Preparing Your Seeds
All plants grow from seeds. These seeds, though tiny, carry in themselves everything a plant needs to jump start their life cycle. When a seed is planted, it goes through the germination process. What happens in the germination process is that the seed begins absorbing the moisture in the soil. The seed needs this moisture, and that is why we water our seeds after planting them into a pot or the ground.
As the seed absorbs the water, it swells and its exterior coating begins to break. Inside the seed, the nutrients and enzymes begin to break down and provide the plant with the energy it needs to begin sprouting. Eventually, the plant sprouts push their way up to the surface of the soil and start growing leaves.
On the surface, the plant grows taller and sprouts more leaves, while underneath the soil; the roots of the plant begin growing as well. Seeds continue to absorb water and provide the seedling with food until there are enough leaves for the plant to rely on the process of photosynthesis to provide it with energy. The process of germination actually doesn't end until the plant is relying on photosynthesis and is rather well rooted.
Each plant has a different germination period. Most herbs take about two to three weeks. Some take a month, while others can take several months. Those that take several months usually need to be planted in the ground during the last few days of summer, and be allowed to germinate throughout the winter. By the time spring arrives, they will begin sprouting. If you are afraid that the ground becomes too cold during your winter, you can begin planting your herbs indoors during autumn, and take care of the plant from there.
Keep an herb's germination period in mind when you begin planting. If you will be planting herbs from seeds, take note of the label on the back which often tells you how long it will take for the plant to germinate. This will let you know when you should begin planting.
Once you've figured out when you should plant your seeds, soak them for a few hours or overnight. To do this, place the seeds in some shallow water before going to bed, and remove them from the water in the morning when you wake. Unless the packet tells you not to, this is a good practice for most herb seeds.
Seeds are usually dried when they are stored for the winter. They will need that extra boost of water in order to begin their germination process. Remember that the first part of the process is water absorption. When the night has passed, you can now plant your seeds into its containers or into the ground.
