Getting a Jump on Your Herb Growing from Seeds Indoors

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 pick-up seeds in a package or use seeds left over from last year.

If you’re interested in starting your garden from seeds keep in mind that some herbs work better than others when you raise them at home from seeds.

Before you plant your seeds, you will need to soak your seeds in water for a few hours. This will give them the energy they need to get started. You can also pre-sprout your herb plants by soaking them, folding them up in a moist paper towel and then sealing them in a freezer bag. Keep the bag at room temperature and out of direct sun until you find germinating seeds when you open the paper towel. 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 sprouting process, because some seeds must be scarred before planting (as in the citronella plant) or need to be heated before they will sprout (as in the chili pepper herb).

Once your seeds have begun the sprouting process you should focus on controlling their growing environment. 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 fabulous herb plants that you can raise from seeds, here are a couple of my favorites:

• Caraway: You can plant caraway straight from the spice jar, which I believe is wonderful and simple. All you have to do is add a few seeds to a container and cover with a thin layer of sod and a little bit of water. Caraway only takes a few days to grow. Then you can transfer your plant to a larger container or garden bed. Caraway is a popular herb for both German and Indian dishes.

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

• Nasturtium: These wonderful and edible herbs are so easy to cultivate from seeds that you will wonder why you didn’t do 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 sod. Nasturtiums love living indoors, so you do not have to move them out once spring comes. Just cut off a couple of blooms when you need them to add color to your salads.

• Shepherd’s Purse: Spice up your next salad with a little shepherd’s purse, especially if you’re using a peppercorn ranch. This herb, which many people think is a weed, smells a bit like pepper, but tastes much richer. As an added bonus, the fresh leaves are awesome for a heavy dose of vitamin C and A. To cultivate shepherd’s purse, simply sprinkle the seeds on top of the dirt, water it and watch it grow.

If you want to really experiment with growing herbs from seeds, experiment with these herb plants too: bee balm, borage, catnip, chives, and dill.

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.