How to Make a DIY Mason Jar Herb Garden Indoors

6 Shares

I love watching plants sprout up right in my kitchen window. But when they’re edible, that’s even better! Making a DIY Mason jar herb garden a great way to add some greenery to your kitchen and have access to your own herbs at any time of the year. Planting these jars was an easy project that I did with my kids in about 20 minutes, and now we have some of our favorite herbs growing in the windowsill. 🌱

pinterest pin called how to make a mason jar herb garden indoors

This post contains affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can view our full disclosure here.

Pros and Cons of Growing Herbs in Mason Jars

My tiny indoor herb garden is certainly humble compared to the bushy herbs growing outdoors in the warmer months, but it’s a lovely and easy way to get fresh herbs indoors. And, it gave us a chance to get some soil on our hands in the winter! (Windowsill mason jars are an easy and creative way to grow herbs at any time of the year!)

Mason jar gardening can be tricky because, of course, there are no drainage holes in the bottom of a Mason jar. Some gardeners choose to drill drain holes right into the jar to allow the excess water to flow out. I wanted to try this project as an aesthetically-pleasing windowsill addition, but I was not about to drill into the bottom of a glass jar when planter pots exist.

Here are the pros and cons I found while growing our fresh herbs in jars.

three mason jars with herbs growing in them

Pros

Simple supplies. The supplies for this project are minimal, and we always have glass jars around, so there wasn’t much to collect to get started! I love that I could easily start a variety of herbs at any time with some jars, small stones, soil, and charcoal.
Aesthetically pleasing. Mason jars are so classic and versatile. We use them for nearly everything else – why not growing herbs??
Doesn’t require much soil. A quart jar is deep enough to give the plant’s roots space to stretch, but it really doesn’t require a lot of potting mix to fill.
Keeps growing! If you harvest only 1/3 of the plant each time you use it (which, I’ve found, is usually plenty for garnishing dishes), the plant will keep replenishing itself.

Cons

Not easy to transplant. This was a great project to grow in our kitchen windowsill, but it wouldn’t work very well for transplanting. The rim of the jar (even wide-mouth jars) isn’t very wide, so you’d probably have to break the glass in order to effectively your herb starts out.
Requires more careful watering. Because there’s no natural drainage, it’s extremely important not to overwater the herbs. I gave mine a sprinkle of water twice a week. Adding horticultural charcoal does help with the drainage as well as warding off bacteria.
Minimal amount of space. The jars provide a fairly small space for planting, so you can really only plant a few seedlings (maybe 1-4, depending on the herb) in each jar. If you’re looking for a large yield, this is probably not the best method. You could, however, try a larger glass container (pickle jars might work well?) if you wanted more space. Just make sure it’s also tall enough for the plant roots to effectively stretch out.

Supplies You’ll Need

supplies on the table for a diy mason jar herb garden

Quart-size Mason canning jars. Make sure you get wide-mouth jars, not regular mouth.
Pebbles or small rocks. You can find small pebbles at craft stores, many grocery stores, or online. These pebbles from Amazon are similar to the ones we used. It’s probably a good idea to avoid collecting your own pebbles, since this could potentially introduce bacteria into your jar. You’ll need about 1″ of pebbles at the bottom of each jar to assist with providing proper drainage. You could also use broken pottery shards to give it a more artistic look.
Horticultural charcoal. The charcoal absorbs excess moisture, neutralizes chemicals and bacteria, and helps with aeration. I used organic horticultural charcoal from Amazon.
Potting soil. We used Miracle Gro Potting Mix.
Herb seeds. For our Mason jar herb garden, we chose parsley, thyme, and cilantro. The cilantro didn’t do as well as the other two. Different herbs that can work well for container herbs include basil, rosemary, and oregano.
A permanent marker or craft stick to label jars. Permanent marker isn’t actually permanent on Mason jars, but it will stay on as long as it’s not rubbed off! I just used marker to avoid having a stick poking out of my jars.
A sunny windowsill. Most herbs need a lot of light! At least 6 hours of sunlight per day is best.

How to Create a DIY Indoor Mason Jar Herb Garden

Here’s how we made our Mason jar herb garden.

Start by collecting all your materials. You’ll need jars, pebbles or stones, horticultural charcoal, potting soil, and your herb seeds.
Next, fill the bottom of each Mason jar with about 1″ of pebbles. This helps to provide adequate drainage in the bottom of the jar. Optionally, you could drill holes in bottom of each jar – very carefully!
The next step is to add a thin layer of horticultural charcoal (about 1/2″) on top of the pebbles. The charcoal helps to absorb moisture as well as neutralize bacteria.
After that, fill your jar with soil up to the jar’s neck.
When it’s filled, you can plant your seeds according to the instructions on your seed packet.
Then, water lightly. It’s very important not to overwater your herbs, since there are no drainage holes and any excess water will simply collect in the jar.
The last step is to place your jars in a warm spot that gets plenty of sunlight.
Water lightly as needed. I found that a light sprinkle about 2x per week was sufficient.

Quick Links for Herb Garden Supplies

Wide Mouth Quart Jars
Pebbles
Organic Horticultural Charcoal
Potting Soil (or here’s a good option for organic potting soil)
Herb Seeds
Wooden Plant Labels

How Long Does It Take to Grow Herbs Indoors?

Each herb grows differently. For this project, I noticed seedlings popping up within about 3 weeks of planting. The herbs were ready to start harvesting by 6-8 weeks.

I started my herbs on February 3rd.

This picture was taken on February 28th. The seedlings have popped up!

seedings popping up at the end of february

And here they are at the beginning of April.

Will Indoor Herbs Keep Growing Back?

Yes! If you harvest no more than 1/3 of the plant, the herbs will keep popping back up after you cut them.

It’s June now, and I’ve had these jars growing for four months. I’ve harvested from each one multiple times when I need some herb sprigs for a meal. They are still growing strong!

How Often Should You Water Herbs in Mason Jars?

I watered my jars *lightly* about 2x per week. Be very careful to avoid overwatering, and make sure to keep your herbs in a sunny spot! Most herbs need at least 6 hours of sunshine per day.