Herb Gardening - Growing From Seed

Herb Gardening - Growing From Seed

Growing herbs is easier than most plants. They're hardy, enjoy lots of sun and are amenable to soil that is too poor for many other plants. Dig up a few inches of earth and place one into the soil and you'll have to do very little else. They require only modest watering and rarely need fertilizer.

If all you want is the end product, there's little labor involved. But you also miss out on some of the fun. Growing from seeds is harder, but more rewarding. There's a real sense of satisfaction that comes from putting a seed into the ground and producing a full sized herb that you can eventually harvest.

Not all herbs will do equally well grown from seed. Basil, Sage, Chives, Dill are good choices for 'starting from scratch'. Others don't produce viable seed or propagate so readily. Thyme is a good example, Peppermint is another. Some are hybrids that don't reproduce from seeds. French Tarragon, for example, doesn't produce viable 'offspring'. Rosemary has a low germination rate, so it can be a difficult undertaking to grow it from seed.

Once you've picked a species, start with quality seeds. Like any living organism, some have a greater potential to thrive than others. Give your herb the best headstart by beginning with good seeds from a reliable brand.

Once you have them, you'll need to decide whether you want to plant them in the garden or a container. Many herbs do well in either environment, but some have a 'preference', they more readily take to one situation over the other. Basil does well in a container, while the Lavender is best left outside.

Two examples...

SWEET BASIL

To plant Sweet Basil from seed, just sow then cover lightly with compost. Put the pot inside a plastic bag or cover with a plate. Be sure the pot has good drainage, and water by putting a small amount in the drain portion.

Once the seeds have germinated (started to sprout), you can remove the bag or plate. Make sure they get good reflected light. Though planting a dozen seeds is a good idea to see which ones grow, you'll want only a few per pot at the end.

BORAGE

Borage will do well outdoors in most climates that get adequate sun. You can start them in a small pot or seed tray, or go right into the ground. Pick a spot that gets sun and where the ground is fairly dry. Cover the seeds thinly with a bit of your soil mixture and water lightly, just enough to keep the ground moist but not wet.

Once the seeds are established in a pot you can thin them to a few plants and transplant, if desired. Be sure to space them about 12 inches (30.5 cm) apart. The flowers can be used to garnish salads or in a soup where you want a bit of cucumber flavoring.

Herbs require only modest care when grown from seed. But some, like any other plant, will wither and others will thrive. Be prepared for a little experimentation to get your conditions just right.

Planting A Herb Garden

The best place to start is with the herbs you will use most frequently. A lot of nurseries also recommend complimentary herbs that grow very well alongside each other. It is worthwhile remembering that herbs vary in size, and therefore may grow best in small containers, through to large gardens.

When you are starting to learn about herb gardening, it is recommended that you begin with something small – perhaps with a few simple herbs in a small pot, growing in full sun.

Two of the most important things to remember when growing herbs are:

- Herbs require lots of sunlight
- Herbs prefer well-drained soil

Most herbs require full or partial sun and generally flourish in these conditions. Likewise most herbs will not grow well in wet soil, or if they are over-watered. Resist the temptation to water your herbs too frequently. Every 2-3 days is usually sufficient; some herbs even prefer up to 7 days between watering. It is also recommended that a good quality potting mix is used for planting herbs.

Herb Gardening - Container Gardening Tips

Container gardening can have a dozen advantages over ordinary, outdoor gardening. You can bring plants indoors for winter, or grow them in the house all year round. Soil control is surer, since nothing can get in the pot but what you put there. Light control is simpler - you can move a container into shade or put it near a window or under a lamp.

But container gardening can be tricky. Nature does an excellent job of controlling moisture and nutrients, given good soil to begin with. Adjusting these and other factors artificially requires some care. That care starts with selecting the right plants.

Fortunately for anyone interested in container gardening, there are a dozen herbs that will grow in pots of all shapes and sizes. Basil grows fine in an old teapot and rosemary will be quite content in a coffee can. You can put thyme in a simple clay pot only a few inches high. Dill, mint, sage, even lavender can be grown in a container.

Start with good quality seeds - seeds are natural 'food' products, so like any food they can spoil. Air contains airborne spores that can invade them and oxygen reacts with a wide variety of organic compounds. Getting and keeping them fresh is simple, but be sure to observe the dates on packages and discard any that have gotten wet.

Pick appropriate spots for your containers. Some prefer full sun, others thrive in partial shade. Basil loves good warm soil and dry air, but it's sensitive to cold. If you put it near a window to get that sunlight, make sure the area isn't frosty in the winter.

In most populated areas in the Northern Hemisphere, sunlight comes in at an angle more from the south. Try to select areas where sun-loving plants will have southern exposure. Put those that prefer partial shade on the northern side, or in a shady area away from the window.
Prepare the soil properly and maintain it at the right moisture content. Lavender loves sun, but it also needs dry, alkaline soil. Using clay chips in the pot is great for retaining moisture, but it can do the job too well. In a container, clay absorbs and holds water for long periods. Be sure to have a mix of sandy soil and clay soil.

Water correctly. The most common problem for container plants is root rot from excessive moisture. Being wet all the time is okay for some plants, but most herbs want soil a little on the dryer side. For sage dry soil is good, but peppermint likes it moist.

Keep in mind, though, that moist doesn't mean perpetually wet. Press your thumb onto the surface. It should be a little springy for moist soil, harder for dry soil. Then insert a toothpick or, better still, a moisture gauge into the soil. Draw out the toothpick to see whether the soil under the surface is dry or moist. The gauge will give you a more exact and useful reading.
Plan your container garden well and you'll find the plants easy to grow and maintain.

Planning your herb garden

Herbs require very little care compared to many plants. How many times have you had to spray your roses or trim your orchids? Herbs, by comparison, do well in poor soil, require little fertilizer and only modest watering. If they get lots of sun and a bit of water, they usually do well all on their own.

But you'll still want to do some planning before just throwing down seeds and walking away.
For one thing, since herbs thrive well in relatively poor conditions, they can become overgrown. Lavender will spread, Yarrow can take over large areas. Even Chives can get bushy and packed. Make sure you start with adequate space in your pot or garden for the number of plants you have in mind.

Most will get along fine if they have about a foot of space between major sections. Chives, for example, look great and grow well in a bunch. But the roots still need a certain amount of nutrient and water. Other plants nearby compete for those.

Also, in order for adequate sunlight to reach the plants, they'll need a certain amount of area, alongside them and within them. Planting too many within a confined space will make that difficult. Thinning may be required later as more plants than you expected develop.

Soil preparation is minimal for herbs, but minimal doesn't mean non-existent. A good compost or mix of sandy loam and clay will support a wide range of herbs. You'll want to make sure it has adequate drainage. Many herbs are originally natives of the Mediterranean, so they'll do well in rocky, relatively dry soil. They evolved in conditions of good drainage. But all herbs need some water. It should be moist, but not wet.

Lavender and Sage, just to pick two, can get by in most areas with no manual watering at all. The occasional rainfall is enough. Peppermint will want a little more, which can easily be supplied by an automatic drip system.

You'll want to minimize weeds, possibly by laying down some landscape fabric. You'll want to avoid having to dig weeds up later or deal with the problem by using herbicides. That can kill the herbs along with the weeds (many are biologically similar). It also means you're spraying chemicals onto plants that you may later plan to eat.

Herbs resist insects well, but you may want to help by being prepared to sacrifice some for the sake of preserving others. Dill will make for a good 'trap crop', this is one which attracts pests away from other plants such as tomatoes. If your goal is growing Dill, a small amount of insecticide will take care of the problem, but use the minimum possible.

Plan when you want to plant by judging which herbs will do well by beginning at various times of year. Some can be sown anytime, others should be planted at intervals of four weeks, still others should begin as early as possible after the snows melt.

Plan ahead and you'll find your herb garden easy to care for and thriving with very little effort.