When to Plant Herbs

The calendar says April, but it feels like February. I’m sure most gardeners are anxious to do some spring planting. Hardy herbs can be planted this week, but wait a little longer to plant the tender herbs. Cold nights and freezing temperatures will stunt or kill the more delicate herbs.

Hardy herbs: Parsley, sage, mint, lavender, rosemary, chives,  tarragon, lemon balm, thyme, catnip, and some medicinal herbs.

Tender herbs: Calendula, basil, cilantro, dill, chervil, savory, borage. Plant these after the 21st of April.

You can start the seeds inside and plant them outside in early May. Sowing any herb seed in cold soil is tricky and often the seeds don’t sprout. Instead, the seeds will rot in cold soil or fail to germinate.

Night time temperatures should be above 45 degrees for planting any herb plant, hardy or not. If you do plant ahead of time, water the plants weekly and apply a light mulch to keep the ground around them from freezing.

Here’s the link to the Farmers Almanac for Plant Hardiness Zones:

http://www.almanac.com/content/plant-hardiness-zones

~ Meadow Walker