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9 Spring Herbs to Plant This Year

Discover all the best herbs to plant this spring.

Spring teases all 5 of our senses, especially if you live in a location with cold winters. After winter's quiet gloom, the growing season brings color, aroma, and flavor that lures us into wakefulness.

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned gardener, adding spring herbsto your landscape means you can step outside, swipe a few sprigs, and use ultra-fresh herbs in your cooking for the perfect flavor boost. No more overpaying at the grocery store or lamenting a pile of wilted stems moldering in the fridge.

Spring invites a bountiful variety of herbs for garden growers and novice cultivators. To ensure success, choose herbs fit for the early growing season. Let's discover which spring herbs you can plant, and a few additional tips to help your spring herb garden thrive.

What Herbs Grow Best in Spring?

The high-noon heat of mid and late summer does wonders for some plants. But for others, all they need is the cool, early spring breeze to prosper.

When it comes to the best herbs to plant in spring to achieve an ideal harvest, choose from these top contenders.

#1 Mint

Mint can be used in cooking, cocktails, or simply to nibble on for its fresh taste. When it comes to selecting a specific variety, there's no need to stop at one. Choose from spearmint, chocolate mint (which smells chocolatey but actually has an orange taste), peppermint, apple mint, and more.

  • Sunlight – Full sun to part shade
  • Spacing – Plant mint 18'' to 24'' apart; it is very vigorous and is best contained by planting it in a container vs. in-ground
  • Mature size – Height 1' to 2', spread 18" or more
  • Water – Water twice weekly to keep soil evenly moist

#2 Cilantro

Cilantro can be the best finish to Mexican food and summer salads for some, and an odd soapy taste for others. If you're in the former category, you'll enjoy having fresh cilantro growing thickly at home to clip whenever you want it.

  • Sunlight – Full sun with some afternoon shade when the weather warms
  • Spacing – Plant cilantro 8'' to 10'' apart
  • Mature size – Height up to 6" to 12", spread wide between 6'' to 8''
  • Water – Keep soil moist by watering often; seedlings need an inch of water weekly

#3 Chives

With a light onion or garlic flavor, chives are tasty for salads, dips, or zesty garnish on farm-fresh eggs. You may be familiar with their grass-like appearance, but might be surprised to learn that chives only flower in their second year of growth and they bloom with light purple or white flowers in mid-spring to early summer.

  • Sunlight – They tolerate partial
  • Spacing – Plant rooted chive clumps 8'' to 12'' apart
  • Mature size – 10'' to 15'' in height; harvest when they're at least six inches tall
  • Water – Water whenever the top inch of soil is dry

#4 Parsley

It's not just a throwback to frilly garnish on supper club dinner plates. Parsley is a peppery, leafyherb you can use universally in your kitchen. Chopped roughly, it's a pleasing topper to roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, or pasta dishes.

  • Sunlight – Partial shade to full sun (6 hours of direct sunlight)
  • Spacing – Plant parsley 6'' to 8'' apart
  • Mature size – Grows 1' to 2' tall and spreads 9'' to 12'' wide
  • Water – Water whenever the top inch of soil is dry

#5 Sage

Often used in Italian and Mediterranean cooking, sage is ideal for flavoring fatty meats and bean dishes, and the fresh flowers can be eaten in salads. If you've got a garden that attracts plenty of sunlight, sage would love to take up residence there.

  • Sunlight – Full sun (6 hours of direct sunlight)
  • Spacing – Plant each
  • Mature size – Larger cultivars have a height of 3' and spread 18'' to 24''
  • Water – Water whenever the top inch of soil is dry; once established, sage is quite drought tolerant

#6 Rosemary

Rosemary is another popular herb in Mediterranean fare. You can use it in soups, casseroles, fish, meats, and even baked into bread. This piney herb grows easily and is sturdy for cooler temperatures.

  • Sunlight – Full sun (6 hours of direct sunlight)
  • Spacing – Space plants 2' to 3' apart
  • Mature size – Most commonly, height up to 3' tall and spreads up to 2' to 3' if unpruned
  • Water – Water whenever the top inch of soil is dry; once established, rosemary is quite drought tolerant

#7 Thyme

With over 50 varieties, thyme is often chosen for its delicate, ornamental appearance. For culinary use, most cooks prefer English thyme. Its pungent clover scent and flavor pair well with soups, cool-season vegetables, and grilled meats.

  • Sunlight – Full sun (6 hours of direct sunlight)
  • Spacing – Plant thyme 12'' to 24'' apart
  • Mature size – Grows 6'' to 12'' high and spreads 12'' to 18'' wide
  • Water – Water whenever the top inch of soil is dry

#8 Oregano

A must for any Italian dish, oregano is a peppery, flavorful herb. And despite what the small glass jar in your spice cabinet convinces you, the fresh kind is best. Greek oregano is preferred for use in the kitchen, though common oregano is often planted for its pretty white-lavender flowers.

  • Sunlight – Full sun (6 hours of direct sunlight) with some afternoon shade when the weather warms
  • Spacing – Plant oregano 8'' to 10'' apart
  • Mature size – Grows 1' to 2' high and spreads about 18'' wide
  • Water – Water whenever the top inch of soil is dry

#9 Anise

Anise provides an unusual taste akin to black licorice. The seeds are most widely used, but the stems, leaves, and flowers are also edible. Eat them fresh in salads or make jellies, teas, or potpourri with this unique culinary herb.

  • Sunlight – Full sun (6 hours of direct sunlight)
  • Spacing – Plant seedlings about 12-18'' apart
  • Mature size – Grows about 24'' high and spreads 14'' to 18'' wide
  • Water – Water whenever the top inch of soil is dry; take care not to overwater

Which Herbs to Avoid Growing in Spring

While spring certainly presents plenty of advantages for growing herbs and other plants, some herbs don't grow as well in this season.

For these potted herbs, fight the urge to plant them in the spring and wait until summer or fall instead:

  • Basil
  • Cilantro
  • Dill
  • Tarragon
  • Lavender
  • Chamomile
  • Stevia

Spring Blooming Herbs

Don't just take advantage of the delectable stems a spring herb provides. Their flowers are both beautiful and edible in many cases, adding a pop of color, flavor, and finesse to your chef plating skills.

You'll need to be patient to see most spring herbs blossom into delicate blooms, but the treat is worth it.

Other herbs that bloom in late spring include:

  • Onion chives
  • Roman chamomile
  • German chamomile

How to Take Care of Herbs in Spring

The best way to grow spring herbs is to plant them directly in the ground, if you can (excluding mint). Prepare a space with healthy soil in your backyard or garden beds, and take the following careful steps:

  1. Remove grass or other plantings from the areas
  2. Clear the soil of any debris
  3. Loosen the top layer of soil with a garden fork
  4. Add 1'' to 2'' of organic compost or well-rotted manure

If you're planning to grow spring herbs in a previously gardened area, take care of these tasks first before preparing the soil:

  • Clear away any winter mulches
  • Pull out, cut back, or break off stalks and stems from last year's smaller plants
  • Cut taller, woody plants down to encourage fuller, compact growth

How to Use Your Spring Herbs

Now that you have some herb options to boost your spring meal planning, what's next?

Herbs that grow in spring, like the ones listed above, are some of the most flavorful you'll find, so you'd be remiss not to employ them in your cooking. But there are many other ways to take advantage of these fine crops.

You can utilize your spring herbs in a variety of ways outside of cooking, such as repelling pests. This can include:

  • Flavorful tea – Mint, anise, lavender, and chamomile make excellent choices for hot herbal
  • Pest Repellents – Herbs like sage and mint can help you keep pests like flies, fleas, spiders, and moths away from your home or garden bed.1 Others, like rosemary, can serve as a natural mosquito repellent.2
[1] EarthSally. Natural Pest Control: 5 Herbs to Keep Bugs Away.

[2] HOLTKAMP Heating & Air. 11 Plants & Herbs That Naturally Repel Mosquitoes

Grow Flavorful Spring Herbs with Greendigs

Harness the magic of springtime to grow your own flavorful herbs—and leave those lackluster store-bought trimmings on the shelf.

At Greendigs, we supply all kinds of ready-to-grow spring herb plants to jump-start your spring herb garden. Our vegetable plants online are carefully packed, shipped, and delivered straight to your doorstep.

In addition to top-quality spring indoor plants and gardening supplies, we're delighted to offer you our growers' tips and advice so you can achieve the most successful home garden. For more spring indoor plant care tips, reach out to us anytime—and before you know it, your herbs will be reaching for the sun.

Source:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

NIH. Essential Oils of Oregano: Biological Activity beyond Their Antimicrobial Properties. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6152729/

EarthSally. Natural Pest Control: 5 Herbs to Keep Bugs Away. https://earthsally.com/gardening-basics/natural-pest-control-herbs-to-keep-bugs-away.html

HOLTKAMP Heating & Air. 11 Plants & Herbs That Naturally Repel Mosquitoes. https://holtkamphvac.com/11-plants-herbs-that-naturally-repel-mosquitoes/