Having your own herb garden on the windowsill is not only a must for hobby cooks. The fragrant herbs are also visually appealing.
Since space, light and soil are limited for herbs on the windowsill, a few principles should be observed when caring for them. In principle, however, most herbs can also be grown indoors and are therefore directly available in the kitchen.
Kitchen herbs for the windowsill
Fresh herbs give every dish the finishing touch and give off a pleasant scent. But even if you don't have a balcony or garden, you don't have to do without your own herb garden. Because many herbs can also be kept on the windowsill. It should be noted, however, that plants do not receive the full spectrum of light from today's double-glazed and coated windows, as they do outdoors, and therefore grow more slowly indoors. In contrast to greenhouse glass, the wavelengths relevant to plants cannot pass through the window glass. The herbs should therefore be set up as brightly as possible. A windowsill in another room may be more appropriate than the one in the kitchen. We show you which herbs can be used for the windowsill.
Tip: If you want to create your first herb garden on the windowsill, our Plantura herb growing set is the best choice. We have put together a selection of five aromatic herbs that you can sow in the compostable pots included in the set with high-quality herb soil.
Chives
In terms of light conditions, chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are quite frugal and can be grown almost anywhere. However, since not all light comes through the window, the brightest window sill is best. Regular watering and fertilizing are important for the chives on the windowsill. Since it has a fairly high nutrient requirement, it should be repotted in nutrient-rich soil as soon as it is a little larger. For example, our Plantura organic tomato& vegetable soil, which has a high compost content and can optimally supply the herbs with their higher nutrient content. For harvesting, the stalks are cut off at the base and soon sprout again, because chives are perennial herbs.
Tip: Our Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil also goes well with mint, basil, parsley and coriander, because these herbs also love nutrients.
Mint
There are different kinds of mint (Mentha), of which the peppermint (Mentha×piperita ) is very popular in the kitchen. Mint grows rapidly and spreads widely. The available pot is usually quickly taken up. Place the mint in a semi-shady place and provide the plant with water and fertilizer regularly. The herb requires a lot of nutrients and accordingly nutrient-rich soil, such as our peat-free Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil.
Garden cress
Growing garden cress (Lepidium sativum) is always successful and can be done on any substrate. A shallow container is perfectly adequate, since the seedlings are already being harvested. Here you can sow generously, because the seedlings grow straight up and only need little space until harvest. Cress grows in the sun and semi-shade and only needs to be watered from time to time. However, if the location is very bright and warm, the cress must be moistened more frequently.
Basil
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) should not be missing in any kitchen, because this herb simply tastes best fresh. When harvesting, you should always snap off the stalk just above a new pair of leaves. Here the basil then branches again and forms new leaves. This herb needs a sunny spot, nutrient-rich soil and regular watering and fertilizing. However, the right balance must be found when pouring. As soon as the basil lets its leaves droop, it should be watered again - but it must not be constantly in the water. With nutrient-rich vegetable soil, basil develops stable shoots and tastes more aromatic than when it is grown in nutrient-poor soil.
parsley
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) also tastes far more aromatic fresh than dried, so growing it in the kitchen is highly recommended. Parsley likes a spot with light but no direct sun. It should also be warm for the herb to thrive. Make sure you water and fertilize regularly, because parsley needs a lot of nutrients. The biennial herb will sprout again next year, but will soon start flowering. Here, too, use a high-quality, nutrient-rich soil that can store water well, for example our Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil.
Coriander
Not everyone likes this herb, but those who like coriander (Coriandrum sativum) can easily grow it in the kitchen. Prerequisites for a successful harvest are a sunny window with plenty of heat and regular watering. Coriander is an annual plant and needs to be resown every year. The coriander seeds are also used as a spice in the kitchen. Like all of the other herbs mentioned above, coriander prefers a nutrient-rich substrate.
Rosemary
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is probably one of the easiest kitchen herbs to care for, but enriches many delicious dishes with its aroma. Place the herb in full sun. It rarely needs to be watered and fertilized because rosemary is adapted to dryness and warmth. A nutrient-poor substrate, such as our Plantura organic herb & seed compost, is ideal for rosemary. Our organic and peat-free soil produces aromatic herbs and is also ideal for growing from seed. It also goes well with the following semi-shrubby herbs. For harvest, cut off some branches at the base; the rosemary will then sprout again on the windowsill.
Tip: Rosemary actually grows as a subshrub and needs a larger pot after three to four years, which gives it more space for its roots.
sage
Sage (Salvia officinalis) can deal well with drought and sunlight. If you want to keep sage in the apartment, it is best to put it in a south-facing window and water it when the top layer of soil has dried.You can easily determine this with a finger test. You can be sparing with nutritional supplements with this herb. Accordingly, sage should also be kept in a rather nutrient-poor substrate, such as loose herbal soil. A universal soil with 30 to 40% sand is also well suited.
Thyme
Like rosemary, thyme (Thymus vulgaris) prefers a sunny spot and does not need a lot of nutrients. The water requirement of the Mediterranean herb is also rather low. Although thyme thrives best outside in the fresh air, you can also grow it on the windowsill. Thyme feels most comfortable in a nutrient-poor soil like our Plantura Organic Seed & Herb Soil . Our herbal soil is particularly loose due to perlite and promotes aromatic thyme leaves through a restrained supply of nutrients.
Tip: Soft and delicate herbs such as basil or parsley are best sprinkled fresh over the food and not cooked. Hard and coarse herbs such as sage, rosemary or thyme can be added to the food earlier so that they release their aroma.
Caring for herbs on the window sill: You should pay attention to this
A small herb garden on the windowsill is easy to create. However, there are a few points to note.
Light requirement
Due to the rather unfavorable light spectrum in the interior, the herbs grow more slowly and tend to so-called wilting. This means that long shoots are formed, but they have only a few small leaves and are more susceptible to disease. It is therefore good for the herbs to spend time outdoors, if possible. For example, a balcony box can be attached outside the window.
Planters
Since the space on the windowsill is very limited, it is usually only possible to use small pots. Therefore, only plant two to four individuals of each type of herb in each pot so that the individual plants develop well. Purchased herbs should be separated as they are usually too dense. Be sure to choose pots with a drainage hole and lay a drainage layer of pebbles or expanded clay so that excess water can drain away. The presented ones tolerate waterloggingNot kitchen herbs at all. Also make sure you use good quality soil so that water and nutrients can be stored for a long time. Exactly what the soil must be like varies from herb to herb.
Wintering
Since perennial kitchen herbs such as basil, thyme, rosemary or sage are adjusted to different seasons, they should be given a break in winter so that they continue to grow well next year. Ideally, place the herbs in a room with less light and a temperature of around 0 °C. During this time, watering is correspondingly less and no fertilizing is done, because the herbs take a break from growing.
Repotting
Herbs on the windowsill should be repotted regularly in spring. There is little substrate available in the small pots and this should be replaced annually. When the pot is fully rooted, it is advisable to divide the herbs or plant them in a larger pot.
Diseases and Pests
Since herbs are very close together on the windowsill, pests such as spider mites or aphids can spread more quickly here and infest all plants. Herbs that grow indoors and get less light also form more so-called Geiltriebe. Such shoots also tend to be attacked by pests more quickly. Therefore, check your herbs regularly for pest infestation. Infestation is not uncommon, especially in winter when plants are weak and the air is dry.
Harvest and Pruning
Finally, it's important to regularly harvest whole branches from your herbs. This allows the plants to continue branching and growing. You can find more tips on harvesting the herbs in the corresponding article, because future growth usually depends on the right harvest.
In the house, herbs get little light. Check out our article on shade-loving herbs for even more aromatic aromatic plants that can be successfully grown indoors.