Saving herb seeds is like passing down a little bit of your garden’s magic for the next season. Collecting and storing seeds from your favorite herbs means you’re not only creating the possibility for new plants but also saving yourself a considerable amount of money.
While there are lots of places to get cheap vegetable seeds, the correct type of medicinal herb (sold confirming the Latin name) is not the cheapest. Especially when you’re buying 20+ varieties. And there have been some years I haven’t been able to find the herbs I need! Learning to seed save your herbs is something everyone should learn to do.
That and propagate, but that’s a topic for another day. So, getting back to the topic at hand…
Here’s an easy-to-follow guide to saving herb seeds and storing them for the following year. Grab a cup of tea, and let’s dig in!
Choosing the Right Herbs and Seeds
When it comes to saving seeds, open-pollinated varieties and heirloom varieties are your best bets. These types will grow true to their “parent plant,” producing herb seeds that can reliably sprout into plants with the same characteristics. Hybrid plants, on the other hand, are a bit trickier—they don’t often produce great seeds, or the seeds you harvest this year may produce plants a little different next year.
That’s a prime reason why purchasing your seeds from reliable sources like Strictly Medicinal Seeds is so important. There are several seed companies out there that produce a good product, but not all seed is created equal. Here’s a good example:
When you grow Lavender, be sure you are purchasing seed for English Lavender or Lavendula Angustifolia. That is the most medicinally potent and versatile Lavender. There are over 45 varieties and they’re not all good for medicinal use.
If you’ve ever grown Lavender Grosso, you may have found the smell is incredible, but it tastes soapy. That’s because Grosso (Lavendula x Intermedia) is a Lavandin. It’s a crossed variety that is best used for essential oil production.
If your goal for growing Lavender is to have an herb that you can make tea blends from, you definitely don’t want Lavender Grosso. That’s why Latin names are so important.
The Best Time to Harvest Herb Seeds
The perfect time to collect herb seeds varies per plant. Calendula (Calendula officinalis), for example, blooms continuously throughout summer and part of fall. The more you harvest it, the more blossoms you get. However, if you do not harvest it and you let it go to seed, you will be able to harvest seed throughout the entire season.
Typically though, late summer through fall is when seed heads are drying out on your plants. It’s important to let the seeds fully mature on the plant until the seed heads or flower heads turn brown and dry out. Leaving seeds to dry on the plant is important because this ensures they are fully mature and will store well.
If you know the seeds were dry and rain has made them wet again, keep reading, we’ll go over that soon.
Collecting Herb Seeds
Once your herbs have gone to seed, it’s time to harvest them. There are a couple of ways you can do this. The more careful way is to carefully snip off the seed heads or flower heads using a pair of scissors or garden shears, directly into a brown paper bag.
For smaller herbs like dill or fennel, you can clip the whole seed pod cluster, while for larger herbs, just the single flower or biggest seed head will do.
The other option is a lot faster, but a lot more likely you may lose some seed in the process. And honestly, it’s the way most people who grow a lot of herbs do it. Wrap your entire hand around the seed head, pull, and put them in a bag. Simple, fast, and a little sloppy. But definitely effective.
Drying Herb Seeds
In most cases, your herb seeds will already be dry. As I say that, though, I have a huge calendula seed harvest drying on my kitchen counter. Why? Because it rained heavily for 2 days.
When that happens, it is essential you take the time to dry them. Trust me, the last thing you want is to find out your seeds are covered in mold and rotted when you go to plant in the spring. Make sure that excess moisture is gone before you store your seeds!
Here’s how…Lay your seeds in a single layer on a paper towel or dining room table in a dry place out of direct sunlight. Let them dry for 3-4 days until they feel hard to the touch. Gentle fans can help if your seed isn’t too light. Proper drying ensures viable seeds that can be stored for a long time.
Storing Your Herb Seeds
Once your seeds are fully dried, it’s time to think about storage. The goal is to keep them in a cool, dark, dry location with ideal conditions for longevity. Airtight containers are fantastic for this, so consider storing them in a glass jar or small jars with a tight lid.
Alternatively, paper envelopes or a seed packet stored inside an airtight container work well, too. I use a picture storage container you can get here. It works wonderfully and the small containers inside it make it easy to keep things super organized.
Label each packet with the plant name, variety, and date of collection, so you’re all set to grow them next year.
Avoid big temperature swings and store them in a dark place like a closet, pantry, or even under your bed. Your seeds are happiest away from direct sunlight and excess moisture, so avoid humid areas like basements.
Special Tips for Different Varieties
Some seeds, like basil and coriander, don’t require any special treatment and are very forgiving. Others, like biennial plants such as mullein, will only set seeds in their second year. These require a little more patience, but the reward of saving herb seeds for the following year is worth the wait!
Did you know you can harvest wild herb seed too? Wild herbs have the same life cycles as cultivated ones. Even though there are a lot of different varieties that could grow well in your area, the ones that are native to your area and grow wild all around you will often be the strongest, most prolific, and most potent. Go for a hike with your plant ID guide, and discover what grows wild. Wild herb seed harvesting is a great free way to build your seed collection.
One of the really special parts about growing herbs is how different they all are. What works for one variety, doesn’t work at all for others. That’s why it’s important to do a little bit of research on each herb you want to plant. With a little patience and some simple steps, you’ll have an assortment of seeds from your herb garden ready to be stored and sown.
Saving seeds is one of the best and most satisfying ways to have a sustainable herb garden. Not only will you have seeds for next year, but you’ll also develop a thorough understanding of these herbs in every stage of their life.
So, go ahead and store those herb seeds in a cool, dark location, label them up, and you’ll be all set for another season of fresh, aromatic, medicinal herbs.
Happy seed saving!
