A fellow Gardenerd recently wrote in:
“When is the best time to plant herbs? I planted basil last spring which slowly started to die in November. I planted another basil in October which is on its way out as well. Dill I planted in the fall is brown and not growing!! HELP!”
That’s a very good question, and depending on your climate and growing options, I have an answer for you. Before that though, I want to say you have really good luck with Basil! Basil is a summer plant, and it usually dies back when the first cold spell hits. If you were able to keep a basil plant alive until November and plant another one in October that has lasted through most of the winter, congratulations – you are successfully growing basil “out of season”.
The best time to plant basil is after your last spring frost, which in Southern California is technically January 15th, I believe. BUT…herbs like basil need to germinate in warmer conditions. You’re pretty much guaranteed success if you plant most herbs in early spring. I have direct-seeded herbs (meaning planted outdoors in the soil) as early as mid-February. They are most often slow to start, but pick up as the season warms up. Likewise with dill, except for one thing: Dill really prefers to be direct-seeded, rather than transplanted. Basil and other herbs, like parsley do well as transplants, but can be more difficult to start from seed in the ground (especially because parsley can take up to 28 days to germinate – most people give up before the seedling emerge).
So if you can hold off for a couple months, plant your herbs in spring when the weather warms up a little. If you can’t wait, try planting indoors near a sunny north-facing window or under grow lights.
What are your favorite herbs to grow? Share them with us here.
