Growing aromatic plants from seeds
Growing aromatic plants from seeds you have gathered yourself is one of the greatest pleasures of gardening. Many herbs are easy to grow from seed such as dill, coriander, fennel, cumin, parsley and anise as well as many other plants used in aromatherapy including marigold, borage and lemon balm. I know this myself as a passionate gardener, as these are also the plants which will self-seed readily all around the garden. Most of them will also mature quickly ensuring you will always have a crop which is available to use either fresh (or dried) for inclusion in your aromatic recipes. Apart from the fact that I find it very satisfying to nurture plants from seed to maturity, it is also by far the most economical way to establish a garden, whether this is in a window box, pots or growing your plants directly in the soil.
Tips for seed collecting
Firstly, it is important to collect the seeds of each plant at the perfect stage of ripeness, usually from September onwards, although this can vary according to each species and the prevailing weather conditions. Prolonged periods of hot, dry weather will often cause flowering plants to bolt so they may produce seeds earlier in the season than normal. This means it is good to keep an eye on each species and once the plant has flowered, watch for the seed heads to turn from green to brown or black, indicating they are ripe and ready to harvest. Seed is generally set about two months after flowering and the seed heads can ripen quickly so it is important to catch them just before they open their pods and shed the seeds themselves!
It is vital to collect the seeds on a dry sunny day, because if they retain any residual moisture from rain or dew, then it is easy for them to spoil and develop mould. It is also best to cut the whole stem off with the seed heads attached and place them in a paper bag immediately. This helps to keep any small seeds from escaping but if you write the name of the plant on each paper bag beforehand, it also ensures that you know which seeds belong to which plant. Then once you have gathered all the seeds you need from a particular species, carefully lay them out on some white paper on a kitchen table or on a garden bench so you can easily extract and sort the seeds. If some pods don’t open readily when they are dry, gently crush the capsules to release their seed then clean off any surrounding material attached to them, as this could rot and lead to the seed becoming damp or diseased. Some seeds are very tiny, so it may take some patience to extract and seperate them all out!
Once the seeds are all sorted by species, lay them out to dry on some greaseproof or waxed paper on a greenhouse bench, warm windowsill or in an airing cupboard for about one week. However, too much heat can be detrimental to the drying process and prevent the seeds from germinating. The main thing is to ensure that all the seeds are spread out in a single layer so the air can get to each one and to let them dry naturally. Paper towels placed on a serving tray, can also provide a good method, so long as the seeds are spread thinly so they dry quickly, and in tbis case you need to be careful the seeds don’t stick to the paper towel. An even better way to get maximum air contact is to dry the seeds on some kind of mesh or screen as this way they dry from the bottom as well as the top. It is also good to stir the seeds quite frequently as they dry as this encourages more air contact and evens out the drying process and to break up clumps of seeds that stick together which may create rot to develop later on. After about a week or so, once you are satisfied that the seeds are thoroughly dry, place them in a small envelope or glass jar and label each one carefully. A silica sachet can be added when you seal each container to help eliminate any moisture. Finally, you need to store your seeds in a cool dry place, for example in a dark cupboard or in a fridge until required, since most seed will remain viable in this way for many years.
Tips for growing seeds into aromatic plants
Once you have your store of gathered seeds, you will need to decide where to grow your herbs and aromatic plants. In nature, the seeds simply lie on the ground from the moment they are released to wait for germination in the spring – or once the conditions are right – then emerge as self-seeded specimen. Once early spring arrives and it begins to get warm, our hand gathered seeds can be sown into pots or trays in a greenhouse or on a windowsill to germinate. If the seeds are very small, sprinkling them into trays is the most effective method. Most herbs and aromatics, especially those from the Mediterranean, require well-drained soil and in most cases, gravel or vermiculite can be added to the seed compost. It is best to always use low-nutrient soil in the beginning and move progressively up into higher nutrients as the plants mature, according to its individual needs. To keep the soil moist, a polythene bag can be placed over the pot or tray to stop the emerging seedlings from drying out. Then at a certain point, you will need to thin the seedlings out to allow the remaining plants to grow robust and healthy. Once they plants can be handled individually, it is time to gently transfer them into small pots. Still later, they can be transplanted into larger containers or out into the ground. Some small herbs, such as coriander or parsley, can simply be left to grow on in their pots and more seeds can also be re-sown at intervals to ensure a continuation of the crop.