Fresh herbs from the supermarket cost £1–£2 per pack and last about a week before turning to mush in the fridge. A few pots on your windowsill produce the same herbs for months on end, taste significantly better, and cost pennies. Growing herbs indoors is one of the easiest entry points into gardening — even if you have no outdoor space at all.
Best Herbs for Indoor Growing
Not all herbs thrive indoors. Some need full sun and outdoor conditions, while others are perfectly happy on a windowsill. Here’s what works and what doesn’t:
| Herb | Indoor Suitability | Light Needed | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basil | Excellent | 6+ hours direct sun | Easy | Pinch flower buds to keep producing leaves |
| Chives | Excellent | 4–6 hours | Very easy | Almost impossible to kill |
| Mint | Excellent | 4–6 hours | Very easy | Keep in its own pot — it’s invasive |
| Parsley | Good | 4–6 hours | Easy | Slow to germinate from seed |
| Coriander | Moderate | 4–6 hours | Moderate | Bolts quickly in warm rooms — sow successionally |
| Thyme | Good | 6+ hours direct sun | Easy | Needs well-drained, gritty compost |
| Rosemary | Moderate | 6+ hours direct sun | Moderate | Needs good airflow — doesn’t like humid rooms |
| Oregano | Good | 6+ hours | Easy | Compact varieties work best indoors |
| Sage | Moderate | 6+ hours direct sun | Moderate | Needs more space than most |
| Dill | Poor | 6+ hours | Difficult indoors | Better suited to outdoor growing |
Start with basil, chives, and mint — they’re almost foolproof indoors and give you the most kitchen variety. The RHS herb growing guide covers each herb’s preferences in detail.
Light: The Most Important Factor
Insufficient light is the number one reason indoor herbs fail. Most culinary herbs are Mediterranean plants that evolved in full sunshine. A north-facing window in a UK home won’t cut it for most herbs.
Windowsill Growing
South-facing windowsills are ideal — they get the most direct sunlight throughout the day. East and west-facing windows work for shade-tolerant herbs like mint, chives, and parsley. North-facing windows don’t provide enough light for any herb to thrive long-term.
Grow Lights
If you don’t have a south-facing window (or want herbs in the kitchen regardless of window orientation), a simple LED grow light solves the problem. Modern full-spectrum LED grow lights are inexpensive (£15–£30), use minimal electricity, and provide exactly the light spectrum herbs need. Position the light 15–30cm above the plants and run it for 12–14 hours per day. Gardeners’ World has a helpful guide to choosing grow lights.
Containers and Compost
Pots
Use pots at least 10–15cm in diameter with drainage holes in the bottom. Herbs sitting in waterlogged compost develop root rot quickly. Place a saucer underneath to catch excess water, and empty it after watering rather than letting the pot sit in standing water.
Terracotta pots are ideal — they’re porous, so they help prevent overwatering. Plastic pots work fine but require more careful watering since they don’t breathe.
Compost
Use a general-purpose peat-free compost mixed with about 20% perlite or grit. This improves drainage, which is critical for herbs — they hate wet feet. Mediterranean herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage) benefit from even more grit — up to 50% by volume.
Watering Indoor Herbs
Overwatering kills more indoor herbs than underwatering. The rules are simple:
- Push your finger 2cm into the compost. If it feels damp, don’t water. If it feels dry, water thoroughly
- Water from the base where possible — fill the saucer and let the compost draw water up through the drainage holes. After 30 minutes, empty any remaining water from the saucer
- Reduce watering in winter when growth slows
- Basil and coriander like consistently moist (not wet) compost. Thyme, rosemary, and oregano prefer to dry out slightly between waterings
Feeding
Indoor herbs in pots exhaust the nutrients in their compost within a few weeks. Feed every 2–4 weeks during the growing season (March–October) with a diluted liquid fertiliser. A general-purpose organic liquid feed or a tomato feed (diluted to half strength) works well. Don’t feed in winter when growth slows naturally.
Common Problems
- Leggy, stretched growth — not enough light. Move to a brighter position or add a grow light
- Yellowing lower leaves — overwatering or depleted nutrients. Check watering habits and feed
- Wilting despite wet compost — root rot from overwatering. Repot into fresh, dry compost and reduce watering
- Tiny flies (fungus gnats) — they breed in constantly damp compost. Let the surface dry between waterings. Yellow sticky traps near the pots help control them
- Bolting (flowering) — coriander and basil bolt quickly in warm, long-day conditions. Pinch out flower buds as soon as they appear. For coriander, sow a new batch every 3–4 weeks for continuous supply
Harvesting Properly
How you harvest directly affects how long the plant produces:
- Basil: Pinch stems just above a leaf pair — two new stems will grow from that point, creating a bushier plant
- Mint: Cut stems just above a leaf joint. It’s almost impossible to over-harvest mint — it grows back aggressively
- Chives: Cut with scissors about 3cm above soil level. They’ll regrow from the base
- Parsley: Pick outer stems first, leaving the inner ones to continue growing
- Rosemary and thyme: Snip sprigs as needed. Don’t cut into old woody growth — it won’t regrow from bare wood
Supermarket Herbs: A Quick Fix
Those living herb pots from the supermarket aren’t designed to last — they’re grown intensively with many seedlings crammed into a small pot. To give them a chance: split the root ball into 3–4 sections and repot each into its own pot with fresh compost. Water well and keep out of direct sun for a few days while they recover. This won’t work every time, but it significantly extends their life compared to keeping them in the original pot.
