Herb Seeds You Can Plant And Grow In The Winter

That bed of fresh herbs you've been dreaming about doesn't have to wait until spring to get started. In fact, many of your favorite herbs are plants you should start sowing in winter to set your garden up for success. By winter-sowing herb seeds in containers outdoors, you'll get a head start on the growing season and have hardy seedlings ready to transplant into your garden beds as soon as your last frost date has passed.

Winter sowing is a "set it and forget it" method for starting seeds that involves sowing them in containers and leaving the latter outdoors to go through the freeze and thaw cycles of winter before sprouting in spring. It works best on cold-hardy perennials. It's also a great technique for herbs whose seeds need to go through a cold treatment period in order to germinate, like rosemary. There are even some tender herbs, like cilantro, that can be sown outdoors in late winter so that they're ready to harvest by summer.

If you've never tried winter sowing before, it's an easy and budget-friendly method for starting seeds without all the equipment or attention needed to grow seedlings indoors. Depending on your climate, some herbs can be planted as early as December, while others should be sown later in winter. Come spring, you'll have seedlings ready to transplant and create a thriving herb garden you can pull from all summer long.

There are lots of perennial herbs that can benefit from winter sowing, but the best candidates really depend on your hardiness zone. Look up the herbs you love to use in the kitchen. If they are hardy in your zone, you can probably winter sow them. If not, start them indoors or buy plugs in the spring.

Some good picks for winter sowing include oregano, thyme, and sage. They are cold hardy throughout most of the United States. If mint is on your wish list, winter is the perfect time to sow this flavorful kitchen ingredient, too. Depending on the species you plant, mint (Mentha spp.) is hardy down to zone 2. But be careful. Mint an aggressive grower that can take over your garden if left unchecked. Once spring arrives, transplant it to a larger container and trim it regularly to keep it under control. Some popular herbs, like rosemary and lavender, need a period of cold temperatures in order to germinate. So if you plan to start them from seeds, winter sowing is actually the best way to do it.

Cilantro is another winter-hardy kitchen herb that actually prefers cooler temperatures. For gardeners in warmer climates, sowing cool-season herbs like cilantro in January or February ensures they can grow during the spring and be ready to harvest before the summer heat arrives. Dill and German chamomile are other cool-season herbs that can benefit from being sown in winter so that they can grow in the cooler spring temperatures.

While there are a few tips and tricks for winter sowing, there aren't really any hard rules. You don't need to use a special soilless seed starting medium. You don't need expensive trays or equipment — old milk jugs should work well and protect the seeds from wind gusts. You don't even need to water the seeds until temperatures warm up. As long as you put the seeds in soil and provide a little protection from the elements (and hungry wildlife), your winter sown herb seeds should start germinating by spring.

The most important thing is to get the timing right. Some gardeners recommend sowing seeds on or around the winter solstice in December. In colder climates, that might work. In warmer climates, that might still be too early. If you sow too soon, warmer temperatures can trick seeds into germinating too soon. Any tender seedlings that do sprout will then be killed by the time true winter sets in.

The location of your containers is also important. In colder climates, set them in a sunny spot so they can enjoy a little warmth on sunny days. If your winters are milder, set them in a shady spot so they don't warm up too quickly in the sun. In either case, the spot should be somewhat protected from the wind but still exposed to any rain or snow you might get throughout these colder months. The soil in the container should be kept consistently moist through winter. So, check regularly and water gently if it hasn't rained or snowed in a while.