Quick Summary: Fresh basil, mint, and thyme within arm’s reach of your kitchen, even without a yard. This guide covers the easiest herbs for pots, railing and deck planter ideas, watering and sun needs, and which herbs you can keep going through winter.
Jump to: 5 Steps for Beginners | Which Herbs to Choose | Purchase or Start from Seed? | Design Ideas |Herb Care & Maintenance | Troubleshooting Problems | Wintering Over | FAQ
Although I have a lot of garden space on our 23-acre farm, I always grow a range of culinary herbs on my balcony also. It keeps them close to my kitchen so I can harvest while cooking, and it allows me to harvest what I need for testing herbal tea blends for the farmers’ markets.
This guide will walk you through starting and maintaining an herbal garden in a small space, whether that is a balcony or a deck. Herbs are some of the easiest edible plants to grow, and can provide you with a year-round bounty of herbs to use in cooking, blending herbal teas, or even signature cocktails.
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How to Start a Balcony Herb Garden in 5 Steps
- Count your sun hours. Six or more suits Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and basil. Fewer than six, choose mint, parsley, chives, or lemon balm.
- Pick four to six herbs you’ll actually cook with, and match them to your light.
- Choose containers with drainage holes: 6 to 8 inch pots, railing planters, or window boxes.
- Fill with potting mix, never garden soil.
- Check moisture daily in summer and harvest often. Regular snipping keeps herbs bushy.
Details on each step are below.
What Are The Best Herbs For A Balcony Herb Garden?
If you’re just starting, these eight are the most forgiving in pots: basil, mint, chives, parsley, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and lemon balm.
Here is a list of popular herbs for a balcony garden, categorized by annual or perennial herbs:
Annual Herbs
Annual herbs live for one (or sometimes two) years. They generally have to be replanted every spring.
Popular annual herbs include:
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Fennel
- Parsley (biennial)
- Chamomile
- Dill
- Chervil
- Caraway (biennial)
- Stevia
- Calendula
Perennial Herbs
Perennial herbs come back every year. In warmer climates, they may not die off during the winter months.
Popular perennial herbs include:
- Thyme
- Mint
- Sage
- Bay (bring indoors in cold climates)
- Oregano
- Lemon balm
- Tarragon
- Rosemary (bring indoors in cold climates)
- Bee balm
- Watercress
- Catnip
- Lavender (bring indoors in cold climates)
- Valerian
- Chives
- Hyssop
- Lemon verbena (bring indoors in cold climates)
- Marjoram
Did you know? Most all herbs are “cut-and-come-again” (i.e., they don’t mind being snipped regularly). Pinching them usually just makes them come back bushier than before.
How to Choose Your Own Best Herbs
Before you start putting your herb garden together, think about what you want to grow (and eat). You can go in so many different directions with a balcony herb garden.
If you fancy yourself a bit of a mixologist, for example, why not go for a little cocktail herb garden? Mojitos taste a lot better with homegrown mint.
Or if you’re more into blending your own herbal teas, there are a ton of herbs that work well for these “tisanes”.
I love to cook, and I designed my 2022 balcony garden around several different culinary themes to provide inspiration for recipes of different cultural cuisines! The photo below is an early season picture of my herbs for seafood theme.
Should You Buy Seedlings or Start from Seed?
Many herbs can be started from seed at home.
However, whether you want to germinate them yourself is another thing. Well-established seedlings for most herbs are inexpensive and many varieties are available at local farmers markets in the Spring.
When deciding on purchasing seedlings vs starting from seed, consider buying the slow growing herbs like lavender or rosemary and starting from seed the easier annual herbs like basil or cilantro.
If you’re buying herbs, go for healthy-looking plants that aren’t squeezed into tiny pots. They should also already be hardened off (i.e., ready to plant outside).
Balcony Herb Garden Design Ideas
Once you’ve figured out what you’d like to grow in your balcony herb garden, it’s time to think about design.
It’s all about finding a balance between giving the plants what they like without stuffing your balcony so full you can’t even sit or walk around anymore.
Below is a quick look at some of my favorite design ideas for balcony gardening.
Vertical Herb Garden
A great way to design a space-saving garden is to go vertical.
You’ve probably got more wall space available than precious floor space, so why not use it?
There’s no need to go for expensive pre-made vertical gardening solutions either. Even just shelves and hanging planters can come in quite handy.
You can find everything you need to know about vertical gardening, including design ideas, in my full post on growing food without the land.
Balcony and Deck Railing Herb Gardens
A railing is prime growing space that doesn’t cost you any floor. I grow a variety of herbs in railing planters on the deck outside my farm kitchen (photo of early spring planters below).
A few things to know before you buy:
- Measure your rail. Over-the-rail “saddle” planters only fit certain rail widths, while bracket-mounted boxes work on most railings.
- Plan for weight. A long planter of wet soil can easily top 30 pounds, so choose sturdy brackets and check your building’s rules. Some apartments don’t allow planters on the outside of the railing.
- Railing boxes dry out fast in wind and sun. Self-watering liners or daily checks in summer help.
- Think about the neighbors below when you water.
- Shallow railing boxes suit thyme, oregano, parsley, chives, and basil. Give rosemary, bay, and mint their own deeper pots.
If your balcony has a rail that’s just sitting there unused, you’ve got a little goldmine of gardening space on your hands.
There are many different types of railing planters available, which can be hung from or suspended on the balcony rail to grow plants without taking up floor space.
If you’re going for a planter that hangs from a railing, be sure to choose something sturdy. You don’t want to wake up one morning after a windy night to find out your herbs have gone flying through the city!
Edge garden
If you do want to place some herbs on the floor of your balcony, the best spot to put them is, of course, along the edges. This is space that you’re unlikely to use much yourself.
Long rectangular planters or square planters (rather than round pots) are a great space-saving option here.
How Do You Care for Balcony Herbs?
Once you’ve picked the herbs you’re interested in and have more or less designed your balcony herb garden, the hardest part is over.
As mentioned in my guide to growing herbs in containers, the plants should be easy enough to maintain as long as you keep these three basic rules of thumb in mind:
- Light (6 hours or more of sun for Mediterranean herbs)
- Potting Soil (not garden soil from outside)
- Water (think about what is below your balcony if you are hand watering)
It’s always a good idea to look up the requirements for a particular plant, just to make sure you’re giving it what it needs, but here are the key components to herb care:
Light
Most herbs like plenty of sunlight, with some yearning for full sun. Examples of these are Mediterranean herbs like basil, rosemary, lavender, sage, and oregano. Give these guys the brightest spots on your balcony if you want them to thrive and grow quickly.
Herbs that can do with a little less light include mint, chives, lemon balm, parsley, and cilantro. These species don’t like to grow in the shade, but you don’t need to give them the best sunny real estate to get them to grow well either.
Potting up into larger containers
The herbs you’ll find for sale at your local nursery are usually still planted in small plastic nursery planters.
Their roots can be root-bound, so it’s usually a good idea to repot them into something bigger when you get the chance.
Tip: There are many different options for potting up: railing planters, hanging baskets, grow bags, stackable, space-saving herb planters, and of course, terracotta pots! As long as it has a drainage hole in the bottom, it should work.
I’ve been experimenting a lot lately with grow bags, which should make a great choice for herbs that need excellent drainage.
They are not as attractive as terracotta pots of course, but they work well for getting good yields from seasonal plants.
Tip: Be sure to plant slow growers with other slow growers, because space-hogs like mint can easily choke out other herbs if you give them the chance.
Soil
Just as different herbs have varying preferences when it comes to light, they also differ in the type of soil they like.
Most of the high-light-loving varieties, like rosemary, have evolved to adapt to arid climates.
This means that their roots aren’t adapted to sitting in water, so they generally like well-drained soil (breathable grow bags would be a good option here).
Other herbs like lots of moisture and won’t appreciate their soil drying out.
For these, it’s best to include less grit in the soil medium, or use plastic planters that hold the water longer.
Plants in containers can dry out quickly, and a single hot day can cause the plant to wilt. Examples of plants that might need more moisture include mint, cilantro, and parsley.
Watering
It can be a bit of a challenge to figure out when and how much to water your herbs, especially if you don’t have much experience in maintaining a balcony herb garden yet.
I can’t tell you how often you should water your plants, as that depends entirely on factors like the season, the soil type, the plant type, and the weather.
But I can give you some rules of thumb.
- Leafy herbs (mint) need more water than woody ones (rosemary).
- Herbs may need water daily in summer and as little as once a week during fall/winter.
- You can pick up the pot to gauge its weight; if it’s light, that means the soil is dry and the plant probably needs a drink.
- You can also stick your finger in the soil. If it still feels damp down to an inch, wait a little longer.
- If your herbs start to wilt, you’ve either waited too long OR overwatered so much that root rot has set in. If the soil is regularly soggy, it’s probably the latter. Take it easy!
When watering, you can give the soil a good soak until moisture starts running out of the drainage hole in the pot. It should be able to drain freely into something like a saucer, after which you can discard the excess.
Summary chart of light and water for a few popular herbs:
| Plant | Full Sun | Less Sun |
|---|---|---|
| Basil, Rosemary, Sage | Yes | |
| Lavender, Oregano | Yes | |
| Mint, Chives, Parsley | Yes | |
| Lemon Balm, Cilantro | Yes |
Tip: For hanging baskets and planters located higher up, it’s handy to use something like a watering wand to help you reach them.
Fertilizer
If your herbs are doing well and it’s been a few months since you last repotted them, they might appreciate a little extra boost to keep them going.
Usually, they will show signs of depleted nutrition like yellowing of the leaves (which means they need more nitrogen).
Lack of phosphorus will show up as purple leaves and potassium is what helps overall health, sizing, and flavor.
A good overall fertilizer with balanced N-P-K should be fine for herbs. If you used a lot of good compost in your soil mixture you may not need fertilizer at all.
If you do think they need some fertilizer help before the season’s end, you can use a few slow-release fertilizer sticks, but many gardeners prefer using fertilizer powders that can be dissolved in water.
Unless it stays warm year-round where you live, your herbs probably won’t need any fertilizer during winter, as they’ll be mostly dormant.
Take Note! Some of the nutrients will wash out if your herbs get watered too frequently. This is especially true if the herbs are in fabric or clay containers.
In general, you will know when your herbs need fertilizer. They will let you know by the color of their leaves or the speed in which they to re-grow after trimming.
Pruning
With many herbs, pinching them back encourages them to grow fuller and bushier. That should be easy: you’ll be doing so anyway as you harvest them for your meals and drinks!
Tip: Woody herbs like rosemary and lavender should receive a good pruning once a year. Early spring is a great time to do this, but you can also opt to prune after they’ve finished blooming in late summer.
Lastly, in some herbs, like basil, flowering is discouraged. Letting the plant bloom can affect its flavor and deplete leaf growth, so most herb gardeners prefer to pinch off the little flowers as they appear.
You don’t have to throw those basil flowers away, however. They have a mild flavor and look very pretty in a nice garden salad.
Harvesting
Most herbs can be harvested throughout summer. Don’t wait until their growing season is almost up: harvest regularly when they’re at their best.
You can always freeze the excess, or use it for herbal salts or herbal compound butters.
Herbs that are grown (partially) for their seeds, like cilantro or dill, can be harvested once the seed heads have turned dry and crispy.
Tip: If you need a lot of a particular herb at once, don’t worry. You can remove one-third or up to half of many species at once without any ill effect.
How Do You Troubleshoot Common Problems?
Growing your own balcony herb garden isn’t considered difficult. However, what you do need to keep in mind is that you’ll almost inevitably run into some type of issue at some point.
It’s just part of gardening and working with things that are alive. I try to consider it a learning opportunity rather than a setback.
Bugs
Yep, aphids, mealybugs, and other crawly things are mighty good at finding plants to infest, even in the city. You can combat them by regular inspection of the leaves and then taking quick action.
Insecticidal soaps or home remedies like a mix of water and dish soap will do wonders with most small bugs.
Wind
Wind is probably one of the biggest problems for balcony gardens. Balconies can often be exposed to the elements and don’t benefit from surrounding tree cover or cover crops like in the garden.
Tip: Wind will dry your plants out quicker than lack of water and the stress it causes can be very detrimental. The most fragile plants are best grown against one of the balcony walls.
You can also reduce the soil level in the pots a bit to create a small “wall”, use protective wire cages, or grow stronger plants in front of weaker ones to break the wind.
How to Care for the Herb Garden Over Winter?
It’s all fun and games ’till winter rolls around… or is it?
Although growing your balcony herb garden is mostly a summer affair, this doesn’t mean you can’t grow anything in winter at all.
Overwintering potted plants can often be done outdoors, although you should look up the temperature limits for the more tender plants.
Some will die off or even need to go indoors, while others can stay outside just fine. It helps when urban balconies are more enclosed and protected from the elements.
If you do want your herb garden to keep producing in winter, or at least part of it, a few plants that may keep well include:
- Rosemary (from zone 6)
- Thyme (from zone 5)
- Mint (from zone 3)
- Chives (from zone 3)
- Lemon balm (from zone 4)
Most of these can be stretched one more zone if you use extra protection like plant cloches or mini greenhouses to help combat the cold.
If you want to keep the “tender” herbs going all Winter, you may want to look at indoor gardening options. My son has the indoor garden shown below and loves it. He is a good cook and uses the fresh produce from his indoor garden year-round.
FAQ
Most culinary herbs need 6+ hours of direct sun. Mediterranean herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano, sage) need the most. Mint, parsley, cilantro, and chives can tolerate partial shade.
Most herbs do fine in 6-8 inch pots if you are not grouping plants together. Larger herbs like rosemary or bay benefit from bigger containers. Always ensure drainage holes at the bottom.
Sometimes. Stick to shade-tolerant varieties like mint, chives, parsley, cilantro, and lemon balm. They won’t grow as fast or as prolific but they will still produce.
It depends on heat, wind, container size, and herb type. Check soil moisture daily in summer. Water when the soil is dry to a depth of one inch.
Some perennials (rosemary, thyme, mint, chives) survive winter outdoors depending on your zone. Tender herbs like basil need to come inside or be treated as annuals.
Mint is nearly indestructible but spreads aggressively and needs to be kept in its own pot. Basil is easy to grow and maintain throughout the season, as it continues to produce after harvesting the top leaves.
Use sturdy railing planters or bracket-mounted boxes, fill them with potting mix, and choose shallow-rooted herbs like thyme, oregano, parsley, and chives. Railing planters dry out quickly, so check moisture daily in summer.
Basil, mint, chives, parsley, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and lemon balm are the most reliable in containers. Match them to your balcony’s sun: Mediterranean herbs need six or more hours, while mint, parsley, and chives tolerate less
For more on growing herbs and vegetables in pots, check out this collection of articles on container gardening guides.