Growing Your Herbs from Seeds
Monday, March 8th, 2010When I was child, I can recall sitting with my grandmother, looking at the seed catalog, looking for the best tomatoes, cucumbers and corn. It seemed like her whole garden came from that catalog. Now don’t mind me, but in today’s world you just cannot grow all your herb plants from seeds, unless you want to wait forever for them to do anything.
Some herb plants are better than others for germinating from seeds. One herb that can quickly grow and rapidly mature is dill. Germination for the dill herb is simple. On the other hand, you will already be in herb gardener retirement when your thyme herb finally matures. You can raise most annuals from seeds and some perennials too. If you have got a lot of perennials, you will save cash in the long run because there will not be a replacement cost for the plants.
I would rather not to begin my perennial herb plants in a seed tray or in a regular herb garden bed; instead, I use a pot. The container will give the herb plenty of room to thrive and protect it from invasive weeds while they slowly grow. It only takes about 3 to four weeks for most perennials to develop.
If you have a mild winter in your climate, you can plant both your annual and perennial herb seeds year-round, provided that you have the right herbs. If you’re planning to start your annual herbs outside, you can plant them in the spring, summer or fall.
Here are a few of my favorite herbs to raise from seeds:
- Anise: This lovely iridescent herb is known by some people as the hyssop and is a source of flavoring for licorice—not to mention the aroma. Its purple, blue and green notched leaves go well with its purple and blue flowers. It is mostly used in teas, potpourris and as a garnish for meals. It is best to start your perennial anise early, up to eight weeks before you intend to move it outdoors
- Caraway: The interesting looking caraway herb, which has a nutty, licorice taste that is just as interesting, is used in liqueurs, but also in sauerkraut, split pea soup and even goulash. Although you can eat the root, the most frequently used part of the plant is its seed. You can begin your biennials inside as early as six weeks before the last frost, especially if you want to shorten the time you have to wait before you see the first bloom.
- Coneflower: Add coneflower to your herb garden if you are looking for a perennial that is simple to care for. Most people think of it as a wildflower, but because of its medicinal qualities, it fits squarely in the herb camp. This perennial herb, also known as Echinacea, is nice for boosting the immune system and helping keep allergies at bay.
It can take about 6 weeks for your herb plants to sprout, get hardy and be ready to go outdoors in either containers or beds. This is especially helpful if you live in cold-weather climates—it’ll give you a jumpstart on the growing season.
Perennials do really well in warm climates. If you live in a warm climate, you can start them anytime.
When you sow your annual seeds, just sow them straight to your herb garden, or container if you’re going to start there. If you select your herbs wisely, you can get all self-sowers, which can come back next season from the seeds they “sow” this season.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Herb Garden Kits. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
