How to Grow Herbs and Vegetables Indoors

I’m going to let you in on a secret: You don’t need a backyard or even a patio to have your own garden. More importantly, for anyone who is an avid home cook like me, you don’t need outdoor space to grow edible plants at home.

It’s easy for me to proclaim this — I have colleagues who cultivate plants in New York City, my own apartment has a smattering of decorative houseplants, and my mom always had pots of herbs indoors when I was growing up — but it's admittedly something I’ve been too intimidated to attempt thus far. After deciding that this summer will be the season of my bountiful indoor garden (no fancy equipment required), I consulted an expert on growing green things to learn the essential info that will help me or any other beginner get started.

Reena Gardner (@reenasplants) is a content creator focused on all things green. By sharing plant care tips, footage of her flourishing foliage, and advice for cultivating your own, she has built an audience of hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, and when you see her verdant video clips and photos, it’s easy to understand why. Most importantly, Gardner has experience growing a wide variety of plants both indoors and out. 

Even if you have a backyard, you might find it easier to start with indoor plants in pots. For anyone who wants to cultivate edible plants from the comfort of their home, Gardner has a few essential tips you need to know.

Google is your friend

This might seem like the most obvious tip, but it’s also the most important one to start with. Different plants require different amounts (and frequencies) of water and varying quantities of light. Every time I’ve purchased young herb plants at the farmers market and attempted to cultivate them on my windowsill, I’ve failed, and there’s a clear reason why: I didn’t research the appropriate amount of water and light they needed; without that, they can’t survive.

Gardner says even she takes advantage of online information, telling Food & Wine, “Whenever I am growing a new plant, I Google to find out its care preferences and watering preferences. I note down the frequency and put reminders in my phone to water. Your state’s gardening extension website will also have a lot of great information for both growing in a garden or in containers.”

Water plants in the morning

This new-to-me information made me realize why several of my seemingly easy houseplants may have suddenly taken a turn for the worse. According to Gardner, “The best time to water is in the morning! This allows the foliage to dry before the strong sunlight hits the leaves, to prevent any burning or other issues.”

Other gardening resources consistently recommend watering in the morning as well. As Southern Living Plant Collection explains, watering a plant at night causes water to remain in the soil for an extended period rather than evaporating in the sun. This increases the risk of issues like root rot, fungal growth, and insects.

If you want grow an herb, start with these two

When you embark on a journey to cultivate edible greens at home, it’s likely that you’re considering starting with herbs. To ensure you select varieties that are easy to care for, Gardner says, “I would recommend basil and mint! Mint should really only be grown in containers by itself anyways since it can take over an area and spread. Both mint and basil are easy to grow, easy to propagate, and do well in a sunny window (or with grow lights).”

It is important to note that basil requires a generous amount of sunlight, while mint is more adaptable and can grow in exposure levels ranging from “full sun to partial shade,” per the Utah State University Extension.

You can grow vegetables indoors

If you thought you would be limited to herbs only when growing plants indoors, think again. While you won’t have a lengthy bed full of large blackberry bushes or a pumpkin patch, Gardner details that “There are dwarf varieties of certain fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes, peppers, lemon trees, et cetera that can do well in a sunny window or with grow lights! Green onions and leafy greens also do well indoors.”

Some of these options may require medium to medium-large pots, so it is essential to ensure you have enough space for them. This can be easily accomplished with indoor plant stands and shelves, which allow you to keep multiple rows of plants in one place instead of having them crowd your floor. However, as Gardner mentions, you may need an indoor grow light if these shelves aren’t placed in a sunny spot. 

Begin with starts, not seeds

You have two options for starting to grow a young plant: You can opt for a seed or a “start.” A seed is exactly what it sounds like — a dry seed for the plant you want to cultivate, typically purchased in a packet — while a start is a new plant that has already sprouted from a seed, is planted in soil, and has its first roots and leaves. You could also call it a seedling.

Why start with starts? Gardner explains that she recommends beginning with seedlings because, “These plants are established, so you can start using them right away, and the growers have done the hard part of getting them strong and ready to grow well. Growing from seed requires a lot more time and attention, so I recommend [trying] that after one season of keeping some starts alive.”

Plant stores and home improvement retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot typically have starts available, but you may be able to find them at farmers markets too.