Growing Herbs Indoors from Seeds
March 3rd, 2010Beginning with seeds can be a little tedious, but I like 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’re interested in starting your garden from seeds keep in mind that some herbs work better than others when you grow them at home from seeds.
Before you plant your seeds, you’ll need to soak your seeds in water for many hours. This can give them the momentum they need to get going. 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 sunlight until you find germinating seeds when you open the paper towel. Take your sprouting seeds and plant them immediately.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, read up on your herb plants before you get the seeds or begin the germinating process, because that might not be enough. Some varieties of seeds need to be scratched up before they can grow. Other kinds will need to be heated up (from light, not the microwave, stove or oven) before you plant 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 begins. How long it can take your seeds to grow depends on the seed. Some can take only 5 or 6 days while others can take over a month.
Go get one of the soil mixes designed for growing seeds—the better ones usually contain vermiculite and sphagnum moss.
I raise plenty of herb plants from seeds each year. Some of the best ones are:
- Caraway: If you’ve got some caraway in your kitchen spice rack, simply sprinkle a couple of them into a pot, cover with soil and water—how trouble-free could that be? Germination will not take long, and before you know it, you will be planting it in your favorite flower bed or container. Use caraway to add something extra to your Oktoberfest dishes and also your curries.
- Lavender: There are a number of kinds 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 beautiful and edible herb plants 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 eight hours and then plant them in rich, well-drained dirt. You can even cultivate the mature plant inside, and for extra color you can try as a bonus in your salad greens.
- 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 lots of folks believe is a weed, smells a bit like pepper, but tastes much richer. Because the leaves are rich in vitamins C and A you’ll get health benefits while you feast on this scrumptous herb. To grow shepherd’s purse, simply sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil, water it and watch it grow.
And those herb plants 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.