Seeding Directly in Pots

If you have larger seeds such as nasturtium, then you can plant a few directly into a pot.



Because these seeds are a larger size they can be pushed a little deeper into the sowing mix.



More vermiculite will be needed to cover this size of seed.



Here are examples of direct seeded pots: nasturtium (upper left), coriander, and dill (lower right).



All three were seeded directly into pots like the nasturtium.

Seeding in PotMaker Paper Pots

Another great way of seeding is directly into pots made from strips of newspaper. All you need to make a pot is newspaper cut to three an a half inches by ten inches and, of course, the PotMaker tool.



It's very easy and it really works!



Fill the paper pot with germination mix, seed as you normally would, cover with vermiculite, and keep moist.



The newspaper will begin to disintegrate after about 2 months. The example on the left was seeded about 6 weeks before this seminar and the paper is just beginning to disintegrate. On the right is a newly seeded thyme pot.



This is a particularly great method of seeding plants that are difficult to transplant to the garden. Dill and parsley are two examples that immediately come to mind as plants that do not like to be transplanted. Both have tap roots that are sensitive to disturbances in the root zone. There is virtually no shock to the root system when the plant goes into the garden. The roots gorw through the paper.



The PotMaker is a wonderful environmentally friendly way to use up your old newspapers.

Hard to Germinate Seeds

Some seeds may be difficult to germinate because they have a very hard seed coat. Water cannot get into the seed and the embryo cannot break out of the seed. Scarification or scratching may be necessary to weaken or puncture the seed coat. This homemade grinder is one way we are able to scarify a fairly large amount of seed.



The bottom surface of the grinder is covered with sandpaper as is the upper disk with the handle.



With seeds placed between the two layers of sandpaper, the seed coats are scratched enough to allow water to diffuse in and allow the embryo to develop normally. It is important not to grind too much otherwise the living embryo inside will be damaged.
Some seeds require other treatments to break dormancy. Many of these require a cold treatment to wake them up. Often a drastic change from cold to warm is enough to get the seeds going. Seed the box, pot, or flat as you normally would, water it, enclose in a plastic bag, and then place in the fridge. I usually leave the seed box in the fridge for 4 to 8 weeks, and then take it out and put it somewhere warm.



Sometimes you have to keep alternating the cold-warm treatment until germination begins. For example, siberian ginseng needs at least two cycles of cold-warm treatment before it will germinate.

Sometimes it is best just to put the seed flat outside covered with a mulch for the winter. Sweet cicely is a good example.

Transplanting Seedlings

When you have nice, healthy seedlings transplanting into plug or cell packs is easy. Take the small end of a dibbler (or use a pencil instead) to carefully "dig out" a small clump of seedlings from the flat.



These lavender seedlings have a very nicely developed root system.



But as nice as these roots are, they need to be pinched back a bit. This will help the roots to grow straight and strong as the seedling develops in the cell pack.



Start with flats with cell packs or pots filled with a light-weight sterilized growing mix. If you water before planting, and aloow to stand 5 minutes, the soil will wet enough to plant into. If you start with dry soil, it will be harder to water transplants later. The small end of the dibbler is used to make a hole in the soil.



After the seedling is placed in the hole, the dibbler is used to gently but securely press the seedling into place. The seedling should end up at the same depth as it was before you dug it out of the seed box. It is important that the seedlings are not planted too deeply or they will rot, and not too shallow or they will not be anchored enough in the soil and will fall over more easily.



After transplanting your seedlings, try what we call the "tug test". Gently pull on one or two leaves of each seedling. If any come out of the soil easily then you didn't press the soil around the seedling enough. Replant any that do come out, this time making sure to firm the soil around the roots.



After transplanting, water with a fine misting nozzle or a gentle spray. The seedlings are watered enough when the soil surface glistens with water. If any seedlings fall over, use the dibbler to "flick" them back up.

Common Postgermination Problems

One of the most serious and disheartening problems that people experience after seeds germinate is "damping off". This is a fungus disease that attacks the seedling stems, cutting off water and nutrient uptake. Seedlings can topple over virtually over night. The middle row of seedlings in this seed box has almost completely died out.



This seed box is almost empty. The original germination was excellent but the fungus killed most of the seedlings.



The two feverfew seedlings are the left are extremely constricted by the fungus. The seedling on the right is a normal seedling with a white fleshy stem.



However, if treated, seedlings needn't end up like the second seed box of feverfew. Chamomile tea applied as a spray is a very effective method of controlling this disease.



Make the hot tea just as you would for drinking (1 tsp. of dried flowers per cup of water). Put the cooled, strained tea into an clean spray bottle. Spray the seedlings and soil every day as necessary. Don't keep the tea longer than 7 days as it turns rancid. This is a very effective and safe way of dealing with damping off.

Here is an example of a seed box that was seeded too thickly. You can see the stems are too thin and weak, and are growing too tall. They will be difficult to separate and transplant. Overcorwding of seedlings is an open invitation for damping off.



A lot of people complain that their seedlings are spindly and weak looking, and they want to know why. Lack of light is probably the most common reason: the seedlings are stretching and reaching toward what little light they have. Here is an example of seedlings not getting enough light: you can see they are not growing straight up -- they are growing toward the light at the side. This flat of solomon's seal was kept under a bench where there is very little light. The solution is to move the seedlings to sunnier location or provide artificial light. There are many different grow lights available.

Conclusion

Successful seeding is not a mystical art but a skill you can easily master with experience. No, you may not be successful the first time, but with patience and a little bit of luck, you will be able to raise your own herbs from seeds.

Recommended Books

Due to time restraints within the seminar setting, the books listed below are highly recommended to provide the reader with more in-depth coverage of seed related issues. Seeding your own plants can be both extremely frustrating and fascinating for those who seek the key to successful germination. It is most gratifying knowing many of the herbs and flowers gracing your garden and home were begun from tiny perfect (and not so perfect) seeds.

HAPPY READING, AND SEEDING!

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A Creative Step By Step Guide to Growing Herbs
by Yvonne Rees et al.

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Growing Herbs from Seed, Cutting and Root
by Thomas DeBaggio.

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Sowing Seed and So On
by Yvette van Wijk.