Can't go wrong with these 4 herbs
Question: I'm interested in growing some herbs for the first time this year. I'd like to grow chives, cilantro, dill and basil. Can I start them from seeds or do I have to buy the plants? If I can grow them from seed, is there a special method of doing this or can I just plant the seeds into the garden?
Answer: How wonderful that you plan to grow your own herbs! You'll be amazed at how much money you can save by growing them yourself instead of buying bunches at the grocery store. Plus, when you grow your own, you'll always have a fresh handful of leaves to toss into dishes.
Fortunately, each of the herbs you mention are easy to grow and prolific. But unfortunately, they each require a different method when growing them from seed. I'll go over how to start seeds of each of the four herbs you mention in turn.
Chives: Chives are one of the easiest herbs to start from seed, but it's best to get started indoors, under grow lights, rather than by planting the seeds outdoors. Chives take a long time to reach maturity, about 90 days, so starting the seeds as early as possible will allow you to be able to make your first harvest later in the same year you plant the seeds. Start seeds under fluorescent shop lights in early to mid-March, keeping the lights about 2 inches above the plant tops. Use a good seed-starting potting soil and follow the planting instructions found on the seed packet. Chives are perennials, so if you start the plants right, you'll be able to harvest from them for years to come.
Cilantro: Cilantro (also called coriander when the plants go to seed) is a cool-weather-loving herb that's super easy to grow, if you time your planting right. Cilantro is among the first seeds to be planted in my garden every year. I sow cilantro seeds the last week in March because this herb turns bitter and goes to flower as soon as the warm weather of summer arrives. The trick is to give it plenty of time to mature before summer strikes. I plant more seeds again in the late summer for a fall harvest. Seeds of cilantro can planted directly into the garden, with very little effort. Plant them about 1⁄4 inch deep and you'll be picking baby cilantro leaves in as little as 40 days.
Dill: Dill is another easy-to-grow herb, and starting it from seed is a piece of cake. You can grow this herb by either sowing the seeds indoors under grow lights as described above for chives, or by planting the seeds directly in the garden. But, if you sow the seeds outdoors, I suggest waiting until the danger of frost has passed. Young dill plants are sensitive to frosts and may be damaged if the seeds sprout too early. Outdoor dill-panting time is usually around mid-May here in Pennsylvania. Sometimes I plant seeds both ways. The ones I start indoors under grow lights are ready to harvest and begin to flower several weeks in advance of the ones I sow directly into the garden. This prolongs the harvest of both the edible leaves and the beautiful, pollinator-friendly flowers.
Basil: To start a good crop of basil from seed here in Pennsylvania, I definitely recommend starting the seeds indoors under grow lights, instead of sowing them directly into the garden. Basil is extremely sensitive to frost, and the plants should not be moved outdoors until mid- to late May when there is no more threat of frost. I start basil seeds indoors in early April, so they're about 6 weeks old when it's time to move them out into the garden. You can also sow basil seeds directly into the garden, but the plants won't be mature and ready to harvest until much later in the season. As with dill, you can extend your harvest season by starting some of your basil seeds indoors under grow lights for early production and then also sowing some seeds outdoors for late summer and fall harvests.
Horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosts “The Organic Gardeners” at 7 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio with Doug Oster. She is the author of several gardening books, including “Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden,” “Good Bug, Bad Bug,” and her newest title, “Container Gardening Complete.” Her website is jessicawalliser.com. Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 622 Cabin Hill Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601.
