How to Get the Most From Herb Seeds

Most herb gardens – whether you buy a kit or decide to make them from scratch yourself - require you to grow herb seeds to start the whole process off. These are available in small packets from your local garden store, and sometimes other stores as well. They are very cheap to buy and you can often get a few packets of herb seeds for a cheaper price than you would if you bought them individually.

But once you have bought them you will need to plant your herb seeds to get the plants themselves to grow. And, this is where the beginner needs to make sure they follow the correct process to get the best results.

Make Sure You Read the Instructions

This might sound obvious but it is just as important when planting herb seeds as it is when you are planting bulbs or flowers. Every herb generally requires a slightly different approach, and different planting times are often necessary to get the best results. For example, basil grows best when you sow it in early spring – around March time – while mint fares better if you plant it slightly later.

This is why you need to plant your herb seeds according to a schedule, planting each one out at a separate time and making sure you allow room for the ones you will need to plant at a later date. Some herbs can be grown both indoors and outdoors, while others fare much better being grown indoors only as they are not as hardy. But if you don’t find this out before you start planting your herb seeds you may think you just aren’t that good at growing them, when in actual fact it could be the weather that is to blame!

Indoors or Outdoors?

Because herb gardens work equally well indoors and outdoors, it is generally assumed that the growing conditions for each location are exactly the same, but this is not true. Some herb seeds fare much better when you start growing them indoors, since the conditions are much better. They can still be grown outdoors but it may take longer for you to see any real growth.

That’s why you need to read the packet carefully to make sure you plant them in the right place at the right time, so you won’t be disappointed at the results. If you plant your herb seeds with due care and attention, you will be delighted at the results.

Why to Use Organic Herb Seeds

Most experts agree that organic herb gardening, with natural fertilizers, natural weed removal methods, and organic herb seeds, is preferable to non-organic gardening.
Genetically modified seeds are the opposite of organic herb seeds. When something has been genetically modified, the very nature of its being has been altered.

Some seed modifications seem to make sense, like making a plant less susceptible to disease or infestation. However, long-term effects of these genetically modified seeds are unknown, while organic herb seeds are known to be healthy. Furthermore, using genetically modified seeds reduces the variety of foods available as we lose the old heirloom seed varieties of yesteryear.

Corporations have been very successful in securing legislation that exempts genetically modified seeds from certain healthy food regulations. Without regulation, how can we trust the food producers to harvest, ship, and sell their foods with proper labels so consumers can choose healthy, organic product. Fortunately, several organic herb seed sellers offer their products over the Internet, making it easy to purchase organic herb seeds online.

Park Seed

Park Seed has offered organic seeds for generations. Park sells organic arugula, basil cinnamon, catnip, chives, and dill. Park's organic herb collection is a best seller, including basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley, chives, thyme, and dill. Other organic herb seeds available for purchase at Park Seed include cilantro, safe, English thyme, and Italian flat leaf parsley. All of Park Seed's herb seeds are certified organic by the Clemson University under the USDA organic labeling program.

Seeds Of Change

Seeds of Change offers 100% organic products such as sauces, soups, and cereal bars. All their herbs are harvested from plants grown only from organic herb seeds. Mumms sells seeds made especially for sprouting, meant to be eaten as sprouts. It is essential that these sprout seeds be organic herb seeds, because sprouts are so potent an herb.

Eat Organic

Organic food is healthier than non-organic. A four-year study, called the biggest study ever about organic food, established that organic vegetables and fruits contained as much as 40% more antioxidants than non-organic food. The study found further that a certain variety of organic tomatoes from Greece had significantly greater levels of antioxidants that are attributed with reducing coronary heart disease.

To sum up, when shopping for organic herb seeds or vegetable seeds for your garden, look for the certified organic seal. Rest assured that you are doing the right thing by growing antioxidant-rich herbs that have been grown from seeds you can trust.