Starting Your Herb Garden – Part 2

Watering of a new planting system can be hard.  This is why I recommend a self watering system.  The soil does not dry out nor does it get too moist.  The moisture stays just right for the seeds to germinate.

Some people put the seed trays on heat pads to keep the soil warm. This is not necessary for germination.  You should cover the trays with some sort of lid.  Many of the trays come with lids.  If your tray does not have one you can make one out of plastic wrap. Just make sure to remove the plastic once the plants start appearing.

It can take up to two weeks for some of the herb seeds to start germinating.  When they do you will see the little sprouts everywhere. Do not try to thin them at this point.  You should, however remove the plastic.  One tip you may want to take advantage of is this.  The plants were in a warm place while the lid or plastic was on.  You may want to remove the lid for a few hours each day for a couple of day to allow the young plants to acclimate.

This will allow the seedlings to get used to the colder air of the house.  It will also keep in some of the extra moisture needed by the plants as they grow.

There is no need to fertilize the young plants at this point.   That will come soon enough.  You will want the plants to get stronger and a little bigger.  When the first true leaves have formed, not as they are forming but when they have formed, you can start to weed out the excess plants.  Thin the plants to about two inches or more apart.  You must remember that natural herbs are actually weeds.  The strongest will survive.