It’s always nice to have fresh herbs on hand, but herb gardens can take up a lot of space. If you live in an apartment or condo and don’t want to fill your entire space with herb plants, consider the indoor hanging herb garden. With these tips and tricks for creating your own hanging herb garden, you’ll be well on your way to a bright home and delicious dishes in no time.
How to Select Herbs for Your Hanging Herb Garden
When deciding which herbs to grow in your hanging herb garden, select herbs that are appropriate for the amount of light in your space, and choose herbs with similar needs to grow together. Avoid mixing any plants that don’t like lots of sunlight with those that thrive on plenty of light (which is usually the case).
The Best Herbs for a Hanging Herb Garden
Mint
Mint is one herb that can be grown indoors year-round. It’s often used in tea but also goes well with salads and desserts. You may want to grow a few different types of mint for both flavor and variety. Check out mentha spectra (spearmint) or Mentha x Piperita (peppermint). Other possible varieties include apple mint or pineapple mint. All these types of mint will do better in a warm environment except peppermint, which prefers cooler temperatures.
Chives
Chives are popular when it comes to cooking eggs, soups, and potatoes due to their ability to add mild onion flavors. They’re also delicious in herb butter or minced into a salad. Chives need full sunlight and a moist environment.
Basil
Basil is one of the most popular herbs around. It’s often used for pesto and tomato sauces, but it also tastes great with tomatoes themselves as well as cucumbers, potatoes, and peas. You can use fresh basil leaves in salads, soups, stews, or pasta dishes like spaghetti Bolognese to give them an Italian flair. Basil plants need plenty of sunlight, so if you’re placing your hanging herb garden next to a sunny window, definitely include basil.
Parsley
Parsley is one of the most commonly used herbs because it goes so well with almost any dish you can imagine – think about adding it to your soup for extra flavor. It’s easy enough for beginners and grows quickly since you need just three hours of sunlight per day (more if possible). You may want both flat-leaf parsley as well as curly parsley, which has leaves that are more flavorful than the former variety. When choosing where to hang your herb garden, make sure you have room for both varieties.
Thyme
Thyme is another herb that prefers at least six hours of moderate sunlight per day, so it doesn’t wilt or turn yellow. It’s a good herb to add flavor to your dishes with its mild, earthy taste which is often used in the Mediterranean region. If you are looking for an herb variety that can be grown year-round indoors without a medium amount of sunlight, this may be the one for you!
The Best Containers for Planting an Indoor Herb Garden
Plastic herb pots
This is the most convenient option because they’re lightweight and easy to move around as needed or even bring outside if you like. Plus, plastic herb containers are more durable than ceramic ones so they can take more abuse when being moved from location to location. Some people find that this material also holds water better which means less watering for you. Be sure to select pots with good drainage, or your plants will need repotting after a year due to root rot. Lastly, plastic is light, so it’s perfect for just about any hanging method.
Ceramic herb pots
For those who don’t mind spending a little more money upfront as they’re not only reusable (if cared for properly) but will also last much longer than their cheaper counterparts, Ceramic herb containers are an excellent indoor herb garden option. And although more expensive than plastic, you can find ceramic plant pots for very reasonable prices online. Again, make sure your pots have drainage holes in the bottom.
Clay herb pots
A little more expensive than plastic, Clay herb containers are also like ceramic, they are reusable and will last for years with proper care. Plus, many clay pots are handmade and often have more intricate designs than the other herb containers. The decor is as important as functionality, after all! For these and ceramic pots, consider their weight and your hanging method before deciding.
The Best Potting Mix for Your Indoor Herb Garden
For best results, buy a potting mix with high-quality ingredients. This should be organic and contain peat moss or sphagnum, as these are absorbent herb soil amendments that will help your plants grow healthier. Generally, the best potting soils have more nutrients and help your plants thrive. You can also find formulations that are meant specifically for herbs.
Methods for Hanging Your Herb Garden
There is a variety of herb garden hanging methods to choose from, depending on the space available in your home and how much work you’d like to do.
Upcycled herb containers
One method is using existing items around your house for your herb garden hanger. For example, inexpensive wire coat hangers can be twisted into shape as needed. Just be aware that this type of solution may rust underwater. But they are so cheap that replacing them is a snap. A thick string, rope, or jute may also be an excellent option. Be sure to consider the weight you’ll be supporting before choosing.
Hanging herb garden kits
One of the easier ways to create an indoor herb paradise is by purchasing pre-made hanging herb gardens! These come with everything you need, including hooks or chains on which to hang your containers. There are many different types available and just about every size too. So, it’s easy to find one perfect for your needs.
Macrame plant hangers
Looking for herb container ideas that will add an artistic flair to your herb garden? Macramé plant hangers may be perfect. These unique plant hangers only require basic knitting skills so even beginners can make them!
Pots suspended from the wall
This herb garden option has an added bonus: you get not only herbs but also living walls around your home. There are tons of options for wall-mounted plant hangers, from cloth to plastic. Make sure they’re small enough so when hung there’s still plenty of room between each pot. This helps sunlight to come through. It’s especially important if you have more than one row going along the length of your wall!
FAQs About How to Create an Indoor Hanging Herb Garden
Harvest indoor herbs before they flower, and their flavor diminishes. Different indoor herbs should be harvested at different points throughout the growing season: basil, chives, mints, and parsley are best when picked before they flower (basil needs frequent harvesting); rosemary can be harvested year-round but is best picked in early summer for best flavor; thyme leaves can be clipped anytime during its growing season and usually improves with age so you can use fresh or dried indoor hanging herb leaves from the same plant.
The most important aspect of indoor herb gardening is keeping the soil moist but not soggy. In other words, water regularly, but avoid over-watering. Incandescent or fluorescent lighting is sufficient for indoor plants; however, you should avoid placing your indoor hanging herb garden near heat sources (such as radiators) that may cause excessive drying in the air surrounding your indoor hanging plants.
Choose a location in your home where you will be able to hang your indoor hanging herb garden without crowding it. Ideally, you’ll want to choose a location that receives 6-8 hours of indirect sunlight throughout the day so your indoor herbs can grow properly.
Hanging indoor herb gardens are more decorative than conventional indoor herb gardens and, if you hang them in front of a window, they will receive plenty of indoor light while also allowing you to enjoy their beauty.
There are many indoor herb plants available in seed or plant form. Some of the herb varieties that make great indoor herb choices include basil, mint, parsley, thyme, and chives.
Indoor herb gardens can be very pleasurable. Growing herbs in your home allow you the freedom to enjoy and taste fresh, pungent herbs whenever you want during the year. And creating an indoor herb garden is easy – and easy to care for!