Fresh herbs can make or break your dishes. Along with offering brighter flavors, they are also more nutritious. One of the more affordable ways to get fresh herbs is to grow them yourself. Depending on where you live, your options for cultivating herbs will be either to grow them inside your home if you don’t have outdoor space or in your outdoor herb garden.
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Do herbs grow better indoors or outdoors?
If you’re thinking about growing herbs, you also need to think about the growing environment. Would it be better to grow them indoors or outdoors? The question of which environment to choose depends on factors like exposure to sunlight, which herbs need to thrive. Protection from the extremes of winter and summer is also important. There are pros and cons to both environments, but some herbs are better suited for indoor cultivation than others, while there are other herbs that you should only try to grow outdoors. Let’s take a look at both types.
Which herbs grow better indoors?
The herbs that grow the best indoors are those that can survive on limited light but even these plants will still need some light. Herbs planted indoors should get at least six hours each day, but some may be able to survive on as little as four. The best herbs for growing indoors include.
Chives
One of the best reasons to grow chives indoors is that they don’t need a lot of light. They’re also perfect for beginners since all you have to do is uproot a stem bunch from a healthy plant and place them in a pot. Cover the root with soil and water when the surface of the soil feels dry. Be careful to avoid damaging the roots during the transplanting process.
Basil
Best-known for its role in pasta sauces, basil is also one of the herbs that you can grow inside your house. Indoor cultivation is only possible with some basil varieties. The types best suited to indoor cultivation are the smaller ones like dwarf basil and the spicy globe variety.
Thyme
Thyme’s versatile flavor is best known from traditional French cooking, but you will see it in some pasta sauce recipes and its flavor is great in breads and soups. It can grow well with limited light as long as you keep it in a container that drains well. Water only when the surface is dry.
Chervil
Another one of the French fines herbes, chervil has hints of anise and parsley in its flavor. It’s used in Bearnaise sauce as well as in fish and eggs. It does not need full sun to survive, which makes it one of the best herbs for growing indoors.
Which herbs grow better outdoors?
Most herbs do better outdoors. Transplanting them outside won’t risk the shock to the plant that planting them inside will. Some herbs should only be planted outside, and they include:
Rosemary
A Mediterranean herb in the mint family, rosemary is associated with strongly-flavored and fatty meats like lamb and pork. While rosemary is related to herbs like basil that can do well indoors, it is most definitely an outdoor herb. It requires lots of sunshine and air circulation to thrive.
Parsley
Parsley is an outdoor herb that does best in the spring and summer. When grown in the right conditions, it is a hardy plant that will not die easily.