Best Herbs to Grow Indoors

Basics

• Indoor herb gardens do just fine up against a window. They don't need special indoor lights. This makes them ideal for windowsills. To prepare your garden, go to the local garden store and pick up a rectangular window box or a set of 4-inch pots. Buy commercial potting soil and, if you really want to give your herbs a stellar chance of success, mix equal parts potting soil, compost and sand.

Five Best Bets

• Every indoor herb gardener has his favorites, but several herbs pop up time and time again on gardening Web sites, chat rooms and forums as being particularly easy to grow indoors. Five best bets:

  Basil: It's best to start with seeds, according to the Organic Gardening website. Basil thrives best in pots and prefers lots of light and warmth, so position in a south-facing window.

  Chives: Chives may be planted either from seeds or from a clump from your outside herb garden. If you go the clump route, keep in a cool indoor spot for a few days before moving to a bright window.

  Rosemary: It's best to start with a cutting placed in water for a few days until it starts to root. Then transplant to a pot in a south-facing window. Mist every day, but watch the leaves--they can be prone to powdery mildew.

  Parsley: Start from seeds and keep well watered. Parsley will grow fast, particularly in a window with full sun.

  Oregano: Start from a clipping from your outdoor plant and keep in a window facing south. Don't let the soil dry out.

Other Herbs

• Other herbs also tend to fare well indoors. One poster at the I Dig My Garden forum reports great results with mint and dill, while another said he's had particular luck with horehound. Sage does well if you transplant a cutting from an outdoor plant into a pot in a south-facing window; the herb is particularly resilient to dry indoor air. Chervil can be grown from seeds, even in low light, but make sure it doesn't get too cold indoors, while tarragon does best, according to Organic Gardening, if you take a plant from your outdoor garden, put it in a pot and leave it outside until the leaves die back. "Bring it to your coolest indoor spot for a few days," the website advises, "then place it in a south-facing window for as much sun as possible."

General Care

• Indoor herbs need lots of water, but regular soakings can be detrimental. It's best to water only when the top layer of soil in your container feels dry. Again, good drainage is critical.

  Regular fertilization also is a good idea. Organic Gardening suggests liquid seaweed or compost beginning in mid-January. Other forum posters suggest fish oil or Miracle Grow.