The holidays are here again. This year of Covid has been a hard year for…

How to grow herbs from supermarket herbs
Have you ever spent money on fresh supermarket herb? Do you buy a large package when you only need a teaspoon? Learn how to grow herbs from supermarket herbs.

What to do with the leftover fresh herbs from the supermarket?
It is easy to root new plants from supermarket fresh herbs. You can grow just about any kind of herb. The key is to start with the freshest herbs possible. If there is a date on the package, grab the latest one.
There are not typically growth inhibitors sprayed on fresh herbs. Since herbs are sold as cuttings and in packaging, the chances of growth are almost impossible.
Do I need to buy organic herbs?
It is sometimes difficult to find organic fresh herb cuttings at the supermarket. The most common herbs in my market are not organic. However, I have had great success rooting them into beautiful plants.
Since all new growth, I grow organically the original cutting being organic seems less important.
How to grow herbs from supermarket herbs
- Remove the leaves from about the bottom 3-4″
- Put the stem in water and place it on a windowsill.
- Keep the water to a level that keeps about half the length of the stem submerged
- In about 2 weeks you will see new roots
Have patience! It might not seem like the herbs will root but as long as the leaves are still fresh looking the process is working!

After the roots develop
You can grow herbs in a mason jar on the windowsill. This is a very popular method however I find it to be really short term way if growing herbs. Soil planted herbs or true hydroponic herbs do much better than Mason jar growing.
Growing herbs with hydroponics is a great idea. There are good ways to grow long term, large plants at home in small spaces with hydroponics.
Please read NFT systems for growing herbs and vegetables.
If you choose to plant the herb in soil, simply plant the stem in the proper type of soil. See the guide below. Then place your plant in a sunny spot.
Depending on the plant, you will start harvesting your fresh herbs in a couple of weeks. Follow in general guidelines below to get started with your new herbs.
Here is a list of easy to grow herbs from supermarket herbs

Rosemary
Start: easy from cuttings, difficult from seeds, easy to find full plants
Best soil: sandy and dry
Sun: full
Rosemary come from the arid area of the Mediterranean. It grows best in less rich soil. Be careful not to over water.
For more details read my blog about the do’s and don’t of growing rosemary click here
Basil
Start: easy from cuttings, easy from seeds, easy to find full plants
Best soil: rich organic, moist
Sun: full
There are lots of different “flavors ” of basil. Hobby farm has a good list of the different varieties.
Thyme
Start: easy from cuttings, moderate from seeds, easy to find full plants
Best soil: sandy and dry
Sun: full
Thyme is a great herb to dry and save. It will hold the same flavor after drying. When you use dried vs fresh thyme in recipes use just a 1/3 of the amount of dried compared to fresh.
Parsley
Start: easy from seeds, easy to find full plants, not the best from cuttings
Best soil: moderate
Sun: shade
Parsley doesn’t take as easily to water footing as some herbs. It will root however make sure to have more cuttings than you need. The success rate is low.
Sage
Start: easy from cuttings, moderate from seeds, easy to find full plants
Best soil: sandy and dry
Sun: full
I love to root Sage. It is super easy. After you plant your cuttings keep an eye on growth. Sage can get leggy. Trim back often to grow a nice bush.
Dill
Start: easy from seeds, easy to find full plants
Best soil: sandy and dry
Sun: shade/some sun
Dill is a little less successful growing from cuttings but worth the effort

Tarragon
Start: moderate from seeds, easy to find full plants
Best soil: moderate
Sun: full
Super easy to root. Tarragon does well as a mason jar plant. Planting tarragon in soil will grow a fragrant bush.
Marjoram
Start: easy from seeds, easy to find full plants
Best soil: moderate
Sun: full
Marjoram is part of the mint family. Like other mints, marjoram grows fast and has a nice fragrance.
Lemon Balm
Start: easy from seeds, easy from cutting, easy to find full plants
Best soil: sandy
Sun: full or shade
Another member of the mint family with a great fresh fragrance.
Chives
Start: easy from seeds, easy to find full plants
Best soil: rich well drained
Sun: full or shade
Chives are super easy to grow from supermarket chives. Use the greens then put the white ends in water. The chives will quickly regrow.
Mint
Start: easy from seeds, easy from cutting, easy to find full plants
Best soil: any
Sun: full or shade
Oregano
Start: easy from seeds, easy from cutting, easy to find full plants
Best soil: any
Sun: full
Next time you need to buy herbs from the market, grab fresh ones. You can grow your new plants now that you know how to grow herbs from supermarket herbs.
please visit sowgoodnaturally.com
Thank you for your support!
[…] Cuttings. Most plants can be started by cuttings. I find it a great way to start plants. If you have friends that are growing an herb you like to ask them for a cutting. Put the cutting in water. Within a few days to a few weeks, you will see roots. Plant your cutting and within a few more weeks you will be enjoying fresh herbs. Check here for a complete guide to growing herbs from cuttings staring with supermarket herbs. […]
[…] > Re-growing supermarkets herbs: https://momsindoorgarden.com/2019/10/18/how-to-grow-herbs-from-supermarket-herbs/ > Vegetables you can regrow ? https://www.ruralsprout.com/regrow-vegetables/ > More about […]
The post directs to grow from the store brought herbs, but the list of easy to grow herbs said it’s easiest to grow from seed? I wanna try dill which is sold packaged & parsley that is sold fresh, not packaged. Any luck starting in water, then transferring to soil ?
Yes. Both are easy to start in water then transfer to soil. Start with the freshest cuttings you can find. Then keep in water until you see at least an inch of root growing.