Growing Herb from Seeds

When I was child, I can recall sitting with my grandmother, looking at the seed catalog, looking for the best tomatoes, cucumbers and corn. I’m sure some folks still pour over the seed catalogs. Now don’t mind me, but in today’s world you just can’t cultivate 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 starting from seeds. One herb that can quickly grow and rapidly mature is dill. Germination for the dill plant is easy. If you want to grow other herbs (like thyme) from seeds plan to wait a very long time for sprouting. You can raise most annuals from seeds and some perennials too. If you’ve got a lot of perennials, you will save money in the long run because there won’t be a replacement cost for the plants.

I would rather not to start my perennial herbs in a seed tray or in a regular herb garden bed; instead, I use a container. The container will give the plant lots of room to thrive and protect it from invasive weeds while they grow little by little. It only takes about 3 to four weeks for most perennials to germinate.

Depending on the climate where you live, you may be able to plant both your annual herbs and perennial herbs at the same time, any time of the year. If you’re planning to begin your annual herb plants outside, you can plant them in the spring, summer or fall.

These are a couple of my favorite herbs to cultivate from seeds:

• Anise: This brilliant iridescent plant 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 blossoms. Most folks use anise as a flavoring in many meals and in teas. You can also add it to your potpourri. Begin these inside in a small terra cotta containers at least six to eight weeks before you intend to move this perennial outdoors.

• Caraway: Do not let its strange appearance fool you. This plant, with its nut-like licorice flavor is serious business. Use it in your German foods, such as soups, stews and krauts. Although you can eat the root, the most frequently used part of the plant is its seed. To enjoy a longer growing season with this biennial, start your herb indoors from seeds at least six weeks before you plan to move it outdoors.

• Coneflower: This easy-care perennial will be a brilliant addition to your herb garden. Most folks think of it as a wildflower, but because of its medicinal qualities, it fits squarely in the herb camp. The healing name for the coneflower is Echinacea, which can hold your allergies at bay and keep your immune system strong.

It can take about six weeks for your herb plants to sprout, get strong and be ready to go outside in either pots or beds. This is especially helpful if you live in cold-weather climates—it’ll give you a jumpstart on the growing season.

If you’re in a warm-weather location, you can start your perennials at anytime.

Sowing seeds for your annuals is pretty simple. Just break up the ground a little and sprinkle the seeds on that place and cover lightly with earth. If you select your herb plants wisely, you can get all self-sowers, which will 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.