The easiest herb for beginners to grow indoors is chives. This low maintenance indoor herbs choice forgives your mistakes. Chives keep growing even when you forget to water them or give them less than perfect light.
I tell every friend who asks about indoor gardening to start with chives. My sister killed three basil plants before I gave her a pot of chives instead. That one plant has lived on her kitchen windowsill for two years now with almost no fuss.
My coworker wanted to try basil as her first herb to grow indoors. I warned her it was tricky but she went ahead anyway. Two months later her basil was dead from overwatering. She switched to chives and has had no problems since then.
Chives tolerate conditions that would stress most other herbs. They grow fine with just 4-6 hours of light instead of the 6-8 hours basil needs. You can miss a watering day and they bounce back without drama. Temperature swings from heating and cooling do not bother them much.
Iowa State Extension names the beginner-friendly herbs indoors that grow best. Their top picks are parsley, mint, chives, basil, and thyme. But chives and mint beat them all for ease of care in most homes.
Easiest to Grow
- Chives: Handle low light, missed waterings, and temp changes. Nearly impossible to kill with basic care.
- Mint: Grows fast and comes back from neglect. Keep it in its own pot or it takes over everything.
- Parsley: Tolerates cool spots and lower light. Makes leaves for months with simple care.
Good Second Choices
- Oregano: Likes to dry out between waterings. Low maintenance once you learn its rhythm.
- Thyme: Needs bright light but otherwise asks for little attention from you.
- Basil: Popular but needs more light and water than the easy herbs. Try after you build some skills.
Mint comes in close behind chives for ease of growing. This herb spreads fast and bounces back from almost any mistake. The only real challenge is keeping it from taking over. Always grow mint in its own separate pot away from other herbs.
Parsley rounds out the top three easiest options. Both flat and curly types do well indoors with basic care. Parsley handles cooler spots near drafty windows that would hurt basil. It keeps making leaves for many months before it flowers.
Start with two or three easy herbs to build your confidence first. Chives, mint, and parsley make a great starter collection that covers lots of cooking needs. Keep these plants alive for a full season before you try the harder varieties.
Save the tricky herbs like rosemary and cilantro for later. These plants punish small mistakes in ways that discourage new gardeners. Build your watering and light instincts with forgiving plants first. You will have much better luck with the hard ones after some practice.
Read the full article: Growing Herbs Indoors: Complete Guide for Beginners
