Look at these herb babies

I believe there is truth to the old adage that, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." As an avid cook, I have dreamed for many years of having my own indoor herb garden. I’m proud to report, that after several attempts over the years to plant herbs indoors from seed, and my second seed planting this year (see my first post), that my indoor herb garden is coming along extremely well. I feel like a proud mama! So what did I do differently?

Pay attention!
First of all, I think the peat pellets helped. I discovered that this seed medium retains water very well. In the past, I planted seeds in small containers. I am not sure what soil I used. They would sprout, but then die. I admit my guilt in not paying enough attention to the seedlings. I would forget to spritz them as they sprouted and they’d dry up. The peat pellets, on the other hand, took away the need to constantly add moisture. The pellets stayed damp for several weeks. In fact, it’s recommended not to spritz them, as mold may develop.

Next, I planted the herb seedlings in large containers before they outgrew the peat pellets. The planting involved ensuring the pots had holes for drainage, adding a layer of gravel and using proper potting soil. Finally, a sunny window and consistent watering helped them to survive. And voila! At last herbs to use in cooking whenever I need them. Now I just need to make them last during the winter months.

Hope this helps those of you who also want in indoor herb garden.

Planting seeds indoors

Finally, Spring! After this terribly long Canadian winter, I am itching to be in my garden. But, alas, the ground is still frozen, hard as a rock.

Twice before I’ve tried to start plants from seed indoors. I used small pots filled with potting mix. And twice it has been a let down – the plants died soon after sprouting! Not sure if it’s because I overwatered or did not water enough, or if there was not enough sun. Nevertheless, as I am impatient to plant something, I’ve decided to try again.

This time I am using peat pellets. They are little hard disks of peat moss, wrapped in webbing, that when saturated, expand to about 1 – ½”. The brand I used instructed that one is to put water in the bottom tray, then place the pellet tray on top of the bottom tray, and add 3 seeds to each pellet.

Some of the seeds I used were so miniscule, that I had to put more than three seeds. The instructions also did not advise to separate the webbing on top. This did not seem right to me, so I did some investigating on YouTube and found the below video tutorial. Wish I’d seen it beforehand! Perhaps you'll find it usefull if you decide to start your seeds indoors.

What I do like about the peat pellets is that they stay moist, so you don't need to be constantly be spritzing them with water. I should mention I also read that when using peat pellets, you should not spritz them as it may create fungus (ewwww). I also did that when I first planted, but so far, they are fungus free.

The seeds have now sprouted, but I’m not sure if they are ready for the sun, yet.


Got any tips for growing seeds indoors? Post your comment to this blog.