some people taste a citrus-y taste and others say cilantro tastes like soap, but you can use it to spice up any dish. Plant cilantro from seeds. Don’t over-water it, and make sure it gets plenty of light.

Thyme

Thyme is great to add to chicken, fish, or soups. It’s minty taste makes a great addition to many dishes. You can plant thyme by propagating a leaf-tip cutting, or by taking a plant from outdoors and potting it.

Sage

Sage grows more slowly indoors than out. Make sure the pot is well drained by frequently checking the saucer. To plant, you can take a cutting about three inches long from the tip of the stem and apply a rooting hormone to the exposed tip.

Parsley

Parsley you can plant from seeds or a cutting. It goes particularly well with pasta dishes or soup. Be sure to choose a pot that is at least six inches deep and make sure it gets lots of sun.

Oregano

Oregano can be planted from seeds or cuttings. It adds a lot of flavor to sauces and soups.