[Coldfeet]

My first post - and my first attempts at growing.   After preparing our plots in early spring its been so cold and miserable that I couldn't get started.   So I planted loads of seeds indoors.   Have had great success with all sorts of veg (thought I'd justly a bit of everything this year to see what happens).   But with herbs - nothing!   Tried basil, mint and parsley 3 times now and not a sign!    From a tray of coriander I have about 3 shoots, the same for chives, but very small and weedy.  Tomatoes, pepper, aubergine, fennel, spinach, broad beans all well advanced, but no sign of herbs.   What am I doing wrong?

[shoozie]

welcome to the forum   

you're not necessarily doing anything wrong with the basil and parsley - I find parsley especially can be notoriously slow.  I stick mine in a pot inside a plastic bag and put it on a cool windowsill and leave it be.  Where and how are you growing yours?

[Coldfeet]

The same - although first lot were in the conservatory, so I thought maybe too cold.  The next 2 lots are on the kitchen window sill so fairly warm.  One lot now maybe 4 weeks, the other 2.  I'll keep watching. 

[devonbarmygardener]

Some of my herbs have been unhappy this year - I did wonder whether some of the seed was too old? It has been cold though.
Had a problem with all Unwins seeds a couple of years ago? Are your seeds all the same make??

My basil is very unhappy - tiny shoots, not wanting to get any bigger; as for parsley - it can take forever to sprout, but when the temps suddenly shoot up in the greenhouse it then fries the tiny seedlings

A piece of advice for herbs once you get them growing is to always water from the bottom.

[Buddleja]

I've got lots of parsley, dill, basil and coiander coming up in pots - lots of seedlings in the same pot. Do I need to transplant them to a separate pot for each plant? Some of the dill look quite straggly and leggy. Do you pinch out the tip to make any of them bushier? Sorry, a novice's questions 

[JayG]

Depends whether you want to grow some to full size or as supermarket-style growing herb pots.

Parsley will transplant quite well and won't benefit from being pinched out.

Basil will definitely benefit from pinching out to encourage bushiness (but won't stand cold temperatures.)

Coriander doesn't take well to being transplanted, which can make it run to seed even earlier than it usually does!

Never grown dill so can't give any advice on that.

[jay001]

our parsley took 3 & 1/2 wks to make a appearance in a pot in 4 tier mini greenhouse outside with frosts and even snow was slow last year if I remember,our basil in pot in same gh took about the same and so did the chives  . . .all 3 pots  looking very healthy,we also have a pot of chives from last year that has been outside all winter with no attention whats so ever and that is coming back nicely,agree with the furry one about pinching out your basil and my coriander is being grown for first time this year so now will just leave it in its pot and not bother transplanting after reading his experience with that
cheers jay 

[JayG]

I usually sow coriander directly outside (but not yet!)

Because they are all too willing to run to seed before you want them to, I try to reverse the usual advice about flowering plants, which is not to give high nitrogen feed or you will get lots of leaves at the expense of flowers.

Hard to say whether watering with Miracle Grow with a touch of ammonium sulphate for extra nitrogen really works with coriander, but they usually peform quite well before the inevitable happens.

[devonbarmygardener]

Dill is pretty quick at running to seed quite quick too.

Best plant Dill and Coriander in their own pots.

[Buddleja]

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep this lot of dill and coriander  in pots and will try some coriander outside too when it gets warmer. I'll put half the parsley outside and will put the basil in bigger pots I think. I planted some mint in a pot outside but nothing happening there yet  Maybe it's been too cold yet. Lots of experimenting ...

[Ema]

No sign on my parsley here and it's been a good few weeks in the mini gh, sowed some more today

[JayG]

Parsley is one of the more reluctant germinators (like parsnips, in fact they are closely related.)

Mine germinated in 10 days on a warm kitchen windowsill despite knocking their pot over onto the draining board. 

Although they will germinate in cooler conditions steady warmth will do the job quicker. 

[devonbarmygardener]

My second sowing is more than 10days old and no sign yet.

In a cold greenhouse.

I'm a patient bunny!