Summer is the perfect time to start growing herbs in your garden. The warm weather and increased sunlight help many herbs thrive. Choosing the right herbs to grow will ensure you have a bountiful harvest to enjoy all season long. Here are 10 of the best herbs to grow in your summer garden:
Basil
Basil is one of the most popular herbs to grow in summer. This leafy green herb adds incredible flavor to dishes like pesto, Caprese salad pasta sauce, and more. Basil thrives in warm weather but needs at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. It also requires moist well-drained soil.
To grow basil, sow seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last expected frost date. Transplant seedlings outdoors when daytime temps reach 70°F and nighttime temps stay above 50°F. Plant basil every 8-12 inches and harvest leaves frequently to encourage new growth. Consider trying different varieties like sweet, lemon, or Thai basil.
Oregano
A staple in Italian and Greek cooking, oregano is another great summer herb. It’s drought tolerant and hardy, making it an ideal herb for beginner gardeners. Oregano needs full sun and well-drained soil. To grow it from seed, start indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Transplant outside after the danger of frost has passed.
For quicker results, you can buy started oregano plants. Harvest leaves as needed once the plant is established. Oregano keeps producing leaves all summer long. Try gold, Greek, or hot & spicy oregano for added flavor
Chives
These members of the onion family bring a mild oniony kick to dishes. Chives grow rapidly in summer and can be harvested multiple times in a season. They do well in containers or planted in groups in garden beds. Chives need full sun and moist, fertile soil.
Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost or purchase transplants. You can also divide existing clumps of chives by carefully digging up the bulbs and replanting sections. Snip chive tips frequently to encourage new growth. Garlic chives offer great flavor too!
Thyme
This classic Mediterranean herb handles summer heat with ease. Its tiny leaves pack a powerful punch of flavor and aroma. Thyme thrives in full sun and dry conditions. Well-drained, slightly alkaline soil keeps it happy. Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before your last spring frost. Harden off seedlings before transplanting them outside.
For established plants, trim thyme lightly in summer to prevent it from flowering and becoming woody. Thyme continues producing leaves through fall. Lemon thyme offers a refreshing citrus twist.
Rosemary
With its piney, woodsy aroma, rosemary is a delightful herb for summer dishes. It’s drought resistant once established and enjoys basking in the summer sun. Rosemary needs well-drained soil and benefits from mulch in very hot climates.
Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before your last spring frost or purchase young plants. Give rosemary plants space since they can grow quite large. Trim back leggy growth to keep them bushy. Upright rosemary varieties work well for hedges or borders.
Parsley
A nutrient-dense herb, parsley packs in vitamins A, C, and K. Its fresh, grassy flavor brings balance to summer salads, sauces, and more. Parsley thrives in moist, fertile soil and full sun to partial shade. Soak seeds overnight before sowing.
Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost date or purchase transplants. You can harvest outer stems and leaves at any time. Flat leaf parsley offers the best flavor for cooking.
Sage
With its soft, velvety leaves and woodsy aroma, sage is a delightful addition to any herb garden. It produces beautiful lavender-blue flowers in summer. Sage is unfazed by heat and needs little watering. Full sun and well-drained soil keep it happy.
Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before your last frost or buy young plants. Give sage 1-2 feet spacing in the garden for good air circulation. Trim back leggy growth to encourage bushiness. Common sage offers the quintessential flavor.
Dill
The perfect match for cucumbers and fish, dill handles heat well once established. Its ferny leaves and umbrella-shaped flowers also attract beneficial insects. Dill needs full sun and consistent moisture. It has a long taproot and appreciates loose, fertile soil.
Direct sow dill seeds outdoors once the soil has warmed up.Scatter seeds thinly and cover lightly with soil. Thin seedlings to 8-12 inches apart. Harvest leaves when plants are 6-8 inches tall.
Cilantro
This flavorful herb is essential for Mexican, Indian, and Thai cuisine. Cilantro thrives in cool conditions and bolts quickly in summer heat. Plant it in part shade or give it afternoon cover. Moist, fertile soil keeps cilantro happy.
Sow seeds directly in the garden in early spring and again in late summer for a fall crop. Scatter thickly and barely cover with soil. Harvest leaves when the plants are 3-4 inches tall. Don’t let cilantro flower and bolt if you want more leaves.
Lemon Balm
With its refreshing lemon scent, this herb makes a lovely addition to summer beverages and dishes. Lemon balm spreads readily, so give it space or grow it in a pot. It flourishes in partial shade and moist soil. Start seeds indoors or purchase plants.
To use, snip off leaves as needed and crush them before adding to recipes. Lemon balm can also be dried or frozen for later use. Trim plants after flowering to encourage bushy new growth.
Mint
Extremely hardy, mint thrives through the summer heat. Its sweet aroma and flavor make it a versatile herb for cooking and teas. Mint spreads vigorously, so confine it to a pot unless you want it taking over your garden! It grows well in partial shade and moist soil.
Start mint from transplants or root divisions from mature plants. Harvest mint leaves frequently to keep growth contained. Common mint offers that classic cool flavor, and chocolate mint brings a fun twist.
With this list of heat-loving herbs, your summer garden is sure to thrive! Their bountiful leaves will provide you with fresh flavor all season long.
Luffa Gourds Make Great Plants for Summer
All right, heres a pretty bizarre plant for you. Luffa gourds. Yes, luffa like that luffa. The one you use in the shower, thats right. Didnt know it was from a plant, did you?
Luffa gourds grow on large vining plants that need more than 150 days to produce. While you can pick the fruits when theyre still young and eat them the same way you would summer squash, most people let the fruits fully mature and then turn brown on the vine. After harvesting, you can peel the luffas to expose the fibrous tissues inside. Dry these in the sun for a few days, and youve got yourself an all-natural sponge!
If you dont have a really sturdy metal trellis in your garden, then youll want to grow these plants in the ground and give their vines lots of room to spread out.
What Is a Hot Season?
To have a hot growing season, you have at least a couple months where the average high temp is above 85°F. This is definitely the case for my Houston friends from about mid-June through September.
During a hot season, itll be too hot outside for many plants to grow, including most of the things we think of as quintessential summer veggies: tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, squash, and zucchini. These plants may love warm weather, but they need the nighttime temps to dip below 75°F to help them recover. You can probably manage to keep these plants alive if you cover them with some shade cloth and keep them well watered, but you shouldnt expect them to set any fruit once the temperatures are above 90°F.
If your hot season lasts for a short time, you can interplant my recommendations below with the plants already growing in your garden. Adding in plants that can tolerate heat is the only way youll get harvests for the next couple of months until it cools down a bit.
If you live in a colder climate, you might not have enough of a hot season to carry a hot season plant through to maturity. You might just accept there will be a short period of time when you dont have as much production from your plants. Its probably not worth pulling them.
Now, if you live in a place that stays hot for a very long time (at least 60 to 90 days), then you might want to transition your garden entirely to a hot season garden. That means growing only the plants listed below to make it through the hottest part of the year.
Fortunately, there are so many beautiful and delicious plants on this list, everything from cut flowers to fruits that your whole family will enjoy growing!
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FAQ
What herbs grow well in the summer?
Basil, mint, thyme, and chives all do well here in the summer. Also lavender if you consider it a herb. It may be too hot to start them from seed now, though, but I could be wrong about that.
What herbs are most heat tolerant?
Oregano, mint, rosemary, sage, and thyme are all in the same family. These herbs originated in the Mediterranean, so they’re used to hotter climates. They can survive super hot summers if they’re given some afternoon shade. You don’t have to overwater them to keep them alive.
What herbs are in season in summer?
- Basil. It’s no surprise this herb is a summertime staple—with a warm and spicy flavor, basil is an ideal pairing for sweet or mild recipes. …
- Bay. …
- Chives. …
- Culantro. …
- Dill. …
- Mint. …
- Oregano. …
- Rosemary.
What are the best low maintenance herbs?
Herbs such as dill, cilantro, and basil are easy to grow from seed. Lavender, rosemary, sage, and thyme are easily grown from purchased plants. “Mint and oregano are easy to divide, so ask a fellow gardener for a start of their plant,” Fishburn says.