Growing Herbs Indoors from Seeds

You don’t have to begin your herb garden from seeds, but if you want to get a head start on the season and lengthen the time you will have for harvesting your herbs, start from seeds. You can purchase seeds in a package or use ones left over from last year.

Not all herbs do well from seeds, so read up on your herbs before you invest in seeds, pots, soil and the like.

Before you plant your seeds, you’ll need to soak your seeds in water for several hours. This will give them the energy they need to get going. You can also pre-sprout your herbs by soaking them, folding them up in a moist paper towel and then sealing your seeds in a freezer bag. If you go this route, be sure to keep the sealed bag away from heat and check back often to see if the seeds have started germinating yet. Once your seeds have germinated, you’re ready to plant them in some rich, moist dirt.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, read up on your herb plants before you get the seeds or start the germinating process, because that might not be enough. Some types of seeds need to be scratched up before they can develop. Other types will need to be heated up (from sun, not the microwave, stove or oven) before you cultivate them. Good examples of these include the chili pepper and citronella herbs.

It is important to control your seeds’ growing environment once the sprouting process starts. How long it can take your seeds to germinate depends on the seed. Some can take only 5 or 6 days while others can take over a month.

Your seed containers should contain a special seed-starting sod mix that comes with both vermiculite and sphagnum moss for best results.

Although there are a number of many fantastic herb plants that you can grow from seeds, here are a couple of the best:

• Caraway: You can plant caraway straight from the spice jar, which I think is amazing and simple. All you have to do is add a few seeds to a container and cover with a thin layer of earth and a small bit of water. Caraway only takes a few days to develop. Then you can transfer your plant to a larger pot or garden bed. Use caraway to bring something extra to your Oktoberfest meals and also your curries.

• Lavender: There are a number of types of lavender to choose from. My vote goes to the one called Lady because it develops pretty quickly. This fragrant type of lavender will certainly grow on you.

• Nasturtium: These awesome and edible herb plants are so simple to cultivate from seeds that you’ll wonder why you didn’t start it sooner. If you decide to try these out, start by soaking the seeds for at least 8 hours and then plant them in rich, well-drained soil. Nasturtiums enjoy living inside, so you do not have to move them out once spring comes. Just snip off a couple of blooms when you need them to add color to your salads.

• Shepherd’s Purse: Even though a lot of folks think shepherd’s purse is a weed, this tasty plant has a delicate peppery smell and the taste is a fantastic addition to any salad. Because the leaves are rich in vitamins C and A you’ll get health benefits while you feast on this mouth-watering plant. It is not a problem to raise. Fill your seeding container almost to the top with earth and then add several seeds, cover with more earth and add water. Before you know it, you have got your own shepherd’s purse plant.

And those herb plants are just a handful. Some other nice ones include anise, hyssop, basil, German chamomile, fennel, lemon balm and sorrel.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Mini Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.