Herb Seed Planting

Seed Selection

• Choosing which herbs to grow is important when planning a successful garden. Evaluate your growing conditions -- indoor or outdoor, dry or moist environment, warm or cool weather, full sun or partial sunlight. Research different herbs to determine which ones are best suited to the growing conditions you are able to provide. Finally, purchase fresh seeds from a reliable dealer, or select fresh seeds from already established herb plants to use in your garden.

Start the Seeds

• Regardless of the type of growing conditions you have, start your herb seeds indoors and transplant them to other pots or garden spots later on. Fill seed starter pots or trays with high-quality seed starting mix. Sprinkle a few herb seeds into each pot or section of the tray. Always put only one type of seed into each pot or tray section to avoid confusion of mixed plants as they grow. Use plant labels with the names of the individual herbs written on them to mark the type of plant. Water the seeds daily and give them plenty of light and warmth (a sunny window is perfect) to encourage growth.

Prepare Your Garden

• If planting outdoors, prepare the soil by tilling and removing weeds. Work a natural fertilizer such as compost or peat moss into the soil to improve drainage. If drainage is a problem, build raised beds to plant herbs. Drainage tiles, or underground pipe systems that carry away excess water, may also be installed to move water away from your garden. Dig small holes in the soil and transplant your herbs into the holes after danger of frost has passed. Fill the space in the holes with garden soil.

Container Herbs

• Container herb gardening simply requires selecting pots suitable to the size of the herbs at maturity. Fill the pots with high-quality potting mix and transplant the herbs into the pots. Wherever you plant your herbs, be careful of the plant roots when transplanting -- treat roots with care to avoid damaging them.

Weeds

• Water your herbs daily, or every other day, according to the needs of the individual plant. Remove herbs by hand or use herbicides if weeds become a problem. Remember, some herbicides are selective, only killing weeds, while others also kill your herbs. Read herbicide labels carefully and choose the one that is right for your garden.

Pests

• Pests are an issue in every garden, so take measures to prevent and eliminate pests as needed by using traps, insecticides or removing pests (such as insects) by hand when able. When harvesting herbs, only take up to one-third of the plant at a time. Avoiding over-harvesting keeps the plant healthy and keeps a fresh supply of herbs.