Skip to main content

HappySprout may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Good, better, best: The best herb growing kits to buy online

An herb garden may just be one of the most delightful plant projects out there—what can beat growing green beauties that you can throw into your food as beautiful and flavorful garnish? Still, not everyone has the space for an herb garden or the time to gather all the materials to build one. That’s where herb-growing kits come in. Whether you’re looking for a thoughtful gift to buy a gardener or want to foray into the world of herb growing, these compact and comprehensive sets come with seed-starting materials so you can grow veggies to add to your favorite dishes and drinks. Below, we put together a good, better, best ranking to help you find the perfect herb-growing kit for your budget and interests!

Mini herb garden
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What to look for in an herb growing kit

What should you look for when you’re thinking of buying an herb-growing kit? Here are a few of the components to keep an eye on:

  • Growing medium: It would surely defeat the purpose of a gardening kit if you had one that didn’t come with a growing medium! Usually, herb kits will come with soil discs that are coir-based and fortified with plant food such as worm castings.
  • Seeds: You’ll usually find an assortment of seeds in an herb-growing kit — one thing to consider is if they’re organic or non-GMO.
  • Markers: If you grow multiple types of plants, it’s helpful to have signs to tell the difference between your herbs so that you can give them the best care possible. Extra points if the markers are made of compostable and eco-friendly materials, too!
  • Instruction manual: While you can Google virtually anything these days, a detailed instruction manual will help you get started without needing to go down any rabbit hole on the Internet—a bonus in our book!

A special note: for all intents and purposes, we will stick with straightforward herb-growing kits here—that is, ones with seeds, soil, and containers. More upscale sets typically feature hydroponic setups, grow lights, and other apparatuses. While these features are great, they can raise prices to at least a hundred, if not hundreds of dollars.

Good: Urban Leaf Herb Garden Starter Kit

To get started on your green journey without having to make the trek to your big-box garden center, the Urban Leaf Herb Garden Starter Kit is a good pick to order for under $30. This set comes with three seed packets for basil, cilantro, and parsley—all versatile herbs in the kitchen. In addition to the seeds, the package comes with three wooden markers, three expandable soil discs, three biodegradable pots, and an instruction manual. What’s great is that instead of just coco coir, the discs also come fortified with nutrient-filled worm castings and water-retaining crystals.

The wooden box that this set comes with makes for a beautiful gift set, but it might not be practical in the long run because there’s no liner to prevent water from warping the wood.

Herbs in seed starter kit
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Better: Spade to Fork Store Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit

Thoughtfully curated by a family farm business, the Spade to Fork Store Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit is a better option because it’s entirely organic and comes with a wider variety of seeds—Italian large leaf basil, coriander cilantro (slow bolt), peione parsley, broadleaf sage, and thyme. Along with the seeds, you’ll also get five OMRI-certified compostable peat pots, five OMRI-certified potting soil discs, and five wood plant markers. (OMRI, side note, stands for Organic Materials Review Institute, which certifies gardening supplies that can be used to grow USDA-certified organic produce.) This herb kit is also under $30, and the extra seeds and organic certification may make the extra difference for a discerning gardener.

We can’t talk about this seed-starter kit without mentioning the illustrated and detail-rich 26-page growing guide, which shows that the kit designers took the time and effort to make the set a successful one!

Best: Planter’s Choice 9 Herb Window Garden

For around $35, the Planter’s Choice Herb Growing Kit is the best pick because it comes with a range of herbs and all the standard supplies you may need. If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at growing many different herbs, this set comes with dill, basil, chives, thyme, parsley, oregano, cilantro, sage, and mustard. In addition to the seed packets, this comprehensive assortment includes nine soil discs, nine reusable plant pots, nine bamboo plant markers, three dip trays (or saucers), and an instruction manual. The reusable planters, which are in a safe and neutral beige, will be helpful for future projects on top of being easy to clean.

Planter’s Choice claims that its kit has the best-growing success rate in the market—successful germination may depend on your batch, but the company does package their seeds in Mylar pouches and use 100% non-GMO seeds from local farms. All in all, this is a solid kit for getting started with windowsill gardening.

With any of these herb-growing kits, you can grow seeds in a cinch—no trip to your garden center necessary! After expanding the soil and sowing the seeds, all you have to do is give your plants sunlight and water. Within weeks, you’ll be able to snip off leaves for garnish. And after giving your plants more time, don’t forget to propagate some cuttings!

Editors' Recommendations

Stacey Nguyen
Stacey's work has appeared on sites such as POPSUGAR, HelloGiggles, Buzzfeed, The Balance, TripSavvy, and more. When she's…
The 5 best places to buy succulents online to start your plant collection
From subscription boxes to one-off purchases, you're sure to find your next succulent here
A succulent in a gift box

When it comes to buying succulents and cacti online, there’s always the risk of shipping going wrong and weather conditions interfering. After all, most succulents are native to desert environments and don't do well in cold weather, so if they're being shipped in the winter, they need special care to make the trip unscathed. Unfortunately, nothing can be guaranteed when live plants are packed into a box, out of a pot, and sent on their way to a new home. Boxes get bumped around in transit and could damage the plants, and the last thing you want is to take a broken plant out of the box.

Luckily for you, there are professional plant sellers online who are aware of everything that could go wrong and who do their best to make your experience positive! While there’s no true guarantee your plant will arrive completely in pristine condition, these five succulent shops strive to get happy, healthy plants to you in the safest way possible (sometimes in the form of monthly subscription boxes, and who doesn't want a new plant at their door every month?).

Read more
Can you grow onions in containers? What you need to know
Onion with roots showing

When you think of onions, you may envision bulbous plants that need a fair amount of space to properly grow. But even if you don’t have the garden space for them, you can still grow onions in containers. While the bulbs themselves need space, onions are fairly shallow-rooted and can handle being in a spacious pot or tub.

If you’re growing onions in a container for the first time, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know for a successful harvest.

Read more
Can you grow corn indoors? The answer might surprise you
Ear of corn

Like many edible plants, corn thrives in full sunlight, so it's not often kept as a houseplant indoors. However, not everyone has access to the best space or conditions to grow this warm-weather vegetable outside. Additionally, some gardeners actually start corn indoors if their spring weather isn't ideal for it. So, can you grow corn indoors? The short answer is yes. Planting corn inside the home may be a tricky endeavor, but patience will leave you with a delicious homegrown snack.

How do you get started?
Consider where you'll actually be growing your plant indoors. Corn thrives when it's planted directly into the ground, but you can grow it inside in a pot. It doesn't transplant well, so it's best to put the seeds right into a big container, such as a washtub or large planter. Choosing a medium with drainage holes (or creating some with a drill bit) is ideal for preventing root rot. Keep your space tidy by placing a saucer beneath your pot.

Read more