How to Grow Herbs Indoors in Australia

Imagine the convenience of having fresh, aromatic herbs at your fingertips all year round, right in the comfort of your own home. If you’re a food-lover who loves to cook with fresh herbs, a kitchen garden is an easily achievable reality.

This comprehensive guide will provide you with practical advice and real-world tips on how to grow herbs indoors in Australia.

Understanding Indoor Herb Gardening

Indoor herb gardening is a fantastic way to have a constant supply of fresh herbs for your culinary needs. Additionally, it enhances your indoor air quality and brings a touch of nature into your living space.

However, successful indoor gardening requires careful consideration of factors such as light and moisture.

There’s a wide range of herbs that are commonly found in Australia and suitable for indoor growing. Some of these include basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and coriander. Each of these herbs has its unique requirements, which we will delve into later in this guide.

Choosing the Right Herbs for Your Indoor Garden

The success of your indoor herb garden largely depends on the selection of the right herbs. It’s important to consider their light requirements, growth habits, and other specific needs.

For instance, herbs from the carrot family, like parsley and coriander, tend to bolt (flower and set seed), while mint family herbs, like basil and oregano, generally don’t.

Here’s a quick run-down of specific herbs and their needs:

• Basil (Ocimum basilicum): Prefers a sunny window and requires regular watering.
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Loves a sunny spot and well-drained soil.
• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris): Needs a sunny window and prefers to dry out between watering.
• Mint (Mentha spp.): Prefers indirect light and likes to be kept moist.
• Oregano (Origanum vulgare): Enjoys a sunny spot and should be allowed to dry out between watering.
• Parsley (Petroselinum crispum): Prefers indirect light and likes to be kept moist.
• Coriander (Coriandrum sativum): Needs a sunny window and prefers to dry out between watering.

As you can see, most herbs have similar needs with a few subtle differences between moisture and light preferences. Too much light, and your herbs may struggle to stay moist or may “bolt” (go to seed prematurely).

Too little light, and they won’t be able to photosynthesise enough to fight back pests and diseases, and growth will be lacklustre.

Setting Up Your Indoor Herb Garden

Setting up your indoor herb garden starts with selecting the right location. A kitchen windowsill that receives plenty of light is often the best spot. That could mean a north-facing window, an east-facing window that will receive morning light. Or a west-facing window that will receive afternoon light.

South-facing windows will receive the least light of all due to the location of the sun for a property located in the southern hemisphere. Choosing suitable containers is important as well. Most herbs prefer pots with good drainage to prevent waterlogging. Preparing the right potting mix, often a blend of organic matter and perlite, sets your plants up for success.

You can start your herb garden by sowing seeds or propagating cuttings. Both methods have their pros and cons. Propagating your own plants can be a rewarding process, but purchasing established plants can give you a head start.

Caring for Your Indoor Herbs

Proper care of your indoor herbs includes understanding their watering needs. Overwatering is a common mistake in indoor gardening. It’s not really about how often you water, but more about allowing the soil to dry out before watering again.

Different pots, substrates and plants will deal with water differently, so watering on a schedule without checking the substrate for existing moisture is one of the most common ways to kill indoor herbs.

Fertilisation is another important aspect of indoor herb care. Most herbs will benefit from a monthly feed with a balanced organic fertiliser. I personally like Dynamic Lifter because it contains a blend of different manures, providing a broad spectrum of macro and micro nutrients. However, not everybody loves the smell as much as I do, and you may find you’d rather use synthetic fertilisers in the kitchen.

Pruning and harvesting not only provide you with fresh herbs but also promote healthier plant growth. Regular harvesting encourages bushier growth and prevents bolting.

Prune the stems of mint family members (oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, and others) just above a “node.” That’s the part where you’ll see two opposite leaves emerging from the stem. Little buds hidden within the leaf axils will grow new branches. Don’t worry about flowers of these herbs – they’re nutritious, delicious and provide some beauty on a plate of food.

Prune the leaves of carrot family members (parsley, coriander and others) down to the base. If you see flowers emerging, consider pruning them to get some more out of your herbs. Carrot family herbs become distasteful and then die once they flower, although they’re a wonderful resource for pollinators when they’re outside.

Common problems such as pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies can occur. Understanding how to troubleshoot these issues will ensure the longevity of your indoor herb garden. A lack of sunlight will make your herbs more susceptible to many pests and diseases.

Most insect pests can be controlled effectively with some horticultural oil, which you can mix up in the kitchen using dish soap, vegetable oil and water. This mix is non-toxic but may not taste very nice, so try not to use the oil on any plants you’re intending to harvest in the next couple of weeks.

Root rot is a regular problem for many pot plants, including indoor herbs. Avoid over-watering and dispose of any infected plants to keep these fungal diseases at bay.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Indoor Herb Gardening Tips

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you might want to explore advanced indoor herb gardening techniques.

You can propagate herbs in the mint family by cutting. Simply cut a piece of stem to include several nodes, remove the bottom leaves, and poke the stems into potting mix. You can also use rooting hormones to increase your success.

Alternatively, you can propagate both mint family members and carrot family members using seeds. This will produce a plant that’s unique from their parents – they could be delicious, or could be less palatable than cultivated varieties.

For example, mint is known to readily spread by seed and the new plants are much less tasty than the plants that bred them.

You can also consider using grow lights for indoor gardens. This is particularly useful during the darker winter months and in spaces that receive little light.

And the number one, biggest expert tip for growing herbs is to choose the best varieties to grow. At Ozbreed, we’ve bred some of the most aromatic, longest-living and resilient herbs that are available to grow. You can view our range here: https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/natural-health/

Daniel’s Wrap

Growing herbs indoors in Australia can be a rewarding endeavour, providing not only culinary benefits but also enhancing your living space. Remember that each herb is unique and will have its specific needs.

With patience, care, and the practical advice in this guide, you can cultivate a lush, productive indoor herb garden. So why wait?

Start your indoor herb gardening journey today!

Image Attribution: 1, 2