Growing Marketable Herbs from Seed and Plugs
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Martha Cox
Posted on: February 21, 2008

I plan to delve into marketing potted herbs and a few other assorted plants. I have been buying from Richters for years for my own home garden.

Can you give me an idea how long to grow a well rooted marketable plant from a plug? I’m thinking 4"(10cm) pots-rosemary/thymes etc.?

An average time if you start with a well-rooted plug will be two months in the spring.

When growing from seed, what is the advantage of starting in flats and then transplanting - other than space saving? I have trouble with basils from seed not liking transplanting.

Seedlings do better when they are more closely planted. Also they must never dry out and that is much easier to achieve when they are closer together. Since their root system will be small to start with, fertilizing will be more economical, since you won’t be fertilizing any empty soil between the plants.

For basil it is often better to plant a few seeds directly into the 10cm(4")pot. If you go to a bigger pot later, pot the plant on without disturbing the roots.

Could you recommend a fertilizer, growing medium, and perhaps what you think may be the best book on greenhouse growing and propagating?

Fish fertilizer would be my choice for edible plants. Pro-mix or similar peat-moss based mixes are by far the easiest all-purpose mixes to use.

We do not have a book that deals exclusively with growing herbs in a greenhouse in pots. "Growing Herbs From Seed Cutting & Root", by Thomas DeBaggio, Richters catalogue # B4280 would probably be the most helpful book for your situation.

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