There are three good reasons for sowing herb seeds in the late fall. First and foremost, strictly fresh seed can be obtained from special sources since, by then, the “Seed harvest has been completed.
The advantage of obtaining fresh seed cannot be overemphasized because it gives such a high percentage of germination that success is positively assured.
Indeed, most failures with certain herb seeds are due to no other fact than that the seed was not fresh. The second good reason for fall sowing is the saving of time and labor.
Seed-Sowing Operations
Fall-sown seeds will germinate at the first possible opportunity in spring— considerably earlier than you’ll be able to get them to grow if you wait for spring weather to start your seed-sowing operations.
With considerably less effort than if you have to prepare a cold frame, transplant the seedlings, and so on.
The saving of time is especially valuable in the North, where the longest possible growing season is desirable for some of the annual herbs.
The third advantage of fall sowing is that sturdier plants will result. Early spring showers are highly beneficial to the first growth of the herbs, and the seedlings will thus get a head start on the weeds.
Fall Sowing Procedures
Then, too, the freezing and thawing of winter will have made the soil friable so that cultivation can be properly done with a minimum of work for the part-time herb grower.
The professional grower of herbs follows this fall sowing procedure not only because he has been advised of its advantages but also because he understands the underlying principles.
The cold, dark earth provides perfect preservation and moisture conditions for herb seeds.
Some have a hard outer shell, which requires considerable moisture before it becomes soft enough to permit sprouting.
Germination of Seeds
Even some small seeds, such as those of ambrosia and wormwood, have this hard coating, so spring sowing is sometimes a total failure with these varieties.
The seeds must be fresh to expect germination from lavender, lovage, and angelica. Even a few months’ sow delays may result in no plants or, at the most, very few weaklings. Sweet cicely seeds must be frozen, or there will be no plant.
If parsley is raised in the vegetable garden, a good hint is to sow it in the fall also, as it will have time to make “the nine trips to the devil and back again,” as the old saying goes to explain the difficulty of germination.
Indian Summer
After the early frosts have finished the annual plants, it is time to clean up the garden. Then, the area in which the next season’s herbs are to grow may be dug and left in a rough state for the time being.
During the usual, last warm spell of Indian summer, the soil can be raked smooth, but do not sow seed until just before cold weather sets in.
Sow the seeds directly in the open ground, making the drills slightly deeper than you would in spring, and tamp firmly so they will not wash out. No mulch or other protection is needed.
Herb Garden Chervil
In the early spring, when you are just starting operations in the rest of the garden, you may be delighted to see that chervil, coriander and borage have already shown up in the herb garden.
Soon, they will be as sturdy seedlings as if they were self-sown but in orderly, thick, vigorous rows. A late or wet spring, too, holds no disappointment for the fall herb planter.
Taking the line of least resistance does not usually pay, but in the case of autumn-sown herb seeds, the quickest and easiest way has the inside track and makes for the greatest possible success.
44659 by Eleanor Foster Chalfin