September Is the Perfect Time to Start an Indoor Herb Garden for Fall – 5 Varieties to Grow Now

As the garden starts to slow down in late summer, there are plenty of opportunities to continue growing plants indoors – including herbs. In fact, September is a great time to start some herbs on your windowsill, as lingering warm temps and long daylight hours support early growth.

Establish an indoor herb garden now and you can keep a fresh supply going through fall and winter – though you may need the help of tools like this grow light from Amazon as fall settles in. There are a few easy, fast-growing herbs to start from seed this month, or many established potted herbs that will appreciate retreating indoors before frost arrives.

Either way, you can create a mini indoor kitchen garden to set you up for tasty pickings through the cozier seasons. Here, I talk through five herbs to grow indoors in September.

1. Basil

Basil is always one of the first herbs I recommend to anyone wanting to attempt to grow this delicious group of plants from seed. That's because basil is fast-growing and can easily be grown on a warm, sunny windowsill.

Sow basil seeds (like these from Burpee) thinly in a pot of well-draining potting mix, place it on a sun-filled window, and keep the soil lightly watered to aid germination.

Ideally, give the seeds temperatures of 68-77°F to encourage sprouting. If room temperatures have dropped, you can use this seedling mat from Walmart to keep your pots warm.

Alternatively, September is a good time to move your outdoor basil inside, before night-time temperatures drop below 50°F. Check for pests first and trim away any damaged foliage before finding it a bright windowsill to live on.

This is a great way to extend your basil's growing season, especially if you keep harvesting basil to make it bigger – I like to use herb harvesting scissors (which you can find on Amazon) to make clean cuts when taking fresh basil leaves.

You can also simply pot up a basil plant from Walmart to grow in your kitchen through fall.

2. Chives

Chives are another great option for herbs to grow indoors in September, especially if you love having a fresh garnish to hand for fall cooking.

As another fast-growing herb, it is possible to sow chive seeds (like these from True Leaf Market) in September.

Scatter a pinch of seeds on the surface of well-draining potting mix, then cover with a light layer of soil. With warmer late-summer temps, consistently moist soil, and a bright spot, you should see sprouts in just a couple of weeks.

Of course, you can also opt for an established chives plant from Walmart if you want more immediate harvests. Potting it up in this herb garden planter from Amazon, alongside a couple of other plants, will give you an instant mini garden to enjoy.

To keep your chives growing, ensure they receive 4-6 hours of sunlight daily, supplemented by a grow light from Amazon if needed.

3. Mint

Although many mint varieties are frost-hardy, you can bring potted plants indoors to add to your kitchen herb garden. Or, you can grow mint from cuttings this month to get brand new plants for free.

If you do want to propagate mint from cuttings, use a sharp pair of gardening snips (these Fiskars ones from Lowe's are a top choice) to take a stem cutting around 4-6 inches long, remove the lower leaves, and pop it in a glass of water. Keep it somewhere bright and warm, change the water regularly, and you should spot roots in a couple of weeks.

Whether you grow cuttings or order a mint plant from Amazon, growing mint indoors requires regular rotation to stop the plant becoming lop-sided.

You should also harvest mint regularly to encourage bushier growth and extend the growing season, snipping stems just above a pair of leaf nodes.

4. Cilantro

As a cool-season herb, cilantro is ideal to grow later in summer as temperatures cool down. It doesn't cope well with the heat of peak summer, when it bolts quickly. This means you can sow cilantro seeds outdoors in September and likewise can sow them indoors quite easily.

You can gently crush cilantro seeds (available at Burpee) to help seed germination before pressing them into the surface of soil. These seeds need a temperature around 60-70°F, so avoid a particularly warm spot.

Make sure to harvest cilantro regularly, but keep in mind it's a short-lived herb. Successional sowing every few weeks can give you a longer harvest.

It's best not to let the cilantro soil dry out completely, so use this soil moisture meter from Amazon to check regularly and top up as needed.

5. Oregano

To grow oregano indoors in September, it's best to either bring a potted plant indoors or purchase an oregano plant from the supermarket (like this from Walmart), as the seeds tend to perform better in the warmth and daylight of spring.

As a Mediterranean herb, it's best to place your oregano on a sunny and warm windowsill for a constant harvest through fall and winter. A grow light with a timer (like this from Walmart) can help you provide 6-8 hours of light when daylight depletes in fall.

Make sure to use a well-draining potting mix for these plants, as they are susceptible to root rot and actually prefer a bit of drought. This indoor herb potting mix from Walmart is a good option.

Don't forget to harvest oregano regularly so it keeps growing by cutting stems just above a leaf node.

What to Shop

There are lots of herb gardening mistakes to avoid when growing herbs indoors this fall and winter. This includes packing herbs too closely together and not harvesting regularly, which can cause leggy growth.

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