Starting Herbs from Seed

Step 1

1. Sprinkle. Fill individual pots or a flat of six-packs or cells with moistened commercial seed-starting mix. Sprinkle seeds lightly on soil, following directions on the seed packet; sow one seed or two in each cell or pocket of a six-pack. Cover the seeds with about 1/8 inch of the mix. Press the mix down lightly and spritz the surface with water to moisten it and settle the seeds.

Note: Sow borage, chervil, coriander, dill, and fennel directly in warm garden soil because they don't transplant well from pots.

Step 2

2. Cover up. Keep the mix moist by covering the container with plastic wrap or a plastic bag; cover a six-pack or flat with a plastic dome. Remove the covering when seedlings emerge. Place the container in a sunny (south-facing) window. Keep the mix evenly moist by watering it from the bottom: Set the containers in a sink filled with 2 inches of water until beads of moisture appear on the soil surface. When the seedlings reach 2 inches tall, transplant them into individual pots or thin those started in small pots to one seedling per pot by snipping off all but the strongest-looking seedling.

Download this chart on great herbs to start from seed. (Dowloading requires Adobe Acrobat.)