The lamp also has a built-in timer and easy-to-install arm extensions so the lights raise as your plants grow. While it does come with an app, we didn’t find it very useful. "You can learn more about your plant pods on the app, but that’s about it," says Sassos. We recommend listing out the herbs that you want to grow, identifying what space you have to grow them in and then seeing if you can buy a ready-made kit. To be brutally honest, when you’re getting started it’s just a LOT easier. In addition to common kitchen herbs, you can grow leafy greens, such as lettuce and kale, and even fruits and vegetables in your indoor herb garden. Beausoleil suggests getting started with herbs, including parsley, cilantro, dill and chervil, which grow very well under part-shade conditions.

If you enjoy cooking with fresh herbs that you buy regularly, then this is a fabulous time to start your own herb garden. It doesn’t need to be big. Herb kits for the UK market are easily available and simple to buy or put together. Whether you want a grow your own herbs indoors kit or to buy a herb garden kit for the outdoors, there is a lot of choice! Even if you haven’t been using fresh herbs in your cooking, then why not expand your herb horizons and get started with our top herb garden kits – it’s an easy way to test the waters, see how it affects your cooking and meal taste and then expand your herb garden in the future!

There are four main growing systems that indoor gardening systems use: soil-based, hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic systems. Electronics Tech All Electronics Tvs Wifi Routers Gaming Consoles Streaming Devices Instant Cameras Handheld Gaming Consoles 3D Printers With a kit, you’ll save time and be rewarded with thriving herbs you can use for cooking or just to add greenery to your space. And they make a fun gift for all ages – from cooks to kids who want to get started growing their own herbs. For optimal plant growth, the LED lamp has a 16 hours on/8 hours off cycle to mimic natural sunlight. The height of the lamp is adjustable and comes with two extendable arms so you can create more space for your plants as they grow. Although this kit comes with three basil pods, the company offers more than 50 varieties of plant refill capsules to choose from. You can also use your own seeds by purchasing the Grow Anything Plant Pods if you prefer. SkyPots arrangements make perfect vertical herb gardens in front of a kitchen window," says Ryan Benoit, SkyPots creator. "You'll maximize natural sunlight and save valuable windowsill and countertop space."

The kit comes with 12 sponge plugs, but recommends germinating seeds on a damp piece of kitchen paper in a plastic box before transferring to the tube – which can be quite fiddly. We decided to grow spinach and watercress and found the EasyIn-06 was the perfect environment – we had fully-grown crops within two weeks, which is faster than some of the other kits we tested. Hydroponic systems supply a nutrient-rich solution to the plant’s roots instead of using soil. These typically use less water than soil-based systems because they don’t create runoff or water larger-than-necessary areas.The pots come with detailed instructions on the types of plants you can grow and the best methods of growing, but you are also free to experiment, and flowers work too, such as hyacinth. You can grow things to eat, but in smaller quantities than the other units. We think an assortment of the pots would look great arranged on a shelf. An added bonus: they’re dishwasher safe.

North-facing, sunny windows are ideal for indoor herb gardens. The majority of kitchen herbs are Mediterranean, while others grow in full sun in milder climates. Either way, they will thrive with the right amount of water in full sun in the kitchen. For those interested in a more compact option, Lettuce Grow will soon be launching the Farmstand Nook, which features a 9-gallon water tank, which is nearly 60 percent smaller than the above 20.5-gallon version and therefore much easier to fit inside your home. It also comes with smarter technology, including a digital smart timer and digital pH pen. Capacity: 8 to 36 pods | Microbe management: Includes two fertilizers, pH balancer, filter, and pump | Maintenance: Medium

Growgreen hydroponic tube: £44.99, Amazon

Having fresh herbs available at your fingertips will redefine how you use them in your cooking. You’ll get to really understand what fresh means, rather than the refrigerated, slightly tasteless offering that you might get from the shops. You’re going to add some serious taste to your cooking, which will be really hard to give up. Oral Care Wellness All Oral Care Electric Toothbrushes Toothpastes Whiteners Floss Mouthwashes Water Flossers When searching for indoor herb growing kits, you’ll find organic and conventional options. If you prefer to grow your herbs organically, it makes sense to choose an organic kit. Make sure that the seeds are USDA Organic if you’re going this route. You may also want to choose a kit that has organic soil. Many indoor gardens use a form of hydroponics, the practice of growing plants’ roots in nutrient-fortified water instead of soil. Hydroponic growing can be as simple as drilling holes in a food-grade plastic tub, filling it with a fertilizer solution, and waiting (if you’re curious, that’s called the Kratky method), or as complicated as choreographing a system of grow-light timers and fertilizing schedules customized for your plants’ needs.

Even if your home doesn’t have optimal lighting, the AeroGarden Harvest has a 20-watt LED light system on a timer, which provides simulated sunshine that allows your herbs to thrive. There’s no messy soil required, and it only takes a few steps to complete the setup. With this option, you can grow not only one, but six herbs at a time. (The kit comes with basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, and mint pods.) Caring for them is easy, thanks to an indicator that lets you know when it’s time to refill the water or add the provided liquid plant food. We’ve looked at the different types of herb garden kits that you can buy – and they can be easily categorized. Normally when you start growing herbs, you either buy a kitchen garden herb kit, or you buy a kit for specific herbs after all there’s no point buying herb kits for herbs that you don’t use! The herb garden kits that we’ve selected include seeds for the most commonly grown herbs in the UK and at the end of this guide to herb growing kits, we’ll cover the best individual herb growing kits. Best Self-Tending Herb Garden Kits / Self Watering Herb Kits

Indoor herb gardens actually deter bugs more than they attract them, particularly if you plant mint and rosemary into the mix. Sage is a good insect repellant too. Most natural insect repellants include mint, lemon balm, or rosemary in some form, so growing them indoors will help to deter indoor bugs. Some of the best herbs to grow indoors are mint, basil, parsley, lemon verbena, thyme, and rosemary," says Jokiniemi. "Growing these herbs is fairly simple, and all of them are great for adding flavor to your cooking and salads, as well as for preparing herbal teas." How often should I water my indoor herbs? Some systems require more maintenance than others. If your system is soil-based, you should invest in a self-watering option that keeps it from drying out, according to Angela Judd, founder of Growing in the Garden and author of “ How to Grow Your Own Food.” You can also look for features like a built-in irrigation system and timed LED light rings that make for minimal maintenance during the week. However, it’ll likely come with a higher price point. Maintenance: Keep in mind features like timed LED lights, self-watering functionality and app-controlled settings, which make your garden easier to care for. Indoor herb growing kits take the guesswork out of indoor gardening. These five kits include premium quality seeds and have everything you need to get started. If you want to start your own indoor herb garden, a kit will save you time and give you the guidance you need to succeed.