Growing Herbs in Containers in Australia
An interactive herb picker, pot sizes, sun and water needs, and how to grow herbs on any balcony, courtyard or windowsill
Herbs are the perfect crop for pots. They are small, they grow fast, and a few well-chosen plants give you fresh flavour all year for the price of one supermarket bunch. You do not need a backyard. A sunny balcony, a courtyard, a fence rail or even a bright windowsill is enough to keep a kitchen in basil, mint, parsley and thyme.
Growing in containers also gives you control. You choose the mix, you move the pot to follow the sun, and you keep spreaders like mint from taking over the garden. This guide covers the basics that apply to every herb, an interactive picker to match herbs to your spot, short notes on the most popular herbs, and how to grow them indoors when the weather turns.
The Basics That Apply to Every Herb
Get these few things right and almost any herb will thrive in a pot.
- Drainage first. Every pot must have drainage holes. Herbs hate sitting in wet feet, and waterlogged roots are the fastest way to kill a potted herb. Use a quality potting mix, not garden soil, which compacts and drains poorly in containers.
- Right pot size. Too small and the plant dries out and starves. Compact herbs are happy in a 15 to 20 cm pot, leafy herbs want 20 to 25 cm, and vigorous or woody herbs like mint, rosemary and lemongrass need 30 cm or more. The picker below lists a minimum size for each.
- Sun. Most herbs want six or more hours of sun. Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano demand full sun, while leafy herbs like mint, parsley and coriander cope with part shade.
- Watering. Pots dry out faster than the ground. Check daily in warm weather, and water when the top two to three centimetres of mix is dry. Thirsty herbs need more, Mediterranean herbs prefer to dry out between drinks.
- Harvest little and often. Regular picking is the secret to bushy, productive herbs. Pinch the growing tips and never take more than a third of the plant at once. This keeps leaves coming and delays flowering.
- Feed lightly. Potting mix runs out of nutrients in a couple of months. A half-strength liquid feed every few weeks in the growing season is plenty. Over-feeding gives lush leaves with weaker flavour, especially in Mediterranean herbs.
Interactive Herb Picker
Match a herb to your spot. Filter by how much sun you have, whether you want a perennial that returns each year or an annual you sow fresh, and whether it needs to live on an indoor windowsill. Every herb listed is a real culinary herb grown in Australian gardens.
| Herb | Sun | Type | Min pot | Water | Growing tip |
|---|
Spotlight on the Popular Herbs
Basil and Thai basil
Basil is the star of the summer pot. It is a warmth-loving annual that sulks in the cold, so wait until nights are mild before planting and give it the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have. The trick to a bushy plant is pinching: snip off the growing tips regularly, and pinch out any flower buds the moment they appear, because once basil flowers the leaves turn bitter and growth slows. Thai basil is grown the same way but is a little tougher in heat, with a distinct anise flavour for stir-fries and curries. Keep the water up in summer and feed lightly for soft, generous leaves.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a woody Mediterranean perennial that lives for years in a pot if you respect two things: drainage and sun. It wants full sun and a free-draining mix, and it would far rather dry out than sit wet, so let the top of the pot dry before watering again. Feed sparingly. Once established it is one of the most forgiving herbs you can grow, shrugging off heat and neglect, and a single plant gives you woody sprigs all year round.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a clumping tropical grass that loves heat, so give it the biggest pot you can manage, at least 30 cm, full sun, and plenty of water through the warm months. It grows into a generous clump quickly. Harvest by cutting whole stems at the base and use the tender lower portion. In cool and frost-prone areas keep it in a pot you can move into shelter over winter, as frost will knock it back hard.
Mint
Mint is the easiest herb of all to grow and the easiest to regret planting in the ground, because it spreads by runners and will swamp a garden bed. A pot is the perfect way to contain it. Give it a roomy container of its own, part shade and steady moisture, since mint is one of the few herbs that likes to stay damp. Keep it picked and it stays lush all season. Grow each mint variety in its own pot so the flavours do not merge.
Coriander (cilantro)
Coriander is a cool-season annual that frustrates many gardeners by bolting, running to flower and seed, the moment it gets hot or dry. The fix is timing and succession. Grow it through the cooler months, give it part shade in warm weather, keep the water steady, and sow a small pinch of seed every two to three weeks so you always have young leaf coming on. Once it bolts, let it flower for the bees and collect the seed as the spice.
Dill
Dill is a feathery annual grown for both its leaves and its seed. It likes full sun and a deeper pot, because it sends down a taproot and resents being moved, so sow it where it will grow. Like coriander it runs to seed in heat, so sow in succession for a steady leaf supply and let the last plants flower for seed and for the beneficial insects they attract.
Growing Herbs Indoors on a Windowsill
When the weather turns or you have no outdoor space, a bright windowsill keeps herbs within reach of the kitchen. The single biggest factor is light. Herbs need the brightest window you have, ideally one facing north that gets six or more hours of direct sun. Without enough light, plants stretch, go pale and leggy, and lose flavour.
The herbs that cope best indoors are basil, chives, parsley, mint and oregano. These tolerate the lower light and confined roots of a windowsill better than the sun-hungry Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and thyme, which struggle inside.
Region Note: Warm and Cool Climate Timing
Australia spans the tropics to cool-temperate, so timing matters. In warm and frost-free regions, from Brisbane north and along the coast, most herbs grow nearly year round. Tender annuals like basil thrive through the long warm season, while coriander and dill do best in the cooler dry-season or winter months when the heat backs off. Lemongrass, ginger and other tropical herbs are in their element.
In cool-temperate areas, from Melbourne to Hobart, the warmth-loving herbs are summer crops. Plant basil, Thai basil and lemongrass only once frost has passed and nights are mild, and bring lemongrass under cover for winter. The cool-season herbs, coriander, dill, chervil and parsley, are happiest in autumn and spring.
Many herbs are perennial in mild and frost-free areas and behave as annuals where it freezes. Rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, mint, chives and bay come back year after year in most of Australia. Even basil can run for a long stretch in the frost-free north. For timing tuned to your exact spot, use Find My Region or open the Planting Season app.
Track Your Herb Pots and Harvests
Add your herb pots to your garden in the Planting Season app and get reminders for sowing, watering, feeding and harvest, tuned to your region. Log what you pick and watch the savings add up.
Open the App →Frequently Asked Questions
What are the easiest herbs to grow in pots?
Mint, chives, parsley, thyme and rosemary are the most forgiving herbs in containers. Mint and chives almost grow themselves, thyme and rosemary cope with being forgotten between waterings, and parsley is happy in a roomy pot with regular picking. Start with these before moving on to fussier herbs like coriander or tarragon.
Which herbs grow in shade?
Most herbs want full sun, but a few cope with part shade. Mint, parsley, chives, garlic chives, coriander, chervil and lemon balm will all grow with around four hours of sun or bright indirect light. The Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage need full sun and will get leggy and weak in shade.
Why does my coriander keep bolting?
Coriander bolts, meaning it runs to flower and seed, when it is stressed by heat, dryness or long days. Once it bolts the leaf flavour fades. Grow it in the cooler months, give it part shade in warm weather, keep the water up, and sow a small amount every few weeks so you always have young plants coming on. Bolt-resistant or slow-bolt varieties also help.
Can herbs grow indoors?
Yes, but light is the limit. Herbs need the brightest windowsill you have, ideally one that faces north and gets six or more hours of sun. Basil, chives, parsley, mint and oregano cope best indoors. The most common mistakes are too little light, which makes plants pale and leggy, and overwatering, which rots the roots. Let the top of the mix dry before watering again.
What size pot do herbs need?
It depends on the herb. Compact herbs like chives, thyme and marjoram are happy in a 15 to 20 cm pot. Most leafy herbs such as basil, parsley and coriander want 20 to 25 cm. Vigorous or woody herbs like mint, rosemary, sage and lemongrass need 30 cm or more. Whatever the size, the pot must have drainage holes.
How often should I water herbs in pots?
Containers dry out faster than garden beds, so check daily in warm weather. Water when the top two to three centimetres of mix feels dry, then water until it runs from the drainage holes. Thirsty herbs like basil and mint need more, while Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and thyme prefer to dry out a little between waterings. Overwatering kills more potted herbs than underwatering.
Which herbs come back every year?
Perennial herbs that return year after year include mint, chives, garlic chives, thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, tarragon, lemon balm, bay and lemongrass in frost-free areas. Annuals like basil, coriander, dill and chervil are sown fresh each season. In mild and frost-free parts of Australia, even some annuals will keep going for longer.
See also: How to Grow Basil and Container Vegetable Gardening