What It Means
An herb garden is a planting of culinary herbs such as basil, parsley, thyme and mint, grown in a bed, in pots outdoors or on a bright windowsill indoors. Most common cooking herbs belong to one of two plant families. University of Minnesota Extension notes that mint-family herbs mostly handle heat and drier soil, while carrot-family herbs need more moisture and deeper, looser soil, so grouping by family keeps each pot's conditions right for everything in it.
Try It: What Does This Herb Need?
Pick an herb to see its plant family and what it needs, based on University of Minnesota, Maryland and Penn State Extension guides. Herbs from the same family can share a pot.
Mint family
Carrot family
Well-drained soil. Most herbs in this family handle heat and drier soil.
Well-drained soil that stays more moist, and deeper, looser soil than the mint family needs.
Basil is a tender annual, so plan on a new plant each year. In a pot, don't let the mix dry out completely.
Mint spreads through underground stems called rhizomes. Give it a pot of its own, about 12 to 16 inches across.
In cold-winter places like Minnesota, gardeners usually grow parsley as an annual, since winters often kill it.
Indoors, use a sunny south-facing window, or grow lights set 6 to 12 inches above the plants.
Whatever the herb, cut no more than a third of the plant at a time.
How It Sounds at Home
- "Go cut some basil for the pasta."
- "The mint's taking over the whole bed again."
- "I keep a pot of parsley on the windowsill."
The Breakdown
How to start one
- Choose three or four herbs you already cook with.
- Group them by family. Basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and sage belong to the mint family. Parsley, dill and cilantro belong to the carrot family, which wants more moisture and deeper soil.
- Give them light. Extension guides ask for at least 6 hours of direct sun for most herbs. Indoors, Penn State Extension suggests a south-facing window or grow lights 6 to 12 inches above the plants.
- Plant in well-drained soil with a pH of about 6.0 to 7.5, or use pots with a drainage hole and a potting mix that drains.
- Put mint in a container of its own, about 12 to 16 inches across, because it spreads underground.
- Cut often, but take no more than a third of a plant at a time. Go lighter on perennial herbs, since the next harvest depends on regrowth.
- Rinse herbs under running water right before you use them.
Which herbs can share a spot
| Herb | Family | What it likes |
|---|---|---|
| Oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage | Mint | Handles heat and drier soil |
| Basil | Mint | Soil that never dries out completely in a pot; replant each year |
| Mint | Mint | A container of its own |
| Parsley, dill, cilantro | Carrot | More moisture, deeper and looser soil |
Sources: University of Minnesota Extension for the families; University of Maryland and Illinois Extension for mint.
Short version to try today. Put one potted herb you cook with every week into a container with a drainage hole, and set it in your sunniest south-facing window.
Good to Know
Herbs are produce, so the FDA's washing advice applies: rinse them under running water just before you use them, and skip soap, detergent and commercial produce washes. Patting them dry with a clean cloth or paper towel helps remove more bacteria from the surface.
Guides disagree on how many hours a day grow lights should run, so follow the instructions that come with the light you buy.
FAQ
How much sun does an herb garden need?
Most herbs want at least 6 hours of direct sun a day, according to extension gardening guides. Indoors, Penn State Extension suggests a south-facing window, or grow lights set 6 to 12 inches above the plants.
Which herbs grow well indoors?
Penn State Extension names chives, basil and cilantro as good choices for an indoor herb garden. Give them the brightest window you have and a pot with a drainage hole.
Can mint go in the same pot as other herbs?
It's better on its own. Mint spreads aggressively through underground stems called rhizomes, so extension guides suggest a separate container about 12 to 16 inches across.
Do It in Buhata
Tasks and Shopping
Add "Water the herbs" to Tasks in Buhata as a repeating task, and put potting mix and new plants on your Space's Shopping list.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Home garden
A garden at home where a household grows some of its own vegetables, herbs or fruit, in the ground, in raised beds or in containers.
Sources
University of Minnesota Extension, "Growing herbs in home gardens"; Penn State Extension, "Growing Herbs Indoors"; University of Maryland Extension, "Growing Mint in a Home Garden"; University of Maryland Extension, "Care of Herbs and Starting Herbs from Seed"; University of Illinois Extension, "Mint"; FDA, "7 Tips for Cleaning Fruits, Vegetables"
- extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-herbs
- extension.psu.edu/growing-herbs-indoors
- extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-mint-home-garden
- extension.umd.edu/resource/care-herbs-and-starting-herbs-seed
- extension.illinois.edu/herbs/mint
- www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/7-tips-cleaning-fruits-vegetables
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