List of Herb Seeds for Home Growing

Parsley

• Parsley comes in several different varieties, two of the more common being the Italian flat-leaf or curled leaf. Parsley is an herb that is more of an annual, although allowing the plant to flower and go to seed may provide you with a few random seeds that germinate the following year. When growing parsley outside, you might plant a few seeds every 10 days for about a month so you have plants maturing over a longer period of time, since parsley is more flavorful when used fresh instead of dried. Parsley seeds can take several weeks to germinate; soaking the seeds in warm water overnight before planting can help the seeds germinate faster. Seeds should be planted 1/2 inch deep in the soil.

Dill

• Both the feather-like leaves and flat brown seeds produced by dill plants can be used to pickle vegetables or season fish, pork and produce. Dill is an annual herb that can grow up to 3 feet tall. If your dill plants start to fall over, you can stake it to help it continue to grow. Dill should be harvested just as the flowers begin to bloom. Dill leaves can be used fresh or dried for later use. Because of its deep taproot, it is recommended that dill seeds be sown directly into the soil instead of transplanting seedlings.

Oregano

• Oregano is a perennial herb that can be used either fresh or dried. It will grow in virtually any type of soil and works well in many Italian and Mediterranean dishes. An oregano plant can grow up to 2 feet tall and may need to be replanted after three or four years if the stems become particularly woody. Oregano seeds should be sown directly in the garden where you want them. Since oregano seeds require sunlight to germinate, it is best to leave them uncovered.

Cilantro/Coriander

• Cilantro is a somewhat sharp-tasting herb that is used in Asian and Mexican cuisine. Once a cilantro plant "bolts," meaning that it will grow a tall central stalk that flowers, it will not produce leaves any more. The seeds are known as coriander. Coriander seeds can be ground and used as a spice as well. Cilantro will bolt quickly in warm weather; you will harvest a larger crop of cilantro in the spring, early summer, or early fall. Coriander flowers should be hung upside down for several weeks to dry before harvesting seeds. Sowing cilantro seeds directly into the ground is recommended over transplanting because disturbing the plant's root system can cause it to bolt prematurely.

Chives

• Chives are a strong perennial herb that grows easily from seed. Chives will continue to grow for years with little care. Plants may need to be thinned when they become crowded. You can either cut chives as needed and use them when they are fresh, or you can dry them and use them in the future. The University of Rhode Island Extension recommends that chive seeds be sown 1/2 inch deep in pots indoors, with the temperature between 60 and 70 degrees F. Expect the seeds to take two or three weeks to germinate. Seedlings can be transplanted when they are about four weeks old.

Basil

• Basil is an annual herb that can be used either fresh or dried in most recipes. There are a number of varieties of basil that have been cultivated for the home garden. You can grow a traditional sweet basil, or find a lemon-basil or purple basil to add some color to your herb garden. Basil leaves are very fragrant, and you can start to harvest leaves about six weeks after sowing. Basil is often started from seed indoors six weeks before last frost to get a jump-start on the season.

Rosemary

• Rosemary's needle-like leaves are frequently used to season meats and are commonly used in Greek dishes. Although it looks like a miniature evergreen bush, it is only hardy dry to cold temperatures around 5 degrees F. If you live in a climate where temperatures fall below this level often, you will want to bring the plant indoors for the winter. Rosemary is usually purchased as a nursery plant, but the gardener with access to fresh seed can propagate rosemary. According to University of Rhode Island Extension, rosemary is hard to germinate from packaged seed and seed two weeks old or less has the best success rate.