Tomato Facts

I remember that back in the day folks did all their gardening by ordering their seeds from a catalog. I’m sure a few folks still pour over the seed catalogs. Now do not mind me, but in today’s world you just cannot raise all your herb plants from seeds, unless you want to wait forever for them to do anything.

Some herbs are better than others for starting from seeds. One plant that can quickly grow and rapidly mature is dill. It can grow pretty much anywhere. On the other hand, you will already be in herb gardener retirement when your thyme plant finally matures. Annuals are usually grown from seeds, as are some perennials. If you’ve got a lot of perennials, you’ll save cash in the long run because there will not be a replacement cost for the plants.

I would rather not to begin my perennial plants in a seed tray or in a regular herb garden bed; instead, I use a pot. The container will give the plant lots of room to thrive and protect it from invasive weeds while they slowly grow. Just be patient with your perennial herbs and you’ll soon notice that your seeds have start the cultivation process within 3 to four weeks.

Depending on the climate where you live, you may be able to plant both your annual herbs and perennial herb plants at the same time, any time of the year. If you live in a colder climate, sow your annuals in the spring, summer or fall—all will work.

These are some of the best herbs to grow from seeds:

• Anise: Also known as the hyssop, the anise plant has a lovely licorice aroma and has almost iridescent purple, green and blue notched leaves and spiked flowers of blue and purple. It is mostly used in teas, potpourris and as a garnish for dishes. Start these indoors in a small terra cotta pots at least 6 to 8 weeks before you plan to move this perennial outdoors.

• Caraway: The interesting looking caraway plant, which has a nutty, licorice flavor that is just as interesting, is used in liqueurs, but also in sauerkraut, split pea soup and even goulash. Although you can eat the root, the most often used part of the herb is its seed. You can begin your biennials indoors as early as 6 weeks before the last frost, especially if you want to shorten the time you have to wait before you see the first flower.

• Coneflower: Add coneflower to your herb garden if you are looking for a perennial that is simple to care for. Most folks think of it as a wildflower, but because of its healing qualities, it fits squarely in the herb camp. The medicinal name for the coneflower is Echinacea, which can hold your allergies in check and keep your immune system strong.

If you’re in a cold-weather climate like I am, you’ll want to start your perennial seeds in pots inside so that by the time they’ve sprouted and gotten strong, (about 6 weeks), it will be time to take them outside.

If you are in a warm-weather location, you can start your perennials at anytime.

Sowing seeds for your annuals is pretty easy. Just break up the ground a little and sprinkle the seeds over that location and cover lightly with earth. If you select your herb plants wisely, you can get all self-sowers, which can come back next season from the seeds they “sow” this season.

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

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