Growing Herbs from Seed - Is it worth it?

BargainHunterCat

Kay_Peel wrote: »

I was interested to see that Bargain Hunter Cat rescues those sad, floppy specimens sold in supermarkets.

Any tips? How do you do it and what TLC do you give them?

KP

Literally all I did was remove them from that horrid cellophane, repot them into larger pots and put them out in the garden in a nice sheltered spot. I watered them every day when it didn't rain ( herbs dry out very quickly in pots if you're not careful), weeded the pots, removed the dead stalks and they grew like mad!
They start off all droopy looking sorry for themselves but then they perk up and the shoots grow stronger. I didn't lose a single one of them even the poor little one I bought for 10p in Asda because it was nearly past it's sell by date!
Now that's moneysaving!:D

Leopardlady

I have just ordered some organic basil seeds from a shop on e-bay: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Mikes-Plants
I ordered them on Friday and got the seeds today, with some sweetpea seeds free. Not bad for 99p!

It is my first foray into growing herbs from seed, i have been growing veg in pots for a couple of years, this is my first year with my own garden and am busy sorting it out to grow as much as possible! good luck

jennifernil

If you want to be successful with herbs (or indeed any plants) you need to treat them sensibly. When they are inside on the windowsill they are cosy and protected, you cannot just go and plant them outside at this time of year, you need to harden them off.

If they are wilting inside it is probably because they are too warm and needing more water than the roots can take up. But it can also be that it was cold overnight and they got a chill. So at night you should take them off the sill.

Hardening off means gradually getting them used to outside conditions. For hardy herbs like parsley this can start in spring. For half hardy ones you need to wait a bit longer. Start by putting them outside in a sheltered spot when it is sunny, taking them in at night. Then as it gets warmer you can leave them out all the time, but cover with fleece if it is frosty. Half hardy herbs cannot stand frost so do not put them out permanently until May if you are in the south, or June if further north.

As I grow a lot of plants I have a system I follow. I start them inside, I grow everything in cells, 50 to a tray, once they germinate they go to a heated greenhouse. Once they are moved to 3" pots they go to an unheated greenhouse for a few weeks, then outside on benches with fleece handy to cover them if the temperature plummets.

Most herbs will do well in a window box, but I would start them off inside in cells or small pots for an earlier crop. I would not mix Basil with the hardy herbs, it is too tender. In the north we can never have it outside unless there is a heatwave, in the south you can in summer, but give it its own pot so you can take it in if there is a cold snap.

roses

I am trying to do this at the moment and it is bloody difficult!

I have seeds growing in a pot on the window sill (basil, oregano, coriander, thyme & some others). They germinate after about 10 days but wilt once they reach about 1 inch high! I am now on my 3rd attempt at growing them. I stuck the second lot outside as I thought maybe my house was too hot & causing them to wilt but they died after a few days outside in my plastic greenhouse!