A north-facing kitchen in the UK gets no direct sun at all. In summer the soft, even light can be lovely for ferns and leafy plants, but from October to March it is often too dim for herbs. Basil sulks, parsley stretches, and the pot on the sill leans so hard towards the glass it nearly falls over. This guide covers what grows in that light, and the simplest plant light setups for a north kitchen.
What a north window actually gives you
- Summer: long days of gentle, indirect light. Leafy herbs right on the sill can do reasonably well.
- Winter: short, grey days and weak light that fades fast as you step back from the window. A metre into the room is often too dark for herbs.
- Bonus: no scorching, so you never need to worry about sunburnt leaves.
Not sure how bright your spot is? Try the shadow test from our overwatering or low light guide: hold your hand 30 cm above white paper at midday. A faint blur means the plant needs help.
What copes without extra light
| Plant | On a north sill, no light | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mint | Fair, slows in winter | Keep in its own pot; it spreads |
| Parsley and chives | Fair in summer, leggy in winter | Snip often to keep them bushy |
| Pea shoots and cress | OK for a quick crop | Pale and floppy in midwinter |
| Basil, rosemary, thyme | Poor | Sun lovers; they need a plant light here |
| Ferns and many leafy houseplants | Good | Our dark flat plant list has more |
The best light for a north kitchen
For a room you cook and eat in, choose white full-spectrum LEDs. They look like ordinary daylight, so your kitchen does not glow purple, and the food on the chopping board still looks like food. Then choose a size to suit the space you actually have.
One shelf or the end of a worktop
Slim LED bars over a row of pots are the neatest fix. The Omega 9W twin pack gives you two 55 cm bars, a good match for a shelf of herb pots or a seed tray. Browse more bars and panels in Plant Lighting.
The gap beside the fridge
A slim lit stand turns a dead corner into a herb garden. The Spider Farmer slim herb stand and the Mars Hydro small stand each take about 40 by 30 cm of floor, with three lit shelves running from one UK plug and waterproof mats to catch drips. Compare them in Plant stand with lights: which shelf?
No spare floor or shelf at all
A worktop herb garden such as the Spider Farmer SmartG12 has its own light and grows twelve pods in water rather than compost, so there is no soil on the worktop. See more in Hydroponics and Self-Watering.
Hours and distance, in plain English
- Hours: for kitchen herbs in winter, around 12 to 14 hours a day is a sensible start. In a north kitchen the window adds little in midwinter, so treat the light as most of the day. Always give plants a proper dark night.
- Timer: a plug-in mechanical timer means you never find the light on at midnight or off all morning. Set it to come on before breakfast and go off after the evening meal.
- Distance: keep bars close above the leaves with a clear gap, and raise them as herbs grow. If stems stretch, the light is too far away or on for too few hours. Our indoor plant lighting guide explains more.
Kitchen practicalities
- Find the nearest socket before you pick a spot, and run the cable along the wall or behind the stand.
- Keep herbs out of the kettle's steam and away from the hob and oven, which dry and scorch leaves.
- North kitchens are often the coolest room. Keep pots off the sill on frosty nights if curtains or blinds trap them against cold glass.
- With small children or pets, choose a spot where the stand cannot be pulled over, and use lockable wheels or the feet on a stand if it has them.
- Herbs under lights dry out faster than on a dim sill. Our guide to watering herbs on a lit stand keeps shelves dry.
FAQ
Can basil grow in a north-facing kitchen?
Not well on the sill in winter. Under a white plant light on a timer for around 12 to 14 hours a day, it can stay bushy and full of flavour.
Will a plant light make my kitchen look odd?
Not if it is white full-spectrum. It looks like a bright kitchen light. Purple and pink lights are the ones that look odd in a living space.
Is a plant light expensive to run?
Small LED bars and stands use modest power compared with many kitchen appliances. Check the wattage on the product page and your own tariff for an exact figure.
Do I need a light in summer too?
Often not for mint, parsley and chives. Basil may still enjoy a few hours a day in a north kitchen. Shorten the timer from around April and watch the plants.
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