Everything but the rosemary probably needs a cold stratification period in order to germinate, unless they come pre-chilled. You can put them in a baggy and place it in the veggie compartment of your fridge for about a month.

I've also heard lavendar was a difficult plant to germinate and that it can take weeks, if not months.

I think it may take awhile to get Rosemary to germinate as well. Actually, it is almost as cheap to buy herbs at Home Depot or Lowe's. They usually carry all of the herbs you mention for around $1-2/pot. Rosemary may be a big higher. But, they usually have several selections of lavendar.

Susan

Well, lavendar was a slow germinator for me (probably took it about a month), and once it germinated, it grew very slowly. But, it did germinate and grow. I've never grown Rosemary from seed, but lemon balm and thyme are easy.

Oh, and the lavendar I grew was a Spanish one and not an English one, but I don't know if that really matters.

Dawn

They really have to be put in the fridge? That's odd. Seems like that would kill them. Is this step meant to replicate what the seeds go through when winter comes?

I was planning to put the seeds in an egg carton with a little seed-starter soil and a little bit of compost and just spray them with water every few days. Now it's sounding more complicated than that.

Well, once again it looks like I've gotten myself in over my head. I just one one or two plants of each kind to grow. I'm not trying to grow a field of the stuff.

Incidentally, I'm planning to transplant the seedlings into pots until they're ready to go in the ground. I have a bed in my backyard with some holly bushes where I plan to put them (when they're ready, that is). How long from the time they sprout do you think they'll need to be ready to transplant?

Jeff,

It does seem odd, but it is exactly meant to replicate what the seeds go through when winter comes.

Some seeds you purchase have been kept in cold storage (to increase the seed longevity in the distribution cycle) by the seed wholesalers and retailers. Some haven't. Not many seed companies tell the consumer if the seeds need cold stratification or if they were already stratified by someone in the supply chain.

If I purchase seed of a variety that I know usually needs stratification, I just stick it in the fridge for 3 or 4 weeks. If you are in a hurry, you can do the baggie germination method I linked below. Sometimes you can get faster germination with this. Sometimes not.

In the past I have germinated many kinds of seeds in baggies on the kitchen table. If a seed requires cold stratification, you can try the baggie method in the refrigerator. Sometimes they won't germinate in the fridge in the baggie. I leave them in there the same 3 or 4 weeks I would to stratify them in their seed packets and often they will germinate the first week after they are removed from the fridge and set on a shelf or counter. To them, being in cold coffee filters in the fridge mimics being in the cold ground in the winter time. When you take them out of the fridge and they warm up, it is spring time for them and they sprout!

I don't usually transplants new plants into the ground until they are six inches or taller and have been properly hardened off so that they can handle the sun and wind.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Seed starting in baggies

Thanks for the baggy tip. I had read about it, but I had my doubts as to whether it was the right way to go. If I do it this way, I figure I can get a few seedlings growing as unobtrusively as possible. The last thing I want is to have a bunch of pots lying around the house to increase my wife's stress level -- she's a bit of a neat freak.

So I'll start them in baggies before moving them to small pots. I've only potted transplants before, so I don't know if there's any harm in putting a small plant into a pot it can "grow into." Will putting a little plant in a relatively large pot do any harm?

Also, what's the best potting method for little plants? Is there a special accommodation they require in the pot? I was thinking of just putting some storebought potting soil (or maybe seed-starting soil) into terra cotta pots, maybe with some added compost for fertilizer. Should that do the trick, or is there a better approach?

I can't thank you enough for the advice. I bought the seeds without much thought as to what I was going to do with them, but I wanted to start up another garden project while my plants in the ground recover from the cold snap.

PS: Everything's looking pretty nice in the garden. The tomatoes appear to be soldiering on, and even the pepper plant is showing some signs of new life. The herbs are spreading nicely, especially the chamomile plant, which is looking nice and bushy. I expect the oregano and sage will be ready to prune and use as herbs before too long.

When I move the tiny sprouts from the coffee filter/baggie, I generally use a tweezer to handle the tiny plants and I put them in 3 oz. paper Dixie cups set in a seed starting tray. You could move them to the cells in an egg carton, if you punch drainage holes in the individual carton cells and use the carton lid as your saucer underneath.

In general, the smaller the tiny seedling, the smaller the container. For herbs, I'd go with the tiny paper cups or egg cartons. For larger seeds, like zinnias or sunflowers, I use larger cups. It seems to me that tiny seedlings in big pots often have damping off problems. Maybe someone else has had a different experience.

Use any good potting soil. You can use the seed starting mix if you like, but it seems like it dries out pretty quickly. I wouldn't use a potting soil with fertilizer added until the seedling is several inches tall.

I'm delighted to hear that everything is the garden is looking pretty nice. Chamomile just loves the spring weather. Sounds like you and your garden have come through the icky weather just fine. :)

I winter sow most of my perennials and hardy annuals, and that gives them the requisite stratification they need. I also use potting soil instead of seed starting mix - I can't tell than one or the either is any better than the other one.

A suggestion if you suspect your plants might be succombing to damping-off is using a weak chamomile tea (funny you mentioned chamomile, Dawn) to water your seedlings. Something in it that halts the fungus.

Susan

Susan,

I have heard the chamomile tea tip, but have never tried it.

I wonder what in the chamomile stops the fungus? You have to catch damping off really early to stop it. Usually by the time I notice it, it is too late. That's what I get for starting so many plants that I can't keep track of them all.

Dawn