You know when you start vegetables, you plant those seeds and they grow? It’s a pretty straightforward process. There are some other considerations of course, but it’s fairly simple. Once you transplant your veggie starts, the real work begins. You have to water, weed, fertilize, trellis, harvest, fight pests and disease…it’s a process!
Well, with herbs it’s the opposite. Starting your seeds can be a trickier process, but growing them is pretty straightforward and relatively simple. Once herbs get established, most of them don’t require much watering or attention. Not many herbs are plagued with diseases and pests, so once they get established, it’s pretty hands-off compared to vegetable growing.
Choosing What Herbs To Grow
Before diving into the seed-starting process, it’s important to select the right medicinal herb seeds for your needs and gardening conditions. The best place to start with this is to determine what your growing zone is. If you are totally new to growing, your growing zone is “the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which perennial plants are most likely to thrive at a location.” (https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ )
To determine what your growing zone is, visit https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
Once you know your zone, you can start figuring out what herbs you can grow. There are a few different types:
Annual – Live for only 1 season
Biennial – Live for 2 seasons
Perennial – Live for multiple seasons
I like to grow a mix of all of them. Perennials were the first thing I planted when starting our farm, and it’s wonderful to look out at our farm in early spring and know that there will already be things growing without any attention from me.
If you want to grow a perennial herb that is native to a warmer zone, it is still possible to do it in your area. The whole process is just a little more high-maintenance.
Let’s talk about Roselle Hibiscus for example. The Roselle variety of Hibiscus is hardy to zones 9-11 and requires a long growing season. I however live in zone 5. But we still grow it! It just isn’t a perennial plant in our zone. To have a successful harvest of Roselle, I start the seeds in February and transplant them into the garden when the ground is warm and the plants are 6″ tall. At the end of September, I harvest the calyx and the plant dies. The next year, we start the whole process again.
Herb Seed Starting Supplies
Before you start your seeds, you’ll need a few supplies. You definitely don’t need to buy all the fancy seed starting things. Food containers and solo cups can be used for seed starting trays. But, the top 3 things I suggest you purchase because they will greatly improve your germination and the strength of your seedlings, are a good quality seed starting mix, heat mats, and grow lights. A lot of people tend to get put off by the cost of grow lights and decide that window light is good enough. Good grow lights really do make all the difference, but they don’t have to be expensive! Our current grow light setup cost us $50 from Walmart, it covers a HUGE area, and we’ve been using it for 5 years now with great success. The key is, don’t search for “grow lights”, search for the necessary watts and lumens. You’ll find way cheaper options. Here are some of the must-have tools for starting medicinal herb seeds:
- Seed trays or pots
- Seed starting mix
- Seeds
- Heat mats
- Labels or markers & tape
- Watering can or spray bottle
- Plastic wrap or humidity dome
- Refrigerator
Ways To Start Medicinal Herb Seeds
Herbs are unique, and so are the requirements for starting them. There are many different approaches you’ll come across when starting herbs. Thankfully, seed packets make it easier to figure out what you need to do to be successful, but here’s a list of seed starting requirements you need to know:
- Cold-Stratification: The process of mimicking a dormant/winter period. Start your seeds in moist soil blocks, or in a moist paper towel in a ziploc bag, then store them in the fridge for the required time.
- Scarification: Scratching the surface of a seed to allow germination. Scratch the surface of the seed with fine sandpaper or a small knife to expose the endosperm. (insert pic #3)
- Direct Sowing: Planting seeds directly into the garden
- Surface Sowing: Planting seeds into the surface of the soil
- Fall Sowing: Direct sowing of seeds in the fall
- Heat Germination: Germinating seeds by using heat underneath the seed tray
- Light Germination: Germinating seeds by using light above the seed tray
Caring for Seedlings
Once your medicinal herb seeds have sprouted, continue to support them with proper care and attention. Supporting your herbal seedlings is pretty much the same process as supporting your veggie seedlings. If they are on heat, switch to light once they germinate to prevent leggy seedlings. If they are light germinating herbs, just keep that light on them until transplant. Here are some things you’ll need to do to ensure your seedlings stay happy and healthy:
Provide Adequate Light: Ensure your seedlings receive sufficient light to prevent leggy growth. Rotate trays regularly for even exposure if necessary.
Water Wisely: Water seedlings from the bottom to encourage healthy root growth. Do not allow the soil to dry out to the point of cracking, and be sure to avoid overwatering to prevent damping off.
Hardening Off: Before transplanting seedlings outdoors, gradually acclimate them to outdoor conditions by exposing them to sunlight and wind for increasing periods each day.
Transplanting: When seedlings have developed true leaves, transplant them into larger pots or outdoors, following spacing recommendations for each herb.
Growing Problems
Inevitably, we all run into problems. Even the most seasoned growers have unexpected challenges every growing year. The most important thing you’ll need to do to stay ahead of things and prevent losing your herbs is to monitor them closely. I like to check on mine 3 times a day to ensure the moisture, light, and ventilation are adequate, and the seedlings are happy. But, sometimes things still happen. This year, for example, I wasn’t watching as closely as I should have been. My seeds germinated and I didn’t remove the plastic wrap fast enough, resulting in leggy plants. About half of my Marshmallow seedlings needed to be restarted. Things happen. But for some problems that may arise, there are simple solutions:
- Too much water: Some of the problems you may encounter when you are overwatering are mold, gnats and flies, wilted and yellowing leaves, and stunted growth. You can remedy these issues by removing the mold and aerating the soil slightly. You should also set up a gently blowing fan to help dry the soil and improve ventilation. If the mold is severe, consider changing out the soil or restarting your seeds. If you are noticing gnats or flies, sprinkle some cinnamon on the top of the soil to deter them and prevent more.
- Not enough water: Some herbs prefer dry conditions. You’ll notice that if you start yarrow, for example, the same amount of water you use for your other seedlings is too much for yarrow. If you are not watering enough, your plants will tell you. They will start to wilt, curl, and in severe cases, they will brown around the leaf edges. In these cases, increase your watering and plants should rebound if they’re not already dried and crunchy.
- Not enough Ventilation: The biggest issues you’ll have with inadequate ventilation are mold, fungus, and damping off. Mold and fungus can look white and dusty or you may see small spores on the soil surface. If you are dealing with damping off, your seedlings will look like they just flopped over and drowned. If that happens, you’ll need to start over. To prevent it from happening, be sure that you’re not overwatering, and that you have gently blowing fans on your seedlings. Air circulation not only prevents these 3 issues but also creates stronger seedlings.
- Leggy plants: Adjust your lighting. If small seedlings do not receive direct light immediately, they will begin to reach toward the light. This makes the stems long and thin and creates a weak plant that may not survive. If legginess isn’t extreme, you can correct this by adjusting your lighting. If your seedlings are very leggy and leaning hard, consider restarting your seeds.
Transplanting & Soil Requirements
When your herb seedlings are ready to be transplanted, you’ll need to make sure they are going into a home that will love and support them as you have. Each herb has its own soil preferences. While your delicate seedlings are growing, run a quick soil test. Soil testing kits are easy to find and quick and easy to do. If you want a more comprehensive look at your soil, contact your local extension office for information about soil sampling. Once you have your results, make any amendments necessary, and your soil will be ready to plant in!
Refer to the chart in the printables section for a list of soil requirements for some of the most popular medicinal herbs for small herb growers.
Starting medicinal herb seeds can be a little tricky at first, but getting to know your herbs and what they need to thrive will set you up for success. Growing your own medicinal herbs and creating a full home apothecary to care for your family is super fulfilling. It’s an empowering experience that allows you to take control of your health and well-being. Embrace the journey, nurture your seeds with care, and soon you’ll reap the rewards of your efforts in the form of vibrant, medicinal herbs ready to support your holistic health journey.
Happy Growing!
