3 Herbs You Can Grow in Small Spaces (and How to Keep Them Alive)
Learn how you can cultivate an herb garden indoors or in small spaces like windowsills and balconies.
You can enjoy fresh, homegrown herbs year-round. Here’s a guide to growing, harvesting, and storing 3 beginner-friendly herbs that are a staple in my kitchen!
Plus, with a little planning and the right techniques, you can cultivate a thriving miniature herb garden indoors or in small spaces like windowsills and balconies.
1. Basil: an essential herb for Italian dishes, pestos, and summer salads. While it’s an annual (meaning it doesn’t come back each year), its rapid growth makes it a kitchen staple.
How to Grow:
Light: Needs 6–8 hours of sunlight or grow lights.
Soil: Prefers well-draining, nutrient-rich soil. I recommend adding a couple handfuls of organic perlite to your soil to improve the drainage.
Water: Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. I recommend using self-watering spikes or globes to make it easy!
Maintenance: If you see flower buds starting to form, pinch or cut them off immediately. Flowering signals the end of the basil plant’s lifecycle, and the leaves can become bitter. Regularly removing flowers keeps the plant focused on producing leaves.
Harvesting: Frequent harvesting encourages growth. Aim to harvest every 1–2 weeks during the growing season. Wait until your basil plant has at least 6–8 sets of leaves on the central stem. This ensures the plant is mature enough to recover from harvesting. Use sharp scissors, pruning shears, or simply pinch with your fingers. Make sure your tools are clean to avoid spreading diseases.
Find the Growth Points: Look for a pair of leaves where new shoots (baby leaves/stems) are forming. This is typically near the top of a stem or above a leaf node (the point where leaves attach to the stem).
Cut Above a Leaf Node: Snip the stem about 1/4 inch above a leaf node. This encourages the plant to grow two new stems from the node, making it bushier over time. Avoid removing more than one-third of the plant at a time to ensure it has enough leaves to continue photosynthesizing and growing.
Outdoor Growing Note: If your basil plant is outside, harvest it in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun is intense. This is when the leaves are at their freshest and most flavorful.
Storing your Harvest:
Short-Term Storage: Keep freshly harvested basil in a glass of water on your counter. Cover it loosely with a plastic bag for extra humidity.
Long-Term Storage: Chop basil and freeze it in ice cube trays with olive oil or water. Alternatively, you can dry or make pesto to store in the fridge or freezer.
2. Parsley: A versatile garnish and nutrient powerhouse, parsley can be grown as an annual or biennial (living/lasting for 2 years).
How to Grow:
Light: Needs 4–6 hours of sunlight or grow lights.
Soil: Prefers loamy, well-draining soil.
“Loamy” refers to a type of soil that has a balanced mixture of sand, silt, and clay. It is considered ideal for most plants, including herbs, because it provides excellent drainage, nutrient retention, and aeration.
Water: Water deeply but allow the topsoil to dry slightly between waterings.
Note: Parsley has long roots, so use a deep pot.
Maintenance: Frequent harvesting encourages the plant to grow more leaves. Aim to harvest once or twice a week, but don’t remove more than one-third of the plant at a time to keep it healthy. If your parsley starts to flower, it’s entering its seeding phase (called bolting), which makes the leaves bitter. Pinch off flower stalks as soon as they appear to prolong leaf production.
Harvesting: Allow your parsley plant to grow at least 6–8 inches tall before the first harvest. This usually takes about 6–8 weeks after planting. Parsley grows in a rosette pattern, meaning new stems emerge from the center of the plant.
Focus on the outermost stems when harvesting. This allows the inner stems to continue growing and producing new leaves.
Cut at the Base: Snip the stem close to the base of the plant, about 1–2 inches above the soil. Avoid pulling the stems, as this can disturb the roots.
Outdoor Growing Note: If your parsley is outside, pick it in the early morning after the dew has dried but before the heat of the day. This is when the leaves are most flavorful and fresh.
Storing Your Harvest:
Short-Term Storage: Place fresh parsley stems in a glass of water (like a bouquet) and cover loosely with a plastic bag. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
Long-Term Storage: Chop parsley and freeze it in ice cube trays with water or olive oil. You can also dry parsley by hanging stems upside down in a cool, dark place or using a dehydrator, then putting the dried leaves into a jar with a lid for storage.
3. Cilantro: This fast-growing herb is a must-have for salsa, guacamole, curries, and soups.
How to Grow:
Light: Needs 4–6 hours of sunlight.
Soil: Thrives in rich, well-draining soil.
Water: Keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged.
Indoor Tip: Rotate pots to ensure even light exposure.
Maintenance: Harvest leaves frequently to delay bolting (flowering). Once cilantro starts to flower (bolt), the leaves will become smaller and develop a bitter taste. To delay bolting:
Pinch off flower buds as soon as you see them.
Keep the plant cool, as heat accelerates bolting.
Harvesting: Cilantro is ready for its first harvest when it reaches about 4–6 inches tall, typically around 3–4 weeks after planting. Harvest frequently (every 1-2 weeks) and before the plant starts to bolt (produce flowers). Like parsley, cilantro grows from the center. Always harvest the outermost stems and leaves first so the plant continues growing and producing new leaves. Snip stems about 1–2 inches above the soil line and avoid pulling the stems, as this can disturb the plant’s roots. Harvest cilantro in the morning when the leaves are most hydrated and flavorful.
Harvesting for Coriander: If your cilantro bolts, you can still harvest the seeds, which are called coriander. To harvest coriander:
Wait until the flowers turn into seed heads and are completely dry on the plant.
Collect the seeds, dry them further if needed, and store them for culinary use or replanting.
Storing Your Harvest:
Short-Term Storage:
Wrap fresh cilantro in a damp paper towel and place it in a Ziploc or a reusable (and eco-friendly) Stasher bag in the fridge.
Store stems in a jar of water (like a bouquet of flowers).
Long-Term Storage:
Chop cilantro and freeze it in ice cube trays with water or olive oil.
Dry cilantro by hanging stems upside down in a cool, dark place or using a dehydrator, then putting the dried leaves into a jar with a lid for storage. Note: dried cilantro has less flavor.
Herbs are one of the easiest and most rewarding plants to grow in small spaces. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a total beginner, these three herbs can brighten your kitchen, improve your meals, and add a touch of greenery to your home.
With the right care, your indoor herb garden can thrive no matter where you live, making fresh, flavorful ingredients available all year long.
Do you grow herbs at home? Share your favorite tips or questions in the comments below!
