Indoor Herb Garden Kits - Get Started Indoor Gardening

The easy way to get started is with one of the all in one kits. A popular approach these days is a self contained hydroponic unit like the Aerogarden. This unit includes the hydroponic pumps, a computer controller, the starter seed pods, and an adjustable grow light that's part of the unit. You can find all sorts of Aerogarden seeds so you can use it to grow stuff other than just herbs, in fact you can grow some good sized tomatoes with one of these units. they come in more than one size these days, so you can just get started with some salad fixings, and move up from there if you like. See more about this approach at this Aerogarden review.

There are also more traditional kits that you can buy. These will include the seeds, some started medium like peat pots or pear pellets, and for the more expensive units it might include some simple fluorescent grow lights as well.

However you choose to grow your indoor herb garden, there's a few things you will want to keep in mind to improve your odds of success. Don't forget that some herbs will go for years, so you may want to plan for a perennial herb garden.

Or if you tend to do it yourself, a simple indoor planter can work well for your indoor herb garden. Whether you decide to do it with an indoor herb garden kit or do it yourself, here's some tips to keep your herb garden healthy.

Lighting - Herbs don't need as much light as vegetables, but they still need a good amount of light to keep the leaves full and healthy, and to keep the plants from getting leggy or dropping leaves. Keep it close to a window with a southern exposure, or try a small grow light.

While herbs don't need as much light as vegetables, it still helps to keep them full and healthy with adequate light. If you don't have a good south window for your natural lighting, you may decide to supplement your lighting with something like fluorescent grow lights.

If your herbs start to drop their lower leaves or take on a leggy look you might need more light like a grow light. LED grow lights have become popular recently as they can be more energy efficient which helps save on electricity. You can read more about the advantages in this LED grow light review.

Container - Whether you choose to put all your plants in one container or have several, make sure you have good drainage. Don't overwater (maybe water once a week) and put gravel or broken pot shards on the bottom of the planter to make sure you drain well. Use a standard potting soil or soilless mix, and only fertilize every 6 weeks or so.

Choose compact varieties of herbs to plant indoors, as the normal seed types will be too large to effectively grow inside. Some good types to try include compact dill, basil, and Greek oregano as you can grow those from seed. Others herbs that grow well indoors include lavender, parsley, rosemary, sage, angelica, chamomile, dill, fennel, and chives.

Soil - As we mentioned, drainage is critical, and the soil plays a big part in that. Once you've chosen a good pot, make sure you use something that drains welll like a commercial potting soil, or one of the soiless mixes can be a good substitute. A lot of fertilizing is not necessary most times, but you can fertilize every other month or so and see good results in your indoor garden.

Pick your herbs as cutting when your plants get about 6 inches in height and you are ready to go.