The best herbs for the windowsill

Having your own herb garden on the windowsill is not only a must for amateur cooks. The fragrant herbs also look great.

Since space, light and earth are limited with herbs on the windowsill, a few basic principles should be observed when caring for them. In principle, however, most herbs can also be grown indoors and are therefore available directly 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 through today's, double-glazed and coated Windows do not receive the full light spectrum as they do outside and are therefore slower inside grow. In contrast to greenhouse glass, the wavelengths relevant for plants cannot pass through the window glass. The herbs should therefore be placed as brightly as possible. A window sill in another room may be more suitable than the one in the kitchen. We will show you which herbs can be used for the windowsill.

Tip: If you want to create your first herb garden on the window sill, then you can do it with ours Plantura herb growing kit best advice. We have put together a selection of five aromatic herbs that you can sow in the compostable pots included in the set together with high-quality herbal soil.

chives

As for the lighting, is chives (Allium schoenoprasum) quite frugal and can be grown almost anywhere. However, since not all of the 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 nutritional requirement, it should be repotted in nutrient-rich soil as soon as it is a bit bigger. For example, ours is suitable for this Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soilthat has a high proportion of compost and can optimally supply the herbs with their higher nutrient content. For the harvest, the stalks are cut right at the base and soon sprout again, because chives are a perennial herb.

Tip: Our Plantura organic tomato and vegetable soil also goes perfectly with mint, basil, parsley and coriander, because these herbs also love nutrients.

mint

There are different types of mint (Mentha), of which especially the peppermint (Mentha × piperita) is very popular in the kitchen. Mint grows and spreads rapidly. The available pot is usually used quickly. Put the mint in a partially shaded place and provide it with water and regularly Fertilizer, because the herb needs a lot of nutrients and accordingly nutrient-rich soil, like ours peat-free Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil.

Garden cress

The cultivation of Garden cress (Lepidium sativum) actually always works and is possible on any substrate. A shallow container is sufficient, as you are already harvesting the seedlings. Here you can sow generously, because the seedlings grow straight up and need little space until harvest. Cress grows in the sun and partial shade and only needs to be watered from time to time. However, if the location is very bright and warm, the cress needs to be moistened more often.

basil

basil (Ocimum basilicum) should not be missing in any kitchen, because this herb simply tastes best fresh. When harvesting, you should always clip the stem above a new pair of leaves. Here the basil branches again and forms new leaves. This herb needs a sunny spot, nutrient-rich soil, and regular water and fertilization. However, the right balance has to be found when pouring. As soon as the basil leaves the leaves hanging, it should be watered again - but it must never be in the water all the time. With a nutrient-rich vegetable soil, basil develops stable shoots and tastes more aromatic than when it grows in nutrient-poor soil.

parsley

Even parsley (Petroselinum crispum) tastes much more aromatic fresh than dried, so adding it to 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. Provide regular watering and fertilization, because the parsley needs a lot of nutrients. The biennial herb will sprout again next year, but will soon bloom. Use a high-quality, nutrient-rich soil that can store water well, for example ours Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soilthat stores water in compost and coconut dust.

coriander

Not everyone likes this herb, but everyone does coriander (Coriandrum sativum) can easily grow in the kitchen. A sunny window with plenty of warmth and regular watering are prerequisites for a successful harvest. Coriander is an annual plant and has to be sown every year. The coriander seeds are also used as a spice in the kitchen. Like all the other herbs mentioned above, coriander prefers a nutrient-rich substrate.

rosemary

rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is probably one of the easiest to care for kitchen herbs, but enriches many delicious dishes with its aroma. Put the herb in full sun. Pouring and fertilization rarely have to be done, as rosemary is adapted to dryness and warmth. A nutrient-poor substrate, such as ours Plantura organic herb & seed compost, is ideal for the rosemary. Our organic, peat-free soil produces aromatic herbs and is also ideal for growing from seeds. It also goes well with the following semi-shrub-like herbs. Cut off a few branches at the base for harvest; the rosemary then sprouts on the windowsill again.

Tip: Rosemary actually grows as a subshrub and after three to four years it needs a larger pot that gives it more space for its roots.

sage

Can with drought and sunlight sage (Salvia officinalis) handle well. If you want to keep sage in the apartment, it is best to place it by a south-facing window and water whenever the top layer of soil has dried. You can easily determine this with a finger test. You can be frugal with this herb in terms of nutrients. Accordingly, sage should also be kept in a rather nutrient-poor substrate, for example loose herbal soil. A universal soil with 30 to 40% sand is also suitable.

thyme

Like the rosemary, it stands out too thyme (Thymus vulgaris) preferably in a sunny place and does not need a lot of nutrients. The water requirement for the Mediterranean herb is also rather low. Though thyme thrives best outside in the fresh air, it's also great to keep on the windowsill. In a nutrient-poor earth like ours Plantura organic seed and herb soil the thyme feels most comfortable. Our herbal soil is particularly loose thanks to perlite and promotes aromatic thyme leaves through a restrained supply of nutrients.

Tip: Soft and tender herbs such as basil or parsley are best sprinkled fresh over the food and not cooked with them. Hard and coarse herbs such as sage, rosemary or thyme can be added to food earlier so that they give off their aroma.

Caring for herbs on the windowsill: this is what you should pay attention to

A small herb garden on the windowsill is easy to create. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Light requirement

Due to the rather unfavorable light spectrum in the interior, the herbs grow more slowly and tend to so-called vergeilien. This means that long shoots are formed, but they have only a few and small leaves and are more susceptible to disease. It is therefore good for 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. You should therefore only plant two to four individuals of each type of herb in each pot so that the individual plants develop well. You should isolate the herbs you have bought, as they are usually too close together. Be sure to choose pots with a drain hole and lay a drainage layer of pebbles or expanded clay so that excess water can drain away. The kitchen herbs presented do not tolerate waterlogging at all. Also make sure that the soil is of good quality so that water and nutrients can be stored for a long time. The exact nature of the earth differs from herb to herb.

Overwinter

Since perennial culinary herbs such as shrub basil, thyme, rosemary or sage are different Seasons are set, they should be given a break in winter so that they can continue into the next year grow well. Ideally, place the herbs in a room with less light and temperatures of around 0 ° C. During this time, there is correspondingly less watering and no fertilization, because the herbs take a break from growing.

Repot

Especially with herbs on the windowsill, repotting should be carried out regularly in spring. There is only a 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 window sill, pests such as spider mites or aphids can spread faster here and attack all plants. Herbs that grow indoors and receive less light also increasingly form what are known as horny shoots. Such shoots also tend to be attacked by pests more quickly. You should therefore regularly check your herbs for pest infestation. Infestation is not uncommon, especially in winter when the plants are weakened and the air is dry.

Harvest and cut

Lastly, it's important to regularly harvest whole branches from your herbs. This allows the plants to branch out and grow. More tips on Harvesting the herbs can be found in the corresponding article, because the right harvest usually also depends on future growth.

Herbs get little light in the house. In our article too shade-loving herbs you will find even more aromatic herbs whose cultivation in the house is promising.