Herb Gardening

The path

1. 1
   Level 1Free

   Windowsill Herbs

   Basil, chives and mint you've harvested

   15 Steps, about 19 minutes each. Anyone with a bright window. No garden, no green thumb, no gardening experience needed.

   1. Chapter 1: Sow and start. Basil and chives sown, mint cuttings rooting in water, a watering routine, and your first sprouts.
   2. Chapter 2: Grow. Seedlings thinned, mint potted in soil, plants fed, and any problems spotted and fixed.
   3. Chapter 3: Harvest. Your first harvests of basil, chives and mint, a bundle of dried herbs, and a meal you cooked with them.

   1. 1
      Sow your basil

      A pot of basil seeds sown in damp seed-starting mix, in your brightest window.

      Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow from seed indoors. It sprouts in about a week in warm conditions, and a windowsill plant can keep you in fresh basil for months.

      Light is the biggest factor for indoor herbs. Most kitchen herbs need at least 6 hours of direct sun a day. In the Northern Hemisphere, a south-facing window usually gets the most.

      The detail beginners miss is sowing depth. Basil seeds are tiny and need light and warmth to sprout. Cover them with only a thin layer of mix, about 3 to 5 mm. Buried too deep, they may never come up.

      Here's an example. Brightest window found: south-facing, about 6 hours of sun. Seed-starting mix moistened in a bowl until it feels like a wrung-out sponge. A 10 cm pot with drainage holes filled loosely. 10 to 12 basil seeds scattered on top. A thin layer of mix sprinkled over and pressed gently. Misted. Covered with a clear plastic bag to hold moisture. Labeled with the date.

      Right is a labeled pot of damp, not soggy, mix in your sunniest window. Basil likes warmth: keep it away from cold drafts and windows that get chilly at night.

      RHS - Royal Horticultural SocietyBurpee
      Show your group
   2. 2
      Sow your chives

      A pot of chive seeds sown and labeled next to the basil.

      Gardening at 58 NorthRHS
   3. 3
      Root mint cuttings

      Four mint cuttings in a glass of water, starting to root.

      Garden TricksGardening Know How

   See all 15 Steps

   1. 4
      Set up your watering routine

      A watering check you can do in one minute, and a note on your phone to do it.

      Seeds and Spades
   2. 5
      Spot your first sprouts

      Basil and chive sprouts showing, and the mint growing its first roots.
      Show your group
   3. 6
      Thin the basil

      The basil thinned to the 4 or 5 strongest seedlings.

      SeedsheetFine Gardening
   4. 7
      Pot up the mint

      Rooted mint cuttings planted in their own pot of potting mix.

      Homes & Gardens
   5. 8
      Thin to the final plants

      Basil thinned to the 2 or 3 strongest plants.

      Gardening Know How
   6. 9
      Start feeding

      All three herbs fed with half-strength plant food.

      Which?
   7. 10
      Fix what's struggling

      Each plant checked for the four common problems, and anything wrong fixed.

      Seeds and Spades
   8. 11
      Pinch your basil

      Your first basil harvest, cut so the plant grows back bushier.

      SeedsheetGardeningetc
      Show your group
   9. 12
      Cut your chives

      A bunch of chives harvested from the pot.

      RHS
   10. 13
       Harvest mint and take cuttings

       A mint harvest, and two new cuttings started from it.

       MasterClass
   11. 14
       Dry a bundle

       A bundle of basil or mint hanging to dry.

       Good Contrivance Farm
   12. 15
       Cook with your harvest

       A meal with fresh basil, chives and mint, and your dried herbs crumbled into a jar.

       Homes & Gardens
       Show your group
2. Level 2Unlocks after Level 1

   Outdoor Herb Bed

   A planter of perennial herbs

3. Level 3Unlocks after Level 2

   Preserve and Propagate

   A year of dried herbs and free plants

Where it ends: herbs you grow all year

Free lessons in Windowsill Herbs come from RHS - Royal Horticultural Society, Burpee, Gardening at 58 North, RHS, Garden Tricks, Gardening Know How, MasterClass, Seeds and Spades, Seedsheet, Fine Gardening, Homes & Gardens, Which?, Gardeningetc, Good Contrivance Farm, Livingetc. We link to their work and never copy it.