Where would we be without herbs? No basil with your tomato, no mint with your lamb, and no carrot and coriander soup, that’s for sure! Herbs are a fantastic way to bring your cooking to life. You can even make tea out of some of them (fresh mint tea anyone?). Growing them at home reduces your ‘food miles’, plus you get to have freshness and tastiness at your fingertips. To find out how to propagate herbs, read on!
How to Propagate:
Basil
- Sow seeds of basil indoors. A sunny windowsill or greenhouse is perfect.
- If sowing after May, you can sow directly into garden soil.
- Once germinated, sow more to ensure a continual supply.
Bay
- Take semi-ripe cuttings. This should be done in late summer or early autumn.
- You can also mound layer (see below).
Caraway
- Sow seeds in either spring or early autumn.
- Sow them into modules, or pots.
- If sowing directly into the ground, sow in drills and thin seedlings to 20cm.
Chives
- In spring, sow the seeds in a propagator with a bottom heat of 18°C.
- Sow 10-15 seeds per 3cm module.
- In spring or autumn you can divide the bulb clumps.
Coriander
- You can sow coriander directly into the ground in late spring.
- Sow more to keep the supply constant, and do so as soon as the seeds have germinated.
- However, sometimes coriander will self sow and may appear the next year.
Dill
- Sow seeds outside in spring.
- Thin the seedlings to 20cm apart.
- To ensure a regular supply, sow seeds every three weeks.
Marjoram
- During the summer take softwood cuttings.
- Divide in the spring.
- Also during spring, sow seeds thinly. This should be done on the surface of the compost.
Mint
- In the summer take softwood cuttings.
- In the spring take rhizome cuttings. Then plant the runners 5cm deep and 15-22.5cm apart
- Divide in the spring.
Oregano
- Start seeds indoors in spring.
- There’s no need to cover seeds with soil. Mist them with water and cover the seed tray or container with plastic.
- Thin out to a foot apart once seedlings are 15cm tall. Transplant outside after frost has passed.
Parsley
- Sow seeds in early spring in a propagator with a bottom heat of 18°C.
- Alternatively plant directly (0.5cm deep) into soil in late spring.
- Germination is slow for parsley.
- To ensure a constant supply in summer and autumn, sow a second and third batch of seeds.
Rosemary
- In late summer take semi ripe cuttings. Alternatively you can heel cuttings in spring.
- Rosemary can also be mound layered (see below).
Sage
- Take heel cuttings in early summer. Alternatively take 15cm softwood cuttings.
- Sow seeds in spring and then cover with perlite. If possible provide a bottom heat of 15°C.
Thyme
- In late spring take softwood cuttings (approx 5-8cm long)
- Sow seeds indoors in mid-spring
- Plants are best replaced every couple of years. This is due to thyme quickly becoming woody.
Mound Layering Herbs
Mound layering is a useful method for propagating plants that have become woody.
- Mix equal parts of comport and sand.
- Mound the mixture up over the plant. Make sure you can still see the tips of the shoots.
- Keep the plant watered. If soil is washed away by rain, replace it.
- Roots should have formed along the stems by late summer.
- Detach the rooted layers and pot them up or plant out.
- You can then get rid of the old plant.
When to Propagate Herbs (A Quick Guide):
Spring
- Take root cuttings of mint.
- Divide hardy herbs. These include sweet marjoram, oregano, mint and thyme. You can also do this after flowering in late summer.
Late Spring
- Take cuttings of shrubby herbs. These include rosemary, sage, and thyme.
To Conclude: How To Propagate Herbs
There’s are many different herbs you can grow at home, and numerous ways to grow them! Some can be planted from seed straight outside, however with others it may be advantageous to grow from softwood or semi ripe cuttings.
