How to Grow Herbs in Winter: Indoor Care Guide

When the days get short and the first frost is on the way, a summer herb garden doesn’t have to end. Many culinary herbs can keep growing through winter, either indoors on a sunny windowsill or in a sheltered spot outside, as long as you adjust light, watering and temperature to the season.

To grow herbs in winter, bring tender pots indoors before the first frost, place them in your brightest window (south-facing is best in the Northern Hemisphere) or under a grow light for 12 to 16 hours a day, and water only when the top of the soil is dry. Keep them away from radiators and cold glass, feed them lightly, if at all, and harvest a little at a time. Parsley, chives, mint, thyme and rosemary handle winter best; basil needs the most warmth.

In this guide, you’ll learn which herbs to bring inside, how to move them without shocking them, how much light and water they need in winter, and how to fix the most common cold-season problems.

What changes for herbs in winter?

In winter, herbs get fewer hours of light, and the sun sits lower in the sky. With less light and cooler temperatures, they grow more slowly and use much less water. Indoors, there’s another challenge: heating dries out the air, which stresses leaves and invites pests like spider mites.

The key is to accept the slower rhythm. Your goal in winter isn’t a huge harvest; it’s keeping plants healthy and productive enough to give you fresh leaves until spring.

Which herbs grow best in winter?

Hardy and cool-season herbs handle winter best: parsley, chives, thyme, oregano, sage, mint and rosemary. Basil is the most cold-sensitive herb in the kitchen garden and should come indoors before nights drop to around 50°F (10°C).

Herb	Winter behavior	Main tip
Parsley	Tolerates cold well and keeps producing indoors	Bright light and moderate watering
Chives	Very hardy. May go dormant outside	Pot up a small clump to grow indoors
Thyme and oregano	Hardy, but hate soggy soil	Water sparingly and use a gritty mix
Rosemary	Can be tricky indoors	Cool, very bright spot and careful watering
Mint	Slows down and may die back	Keep the soil lightly moist; it regrows in spring
Basil	Very sensitive. Leaves blacken in the cold	Warm, sunny spot and a grow light if possible

How do you bring herbs indoors for winter?

Move herbs in gradually, before the first frost, so they adjust to the lower light indoors. A sudden move from a sunny patio to a dim kitchen often makes plants drop leaves.

1. Start early. Begin a week or two before your first expected frost date.
2. Check for pests. Look under the leaves and along the stems for aphids, spider mites and whiteflies, and rinse the plant with a gentle spray of water.
3. Trim the plant. Cut back leggy or damaged stems so it has less foliage to support in lower light.
4. Acclimate it. Bring the pot inside for a few hours a day, increasing the time over several days.
5. Pot up garden herbs. For herbs growing in the ground, dig a healthy clump and plant it in a pot with drainage holes and fresh potting mix.

How much light do herbs need indoors in winter?

Most herbs need at least six hours of bright light a day, which is hard to get from a window in winter. Place them in your sunniest window, usually one facing south in the Northern Hemisphere. If plants still stretch toward the glass and grow pale, add a grow light.

• Grow lights: a simple full-spectrum LED, kept on for 12 to 16 hours a day, makes a huge difference. Hang it a few inches above the plants and raise it as they grow. A timer makes this effortless.
• Rotate the pots every few days so the plants grow evenly instead of leaning toward the light.
• Keep leaves off the glass. On cold nights, windows get very chilly, and leaves touching them can get damaged.

If you’d like to set up a complete indoor herb station, start with our complete guide to growing a kitchen herb garden.

How often should you water herbs in winter?

Water less often than in summer, and only when the top of the soil feels dry. Push a finger into the soil: if it’s still moist, wait another day. Cool temperatures and low light mean the soil stays wet much longer, and soggy roots are the number-one winter killer of potted herbs.

• Water in the morning with room-temperature water.
• Empty the saucer after every watering.
• Water the soil, not the leaves, to avoid fungal problems.
• Let thyme, oregano and rosemary dry out a bit more between waterings than parsley, mint and chives.

What temperature and humidity do indoor herbs like?

Most culinary herbs are happy at normal room temperatures, roughly 60 to 70°F (16 to 21°C). Basil prefers the warmer end of that range. Rosemary, on the other hand, often does better in a cooler, bright room.

The bigger issue is dry air from heating. Keep pots away from radiators, heating vents and fireplaces, which dry the leaves and the soil quickly. Grouping pots together raises the humidity around them. You can also set the pots on a tray of pebbles with a little water, as long as the bottom of the pot isn’t sitting in the water.

Should you fertilize herbs in winter?

Feed very lightly, or not at all. Because herbs grow slowly in winter, they use few nutrients, and extra fertilizer can build up in the soil. A thin layer of compost on top of the soil at the start of winter is usually enough. If you compost at home, see how to use compost in pots. Resume regular feeding in spring, when new growth takes off.

How do you harvest herbs in winter without weakening them?

Harvest less and more gently. In winter, plants take longer to replace what you cut. Snip a few tips at a time, and never remove more than about a third of the plant at once.

If you have more herbs than you can use before the cold arrives, such as a big basil plant at the end of summer, don’t let it go to waste. Learn how to dry and freeze herbs so you have homegrown flavor all winter.

What are the most common winter herb problems?

Sign	Most likely cause	What to do
Yellow leaves, soil always damp	Overwatering for the season	Water less often and check the drainage
Long, thin, pale stems	Not enough light	Move to a brighter window or add a grow light
Black or darkened leaves	Cold drafts or contact with cold glass	Move the pot away from the window at night
Crispy leaf edges	Dry air from heating	Move away from heat sources and group the pots
Fine webbing, speckled leaves	Spider mites, which love dry indoor air	Rinse the leaves and raise the humidity
White powder on the leaves	Powdery mildew, common on rosemary	Remove affected leaves and improve air circulation
Tiny flies around the pot	Fungus gnats in soil that stays wet	Let the top of the soil dry out between waterings

How to get your herb garden ready for winter

1. Bring tender herbs inside before the first frost, acclimating them over several days.
2. Check for pests before they join your other houseplants.
3. Find your brightest window or set up a grow light on a timer.
4. Water only when the top of the soil is dry and empty the saucer.
5. Keep pots away from radiators, vents and cold glass.
6. Feed lightly and harvest a little at a time.

For herb-by-herb tips, see how to grow basil in a pot, how to grow parsley in a pot and how to grow mint in a pot.

Growing herbs in winter: frequently asked questions