How to Grow a One-Pot Indoor Herb Garden

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If you’re a beginning indoor gardener, try starting with a one-pot herb garden in your kitchen or on any windowsill exposed to sunlight.

Step 1: Learn about cooking herbs
Go online to learn about cooking herbs that are easy to grow indoors, if you’re a beginning gardener. Start with herbs that don’t require much sunlight, such as chives.

Step 2: Go to a nearby garden store
Go to a garden store. Buy a pot with drainage holes on the bottom. For growing an individual plant, a pot should be no larger than 6 inches in diameter.

Tip
Buy a plate or tray to prevent any water from drainage holes from dripping on the floor.

Step 3: Get a baby plant
Get a baby plant or seedling if you’re a beginner. Growing from seeds can be a more complicated process. Start with one type of herb per pot.

Tip
Different types of herbs growing in the same pot can have different growth patterns and require different care.

Step 4: Fill the pot with soil
Fill the pot with soil, three inches from the top. Dig a small hole in the soil. Remove the seedling from the nursery container and plant it. Pack soil over the roots.

Tip
Don’t use soil from outside because exposure to outdoor elements can make it incompatible with indoor growing conditions.

Step 5: Locate the pot
Locate the pot where it can get maximum sunlight, especially in the winter. A window facing southwest is ideal.

Step 6: Add organic fertilizer
Add organic fertilizer, like fish emulsion or liquid seaweed, every two weeks. Too much fertilizing can negatively affect the taste of herbs like basil.

Step 7: Don’t overwater
Don’t overwater, which can rot the roots. Routinely touch the soil and if it feels dry, moisten the soil at the stem. Yellow leaves can indicate overwatering. Enjoy your indoor garden.

Did You Know?
Koalas adhere to a diet of eucalyptus leaves, an herb that’s poisonous to most other animals.