8 Best Indoor Herb Garden Kits Anyone Can Grow at Home
Updated: Feb. 01, 2024
Growing fresh herbs isn't just for trendy restaurants and professional chefs. You too can get in on the farm fresh benefits nature has to offer with an indoor herb garden kit.
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Whether you have a green thumb or not, it’s easy to bring nature into your home with an indoor herb garden kit. No matter what type of space you have, there’s a kit to keep your kitchen stocked with the most popular herbs. Perhaps you have a spacious bay window, and you can’t wait to start grabbing fresh herbs while you cook. For you, the bigger the herb garden, the better! But fret not if your space is limited—we’ve got some excellent options for you as well.
Once your indoor herb garden is thriving, you’ll want to make sure you’re storing your herbs efficiently so they’ll last as long as possible. If you’re up for trying something new, check out hydroponic gardening for smaller spaces, which is all about growing food without soil (we’ve got one of those on our list).
Consider signing up for a plant subscription box for a greener and happier home. Air-purifying plants do the trick, too! But if all of the above sounds like too much hassle, check out these low-light plants and low-maintenance houseplants anyone can grow (trust us!). These drought-tolerant plants are pretty easy too—and you won’t believe how real these fake plants look. No matter what type of greenery you choose, they’ll look incredible once potted in attractive indoor plant pots.
Here are our best indoor herb garden picks to make your house greener and your food even more delicious.
Best overall
Culinary Herb Seed Starter Kit
The Burpee herb garden kit is affordable and easy to use. It has some of the most popular herbs for cooking all of your favorite dishes, including dill, parsley, cilantro, sweet basil and chives. We love that this kit uses biodegradable pots for reducing your carbon footprint.
In addition to seed packets for five herbs, you’ll get five coir pellets made from coconut husks, which are less messy than the traditional soil used in repotting plants. Plus, there are five markers to help keep track of your herbs.
Pros
- Made from sustainable materials
- Coir pellets are mess-free
- Affordable
Cons
- Biodegradable pots will need to be replaced
Best for beginners
Herb Garden Growing Kit
The affordable EnviroGarden’s complete herb growing kit includes three planters, three seed bags, nine coir soil wafers and an attractive tray. Basil, parsley and rosemary will get you started on your herb growing adventure—perfect for beginners who are just starting to dabble!
We love the wooden plant markers that contrast nicely with the shiny vintage metal pots in this indoor herb garden kit. Narrow enough for your kitchen windowsill, you can also place these in your living room or office to decorate with the greenery. The pots already come with drain holes, so you can keep your plants in them longer and avoid overwatering.
Pros
- Everything is included
- Handmade by a small business
- Ideal for narrow spaces
Cons
- Only includes three herbs
Best hydroponic garden
AeroGarden Harvest Indoor Garden
This AeroGarden hydroponic garden kit allows you to grow up to six herbs at one time: mint, parsley, dill, thyme and two types of basil. You don’t have to find a window with full sun for this set—its included grow light provides the full spectrum of light your herbs need.
Plants in this hydroponic indoor herb garden kit can grow up to five times faster than in traditional soil. And it’s so easy to use! Just drop the seed pods into your indoor garden, add water and plant food, then plug it in and wait for your herbs to grow. We love the backlit buttons that remind you when the unit is low on water and plant food.
Pros
- Comes with a grow light
- Automatic timer
- Can be reused
Cons
- Must use their brand of seed pods
Best for kids
National Geographic Herb Garden Growing Kit
Talk about fun, practical and artsy! National Geographic’s herb garden growing kit comes with three paintable flower pots, six colors of paint, two brushes and a sheet of stickers for decorating. You’ll get seeds for growing chives, oregano and basil, along with three peat pellets.
This indoor herb garden kit teaches kids and adults about plant science, while also focusing on art and culinary masterpieces to come. It includes a learning guide that shares about plant growth and plant anatomy, and a grow chart for monitoring your progress. It’s the perfect gift for artists and budding botanists.
Pros
- Educational and fun for kids
- Affordable
- Focuses on plant science and art
- Everything you need is included
Cons
- Only includes three herbs
- May need to repaint the pots over time
Best for small spaces
Hanging Parsley Growing Kit
This herb kit by Touch of Eco features an earth-friendly fabric hanging bag with three compartments. It’s the superior choice for compact spaces like apartments and dorms (along with these small indoor plants). Pick between three different herbs for your growing kit—this particular one comes with parsley, but basil and oregano are also available. With its wallet-friendly price, you won’t break the bank if you decide to buy all three!
Pros
- Space-saving design
- Eco-friendly materials
- Seeds are organic
Cons
- Hanging hardware is not included
Best for large spaces
Stack & Grow Planter Plus Culinary Herb Kit
If you love to cook and make your own DIY soaps, medicinal tinctures and teas, this Stack & Grow herb kit is a prime pick. At 2 feet wide and 15 inches tall, this stackable planter would be perfect for a tall bay window. This indoor herb kit includes seed packets for basil, dill, oregano, parsley, mustard and chives, and has room to grow 20 plants.
You’ll also get 12 compressed soil pucks (just add water!), a drip tray and a 12-cell seed tray. When it’s time to water your plants, simply pour it into the top level—its stacked design lets water pass through down to the lower levels, ensuring every plant gets enough to drink. Made of durable BPA-free plastic, this planter can be reused throughout the year.
Pros
- Grows up to 20 different herbs
- Available in three colors
- Wheels make this easy for moving around
- Comes with a hanging chain for hoisting
Cons
- Pricey
- Some assembly required
Best budget option
Window Garden Basil Herb Kit
Complete with everything you need, Window Garden’s basil herb kit is ideal for beginners who don’t want to spend a lot, and an excellent intro to at-home container gardens. This budget-friendly pick includes basil seeds and fiber soil starters, plus a mini-greenhouse that’s terrific for creating a moist environment for effective seed germination.
The compact dimensions of this indoor herb garden kit are perfectly sized for your windowsill. Though you’ll need to transplant your basil to a larger pot after the seedlings have grown, you can reuse this mini-greenhouse to grow other herbs.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Everything is included
- Ideal for a small spaces or a windowsill
- Easy to transplant once seedlings have grown
Cons
- Only includes basil seeds
- You will need to transplant these soon after seedlings have grown
Best for making drinks
AeroGarden Cocktail & Mocktail Herb Blend
Talk about being the hostess with the most-est! AeroGarden’s cocktail and mocktail herb blend includes mint, lavender, dill and three different types of basil—Genovese, Thai and lime. Since these come as pre-seeded grow pods, they’re also fantastic for beginner gardeners. You’ll also get specially formulated liquid plant food, a grow-dome for optimal germination and an easy-to-read growing guide with step-by-step instructions.
Pros
- Includes herbs perfect for making fun drinks
- Easy to use
- Wonderful for smaller spaces
- Grow dome helps with optimal germination
- You can expect a continuous harvest for up to six months
Cons
- AeroGarden growing unit is sold separately
What to consider when buying an indoor herb garden kit
When buying an indoor herb garden kit, it’s important to think about what you’ll use the herbs for. Are they for cooking, making fun mixed drinks or trendy flavored ice cubes? Maybe you want to use your herbs for crafting handmade soaps or healthy essential oils. Perhaps you’re thinking of using them for hot or iced teas or medicinal purposes. By figuring out what kind of herbs you want and how many you’ll need, you’ll be on your way to finding the kit that’s best for you.
From a practical standpoint, you’ll want to measure the area for your indoor herb garden kit. Maybe the windowsill is more narrow than you first imagined, or your indoor herb garden kit is too tall for the window box in your kitchen. Consider the lighting as well—is it near a window that gets the right amount of sunlight? Decorating tip: An herb garden kit might look nice in your home office or in the China hutch, but make sure it comes with a leak-proof tray to prevent damaging furniture.
How We Chose the Best Indoor Herb Garden Kits
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
FAQs
Does an indoor herb garden need direct sunlight?
For most indoor herb garden kits, you should find a sunny spot in your home that provides at least 6 to 8 hours of medium-to-bright direct sunlight per day. Ideally, that means a south-facing or a southwest facing window. This is especially true for popular herbs like basil, sage and thyme. Some herbs may still be able to thrive with less light, though they will likely be less flavorful. If you have a window that only gets morning or partial afternoon sunlight, consider rosemary, parsley, mint, chives or coriander.
If you don’t have a space that offers enough natural light, you can supplement by using grow lights, which utilize fluorescent lighting. During winter months, your herbs may need an even greater amount of supplementation. Beware: Pale or yellowing leaves or stems, slow growth and undersized leaves usually indicate your herb is not getting enough sunlight. But here’s how to revive a dead or dying plant, if it comes to that.
How often do you need to water an indoor herb garden?
Watering needs vary depending on the season and the types of herbs you’re growing, but the key is to find that balance between under-watering and overwatering, which can result in root rot. During fall and winter months, your herbs will not require as much water as in the spring and summer months, which is especially true for rosemary. But each indoor environment is different based on your home’s humidity and average temperature, so use your best judgement.
Herbs grow best at temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees. They should never get too dry, but it’s important to provide proper drainage so the soil doesn’t get too soggy. A simple tip: Press your finger into the top part of the soil—if it feels dry, it’s generally a good time to water your herbs. Misting your herbs once a week with a spray bottle is an easy way to increase humidity.
Originally Published: January 24, 2023
