Growing Herbs from Seed

It’s easy to get root cuttings or small potted up plants for herb starts. Once planted, herbs tend to thrive if they have enough sun.

 

For a new garden challenge, try growing herbs from seed instead. With a few successes you may feel that your herb garden is really yours, and you gain confidence to keep growing and using new plants, or standard plants in new settings. And the cost is so much lower.

 

Here are some useful herbs that Sow True Seed offers as seed rather than root starts. In some cases these are true perennials, and in others the mature plants will self seed and the result is the same:

Read the seed packets carefully. Some seeds stay viable for many years, which means you don’t have to use all the seeds in one year (chamomile seeds are tiny!). Also, check days to sprouting, which tells you how long to wait before getting worried about their germination.

 

In addition, some seeds are direct sown into the soil (the packet will tell you) while others need to be planted first in flats and babied until they are big enough to transplant into permanent beds. Don’t be surprised if all the seeds don’t make it; even a small percentage, though, can create a lot of vegetation.

 

As you plant your new herb starts, be sure to label what goes where. Many little spouts look the same...like weeds. 

 

My practice is always to plant out new specimens in several different locations in the garden. Where they do best I plant more of the same; where they fail to thrive I don’t bother repeating there.

 

Finally, patience. While potted herb starts take off fast, it may take a year or more for herbs-from-seeds to develop to maturity.

 

 

	Article Written by: Angie Lavezzo
	About the Author: Angie Lavezzo is the former general manager of Sow True Seed. Beyond her professional role at Sow True, Angie's passion for gardening extends into personal hands-on experience, fostering plants and reaping bountiful harvests.