Growing Microgreens and Indoor Herb Gardens in Winter

When the outside garden is frozen solid and daylight feels like a rumor, I bring the harvest inside - refusing to live on flavorless grocery herbs and sad greens. After years of trial and error, as well as experimenting in my yard during winters, I’ve perfected the art of hacking plant growth indoors. Here’s exactly how I keep fresh greens and herbs flowing all winter long, no fancy greenhouse required.

Microgreens: Fast and Flavorful

Microgreens are my winter quick wins: only 10–14 days from seed to scissors. I grow them on planters under grow lights in the basement. My recommended crops include radish, nutty sunflower, arugula, and sweet pea shoots in rotation. Add arugula to your winter salads, and radish micros turn turkey sandwiches into something worth waiting for. I use regular seed-starting mixes, but coconut coir or hemp mats work great as well. 

Broccoli

Broccoli microgreens deserve their own fan club, with mild flavors and packed with cancer-fighting sulforaphane. I grow them from cheap ‘Waltham 29’ seed and one tablespoon fills a whole tray. Two weeks later these gems are ready to harvest. They’re a seriously tasty and healthy choice. 

Indoor Basil

Basil indoors is high-maintenance but so worth the wait. I keep two pots of ‘Genovese’ and bolt-resistant ‘Nufar’ on the my kitchen windowsill, with a clip-on LED grow light. Harvest the tops every week and they stay bushy all winter. Last Christmas, I made pesto from my windowsill basil for lasagna - the dish has since become a highlight of family dinners. 

The Low-Maintenance Ones: Parsley, Chives, Thyme

These three are basically houseplants that you get to eat. Flat-leaf parsley grows slow but steady for tabbouleh whenever the mood strikes. I like to snip some chives from the windowsill into eggs every morning. Thyme and oregano are naturally aromatic and come in handy for soup season. Water once a week and ignore them, they'll grow just fine. 

Bonus: Dwarf Tomatoes and Peppers

If you have more space and a stronger grow light, try growing dwarf tomatoes or peppers indoors. I run a full grow light panel over my ‘Tiny Tim’ cherry tomato plants in pots every winter. They bloom in January and give me sweet red cherries by February; perfect for tossing in salads when everyone else is eating flavor-deprived.

Airflow is Key 

Another hack I personally recommend - adding a fan on a timer, it changed everything. The gentle breeze prevents mold, stops weed growth, and keeps plants thriving and happy. It’s the easiest upgrade that saves the most crops.

Start small with one tray of microgreens, one pot of basil or parsley. In two weeks you’ll be hooked, and by February you’ll have an indoor jungle. Winter doesn’t have to mean giving up fresh produce; it just means moving the party inside where it’s warmer. Try it for a fantastic harvest!