Basil and mint will grow faster than you can use them. Some herbs are barely worth the pod slot. Here’s what I’ve found after running multiple grow cycles.

The Good Ones

Basil is the obvious answer. It thrives under artificial light, grows fast, and you’ll actually use it. The main mistake is letting it flower — once it bolts, the leaves turn bitter. Pinch flower stems early, harvest regularly, and a single basil plant will produce for months.

Mint grows aggressively. One pod of mint will eventually crowd its neighbors if you let it. Harvest frequently to keep it in check. The flavor is good and fresh mint is genuinely useful.

Chives are reliable and low-maintenance. Slow to establish, then steady. Good for people who don’t want to tend their unit daily.

Thai basil does well and tastes better than standard sweet basil for a lot of uses. Worth trying if you cook Asian food.

The Overrated Ones

Cilantro bolts fast, especially in warm kitchens. You get a few good harvests and then it flowers. Not bad — just frustrating if you expected it to last as long as basil.

Dill has the same problem. Also, the feathery fronds get big and unwieldy in a small unit.

Parsley

Fine. Just fine. I’ve grown it multiple times and I’m never excited about it. It’s slower than basil, the yield feels smaller, and I always end up with more parsley than I need and not enough basil. I keep growing it because it fills a pod slot and I use it in cooking, not because it’s rewarding to grow.

Lettuce

Not an herb, but worth mentioning. Lettuce is excellent in AeroGarden units — fast, satisfying, and you can harvest outer leaves over a long period. Tip burn is the main issue (brown leaf edges from poor airflow). I wrote more about that in the lettuce growing guide .

What I’d Skip

Lavender is slow and not particularly useful as a culinary herb for most people. It’s beautiful outdoors. In a six-pod indoor unit, it’s a waste of a slot.

Any “salsa garden” kit that mixes tomatoes and herbs — the tomatoes will dominate and everything else suffers.

Starting From Seed vs. AeroGarden Pods

AeroGarden pods work. Blank pods with your own seeds also work and cost less. Use what makes sense. Pre-seeded pods are convenient; blank pods give you flexibility to grow varieties that AeroGarden doesn’t sell.

Individual articles in this guide cover specific crops and growing techniques in more detail.