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starting your windowsill
herb garden Now you’re ready to plant your seeds. Different seeds have different planting requirements, so you’ll want to follow planting instructions that come with each seed packet. I normally put two or three seeds in each little pot and thin out the weaker ones later. Once you’ve finished sowing, cover your seeds with a plastic bag or with plastic wrap. This will keep the soil moist and will increase the speed of germination. I keep my seeds in a moist warm place out of the direct sun (normally my kitchen floor) before they germinate. Basil seeds sprout in just 3-5 days. Parsley seeds, however, can take up to three weeks to sprout. When seeds sprout, remove the plastic wrap and place your seeds by a well-lighted window. I have a large windowsill, but found that I need to supplement the natural light with a fluorescent light to keep plants from getting thin and spindly. Herbs need a minimum of 5-6 hours of sunlight a day in order to flourish. Basically, you’ll need to provide lots of light, water (be careful, however, not to drown the little seedlings), and plant food in order to keep your herbs healthy and thriving. After eight to twelve weeks you may want to transplant your herbs to larger (or cuter) pots to allow them to grow strong roots and to enable the leaves to better develop. selecting herbs to grow Just can’t decide what you want to grow, and looking for inspiration? Here’s what’s growing in my windowsill garden ...
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