Having access to fresh herbs these days is considered a rare and expensive treat, but it doesn’t actually have to be. In fact, you can grow your own herbs in your kitchen all year long with very little cost upfront and virtually no cost maintaining them. Once you’ve grown your own herbs you’ll wonder why you’ve been buying the dried stuff from the grocery store for all this time and you’ll never go back. Herbs are incredibly easy to grow, so much so that they can quickly spread like weeds in your garden if you aren’t careful. Thankfully that isn’t something you need to worry about growing them inside.

Now is the Best Time to Plant an Herb Garden

Start with an idea of which herbs you’d like to grow by considering which ones you eat. There’s no point in growing cilantro if you’re one of those in the world that thinks it tastes like soap. The most common herbs to grow indoors are basil, thyme, rosemary, chives, and mint. But decide for yourself which ones you would like to grow and how much space you have.

Plant an Herb Garden with your Kids

Seed vs Plant

Once you’ve decided which herbs you want to grow you’re faced with the decision, do you start them from seed or do you buy a plant that you can already start to harvest from? A small herb plan will only cost you a couple of dollars and personally, I believe it is the better way to go if only because starting plants from seeds is such a long and sometimes frustrating process. However, if you want your plants to be in specific, oddly shaped containers or you want to use one of those smart garden machines that has the light and everything built-in you will need to start from seed.

Kits

You can also buy herb garden kits that are specifically designed for indoor use. Most of them are windowsill kits but you can also find some that hang individual plants on the wall. The problem with these kits is that they aren’t very customizable and there is a good chance you’ll end up growing something that you didn’t even want.

Soil

It’s important to have the right soil for your herbs. You shouldn’t just go outside and dig up some dirt from your yard. Instead, you should be getting compost from your local garden supply or hardware store. If you can find one that is specifically for pots and containers that is ideal. Organic is also preferred but it will be a little more expensive. The nutrients in this soil will only survive for about a month and a half so you will also want to get fertilizer. I recommend a liquid seaweed fertilizer. It’s organic and very easy to apply.

Growing From Seed

If you’re going to grow from seed patience is your most important tool. It will take a few days, even as much as a couple of weeks for your seeds to sprout. The most important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t push the seeds deep into the soil. They should be resting near the top with just a thin layer of soil covering them. Water them every 3 days or when the soil starts looking a little dry.

Growing From Plant

Once you have your plants home you can transplant them into the containers they’re going to live in inside your home. Give them some water and plenty of sun then leave them alone for a few days. They’re going to need some time to adjust to their new life in your house. After that, you can harvest a little bit of the plant for use in your food. Take only what you need for that meal and make sure that you leave at least half of the plant’s leaves so it can continue to make more. If you are using more than that you might want to consider getting a second plant.