Starting herbs from seeds is easy, fun and can allow you to grow medicinal plants you might not ordinarily find in your local plant nursery. To grow plants from seed, all you need are a few simple items: a sterile growing material, a few containers, plastic wrap or plastic covers to maintain moisture, light, seeds and a warm place to grow your seedlings.
Plastic pots or containers which retain moisture are preferable to clay pots when starting seeds. Choose a container wide enough to prevent overcrowding of seedlings. Plants that dislike transplanting are best sown into small, individual containers like cell packs or plug trays. There is no need to buy fancy containers. Recycled plastic containers, like empty food containers, are just fine. Remember to poke holes in the bottom for drainage. No matter what type of container you use, it must be clean and free of disease and molds. To sanitize a container, soak in 10%bleach solution for 10 minutes, rinse and let it air dry.
Sowing SeedsCommercial seed-starting mixes are usually composed of vermiculite and peat. They offer a weed-free sterile medium in which to start your seeds. Fill your containers three quarters full with the seed-starting mix. Water well and allow for proper drainage. Next, spread your seeds thinly over the top of the growing mix. Follow seed package directions for the correct spacing and planting depth. Very small seeds and seeds that require light to germinate should lie directly on the surface. Each seed must be in firm contact with the moist surface to begin germinating. Use the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass to gently tamp down the seed into the growing mix.. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of fine vermiculite. Vermiculite can be found in garden supply stores. It is a soilless material which allows light to penetrate yet keeps the growing medium moist enough to encourage seed germination. If your seeds require darkness for germination, place the growing tray in dark plastic bags until seeds sprout. Water your seeds with a spray mister, to prevent them from being flooded or washed out of place. Cover with a clear plastic to retain moisture, making sure the cover is at least 1-2 inches above the plants.
Warmth
Most seeds germinate more quickly in warmer soil than cool soil. A sunny window may be warm during the day, but grow cold at night. If you set your seed flats on "grow mats" you can maintain an even bottom heat of 70ºF. Setting your seed trays on top of a refrigerator will also provide enough warmth to speed germination. Once seeds sprout, move the trays to a bright growing area.
Light 
If you're starting only a few plants and have roomy window sills, a south-facing window may be all the growing space you need. But it's often easier to grow seedlings under lights where you can insure the proper amount of light needed. Grow lights are designed to provide light in the specific ranges required by plants, but you may also use standard fluorescent shop lights. Keep lights no more than 4" above the tops of your seedlings as they grow; lack of light is the major cause of elongated, skinny stems. Most plants need 12-16 hours of light daily. Using a timer may help you regulate the amount of light used. Don't leave lights on continuously. Plants need some dark period each night to develop properly.
Fertilizing
Seedlings draw energy for germination from food stored in the seed. They don't need fertilizer until they have several sets of true leaves. Seedlings grown in a soil-less mix need a weak fertilizer such as fish emulsion fertilizer mixed 1/4 strength. Fertilize only once a week. Water as needed the rest of the week with plain water. Drain excess water that accumulates in the tray, to prevent root rot.
Transplanting
Transplant seedlings that outgrow the cell packs into larger containers. Larger peat pots or clean plastic pots with holes in their bottoms are excellent. Lift seedlings by a leaf and support the rootball from below with a spoon when transplanting. Don't pull or hold the seedling by its stem, as you damage the new plant.
Moving OutdoorsA week or two before planting outdoors, start hardening off seedlings. An easy way to harden plants off is to place them in a coldframe and adjust the lid of the coldframe every few days. If you don't have a coldframe, find a sheltered spot where you can put the trays of plants. Once hardened off, seedlings can be set out in the garden. Transplant you seeds in late afternoon or early evening, when the sun has passed its peak. Starting seeds isn't difficult. You will be rewarded with young starter plants that will flower or produce earlier in the garden.
Easy to Grow Herbs
Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia or Purpurea)
Perennial. Sow seeds in very early spring or fall. Prefers full sun, with well drained, limey soil and regular watering. Used for its immune enhancing properties.
Elecampane (Inula helenium)
Perennial. Sow seed in early spring or sow directly in garden in mid-spring. Light-dependent germinator. Grows in full sun or partial shade. Cough and lung remedy, bitter and antiseptic. Elecampane is used for bronchial infections.
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
Perennial. Seed is easy to germinate. Prefers full sun. This mildly anti-viral and expectorant herb used to treat the common cold. May be propagated by seeds, sown in early spring, or by dividing the plants in spring and autumn. Thrives in normal garden soil and minimal water. Established plants can easily be divided and replanted. Plant 1.5 feet apart.
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
Perennial. Start in flats indoors, transplant out in spring or late summer. Harvest in early flower, at least twice a season. Used as a emmenagogue and a cardiac tonic.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
Perennial. Seed is easy to germinate, and will grow prolifically. Prefers full sun to part shade. Thrives best in a fairly warm, preferably moist climate, and in deep soils rich in humus. Mature plants can be easily divided and transplanted to 1 1/2 ft. apart. Used as a carminative to aid in digestion.
The Herbal Bear 2009 Botanical Medicine Program
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