Getting a Jump on Your Herb Growing from Seeds Indoors

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February 7th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed

Beginning with seeds can be a little tedious, but I love giving my annuals a jump on the growing season by starting them from either the seeds I collected the previous summer or from seeds I order online.

If you are interested in starting your garden from seeds keep in mind that some herb plants work better than others when you raise them at home from seeds.

Before you plant your seeds, you’ll need to soak your seeds in water for several hours. This can give them the energy they need to get going. Another way to do this is to allow your herbs to pre-sprout by soaking them, placing them on a moistened paper towel and then putting them into a freezer bag and sealing the bag up. If you go this route, be sure to keep the sealed bag away from heat and check back frequently to see if the seeds have started sprouting yet. Once your seeds have started to sprout, you are ready to plant them in some rich, moist dirt.

Do your homework before you plant your seeds or begin the germinating process, because some seeds must be scarred before cultivating (as in the citronella plant) or need to be heated before they can sprout (as in the chili pepper plant).

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

Go purchase one of the soil mixes designed for growing seeds—the better ones usually contain vermiculite and sphagnum moss.

I raise plenty of herbs from seeds each year. Some of the best ones are:

Caraway: You can plant caraway straight from the spice jar, which I think is wonderful and touble-free. Germination will not take long, and before you know it, you will be planting it in your favorite flower bed or container. Caraway is a popular plant for both German and Indian dinners.

Terrific Landscaping Ideas For Your Garden

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

Nasturtium: These small flowers of happiness are severely under-rated. Not only are they awesome, they’re edible too. Even better, you can easily grow them from seeds! If you decide to try these out, begin by soaking the seeds for at least eight hours and then plant them in rich, well-drained sod. Nasturtiums enjoy living inside, so you don’t 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: Although a lot of folks believe shepherd’s purse is a weed, this tasty herb has a mild peppery smell and the taste is a wonderful addition to any salad. As an added bonus, the fresh leaves are wonderful for a heavy dose of vitamin C and A. It’s simple to cultivate. Fill your seeding pot almost to the top with soil and then add a few seeds, cover with more dirt and add water. Before you know it, you’ve got your own shepherd’s purse herb.

And those herbs are just a few. Some other nice herb plants 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.

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