Light: Herbs need plenty of light to grow into healthy plants.
Containers: You can use seed-starting flats, peat pots, toilet paper rolls, newspaper pot, or any reused container with a few drainage holes poked into the bottom.
Eggshells - Eggshells work well for herbs seeds. Just be sure to poke a hole in the bottom before filling with seed starting mix. When you are ready to transplant, gently crack the eggshell, remove a few shards around the bottom so the roots can grow out, and plant the whole thing!
Egg cartons - I used an egg carton to start my pepper seeds. When the little seedlings are ready to go outside I’ll gently tear the carton apart and plant each section right into the garden. The cardboard will compost away in the soil. Keep the egg carton in a tray to catch water.
Toilet paper and paper towel rolls - I tried using toilet paper tubes propped up in a box to germinate my tomato seeds. These did work for a while, but the tomatoes outgrew them in a few weeks and had to be transplanted into bigger pots before heading outside. Next year I may try something that grows slower, like herb seeds.
Party cups - The larger plastic party cups are great for potting up seedlings until they are ready to plant in the garden. Just be sure to poke holes in the bottom and keep them in a tray to catch water.
Yogurt containers - Also consider saving yogurt, sour cream, and ricotta cheese containers in various sizes. The smaller containers are excellent for starting seeds, while the larger 16-ounce containers can be used to pot up seedlings that need more time before planting into the garden.
Berry containers - The plastic berry containers from your grocery store are perfect for starting seedlings. They come with holes for drainage and a cover to hold in moisture. Just be sure to place these in a tray to catch water.
Seed starting mix: Fill your containers with pre-moistened seed starting mix to within 1/2-inch of the top of the container. Starting seeds in fresh seed starting mix will help you grow healthy seedlings because you are less likely to introduce pathogens that may cause disease in young plants.
Sow seeds: Poke holes in the soil at the recommended depth, and drop 2 or 3 seeds into the holes. Cover the seeds with soil and mist the surface with water. Use a humidity dome to keep in moisture, and place the containers in a warm location.
Water: Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Mist with water when the soil surface has dried out and cover with the humidity dome until the seeds germinate. When the seeds sprout, remove the humidity dome.
Fertilize: Begin fertilizing the seedlings once true leaves sprout. Start with half-strength, organic liquid fertilizer such as fish fertilizer or worm casting tea. Follow the instructions on the label for best results.
Thin the plants: If more than one seed sprouted per container, you will need to remove the extra plants so the seedling can grow strong and healthy. Choose the strongest plant in each container and remove the extras by snipping them at the soil level.
Repot if needed: Transplant the herbs to larger pots once they outgrow their original containers.
Most seeds need temperatures of 65°F to 75°F (18°C to 24°C) to germinate. Place the trays in a warm location near a heat source, on top of a refrigerator, or use a seedling heat mat.