Herb Bowls for Kitchen Windows in Cool Months

The herbs that do best in a kitchen window from October through March are parsley, chives, thyme, oregano, and mint, with rosemary as a slower bonus. Plant them in a wide bowl or trough with drainage, give them a south or west window with at least 5 to 6 hours of light (or add a grow light), water when the top inch is dry, and snip often. Basil is the exception: it hates cool, dim sills and usually sulks until spring unless it gets warmth and strong light.

A single 12 to 16 inch bowl with four or five herbs gives steady small harvests for cooking, which is exactly what a winter kitchen needs.

Which herbs to put in the bowl

• Parsley (flat or curly): the most productive indoor herb in cool months. Start from transplants; seed is slow.
• Chives: cut-and-come-again and very tolerant of cool sills.
• Thyme: compact and drought tolerant. Plant it at the drier edge of the bowl.
• Oregano and marjoram: pair well with thyme in a gritty corner.
• Mint: vigorous enough to crowd the others. Give it its own pot set inside the bowl.
• Rosemary: wants the brightest, coolest spot and careful watering. See bay laurel and rosemary topiaries indoors for its winter quirks.
• Basil: needs 65°F or warmer and strong light. Skip it on a drafty sill or grow it under lights.

You can dig and pot chives, parsley, thyme, and oregano from the garden in early October before frost, or buy fresh transplants. Rinse garden plants and check under leaves so you do not carry pests inside; see bringing houseplants indoors without pests.

How to plant a kitchen herb bowl

1. Pick a bowl at least 6 inches deep with a drainage hole and a saucer. Shallower bowls dry out daily.
2. Use a light indoor potting mix. Add a handful of perlite for thyme, oregano, and rosemary.
3. Group by thirst. Parsley and chives on one side, thyme and oregano on the drier side, mint in its own sunken pot.
4. Plant at nursery depth and space herbs 3 to 4 inches apart. They will fill in.
5. Water thoroughly once, let the saucer drain, and then water only when the top inch feels dry.

Light is the limit

Winter sun is low and short. A bright south window is ideal; east or west works for parsley, chives, and mint. If stems stretch and leaves pale, add a clip-on grow light 6 to 12 inches above the bowl for 12 to 14 hours a day on a timer. Turn the bowl a quarter turn each week so plants grow evenly.

Keep the bowl a few inches off cold glass on frosty nights and away from heat vents, which dry leaves fast. Herbs like cool rooms, roughly 60 to 70°F by day.

Harvesting and feeding

• Snip often but lightly. Take no more than a third of a plant at once so it keeps regrowing.
• Cut chives an inch above the soil. Pick parsley stems from the outside of the clump.
• Pinch thyme, oregano, and mint just above a pair of leaves to keep them bushy.
• Feed lightly, a half-strength liquid fertilizer every 4 to 6 weeks. Dim light means slow growth, and heavy feeding gives weak, floppy stems.
• Dry extras by hanging small bundles in a warm, airy spot, or freeze chopped herbs in ice cube trays.

Herb scissors with several blades make quick work of chives and parsley. Keep fingers well back from the blades, cut on a board, and store them with the blade guard on. For woody stems, use small pruning snips and cut away from your body.

Common problems

• Leggy, pale growth: not enough light. Add a grow light.
• Yellowing lower leaves: usually overwatering. Let the mix dry more between waterings.
• Fungus gnats: another sign of wet soil. Let the top inch dry and use yellow sticky cards.
• Aphids or spider mites: rinse plants in the sink and wipe leaves. Dry indoor heat invites mites, so a nearby humidity tray helps; see humidity trays and grouping for winter houseplants.

Pet notes for kitchen herbs

Basil, rosemary, and thyme are not listed as toxic to dogs or cats by the ASPCA. Chives (onion family), parsley, and oregano are listed as toxic to dogs and cats, and chives are a particular concern for cats. Set the bowl on a sill pets cannot reach, and call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if a pet eats part of it. More detail: is basil safe for cats, is oregano safe for dogs, and is rosemary safe for dogs.

Bottom line

Plant parsley, chives, thyme, oregano, and potted mint in a deep, drained bowl, set it in your brightest kitchen window or under a grow light, and harvest a little at a time. You will have fresh herbs for cooking all through the cool months.

Related reading

• Is thyme safe for dogs
• Is mint safe for cats
• Grow lights for seed starting indoors