Four Herbs you can still grow from seed in June

Herbs are often easy to grow from seed, but planting early is the key to getting a harvest the first year.  However, there are a few herbs that you can grow later in the season to enjoy a harvest this year and next.

flat-leaf parsley

Parsley is top of my list, for it improves so many dishes and is packed full of healthy vitamins and minerals. Italian, or flat-leaved parsley, is gaining in popularity over the more decorative, curly kind, for it has more flavor.  Parsley is a flavor enhancer, making it a great companion in dried blends.  However, if when dry it turns brown, discard as the flavor is gone.

I buy mine as nursery plants, for there may be some truth in the adage that the seeds of parsley go to the devil and back six times before sprouting, and I haven’t the patience to wait that long.

To speed up germination, soak the seeds in lukewarm water overnight, or place them in the freezer for a day. Then, pour hot water over the soil before sowing. The seedlings should be transplanted at the 4-6 leaf stage. Parsley likes a rich, moist soil and can be grown in sun or semi-shade. When harvesting, pick the leaves from the outer edges first.

Cilantro with seeds (coriander)

Cilantro is either loved or hated. My husband, for instance, cannot stand the smell of its fresh leaves, but likes their taste in salad, while I find my appetite activated when I am merely within sniffing distance of the plants. Cilantro bolts (goes to seed) in hot summer days, so to enjoy a longer harvest, sow seed every two weeks to give you a continuous crop.  And save the seed – called coriander to sow or enjoy as a spice.

Sow it at regular intervals to provide a constant supply, and close together, allowing the plants to support each other. Cut the leaves right down when harvesting, then leave the plants to produce another crop. Cilantro does not like full sun and needs to be grown in light, well-composted soil.

Dill Weed and Seed

Dill has fine, feathery leaves with a taste of caraway seeds. It resembles a small fennel, but the two are not related and should not be grown together. Plant dill in slightly acidic soil that is well-drained. It is the perfect accompaniment to many fish dishes and can also be used to flavor soups, cheeses and butters. In Illinois our soil tends to be alkaline due to the limestone everywhere, so I top dress with pine needles around the plants once they emerge from seed to provide a bit more acid for them to flourish.  It is not required, I just like a lot of foliage. 

Like Cilantro you want to sow seed every two weeks to get a continuous crop of dill weed. The seed should mature just in time for pickling season.

Chives will spread by seed if you do not cut off the flower heads, making it an easy herb to grow from seed.  The narrow leaf common chives have an onion flavor and the flat leaved garlic chives have a mild garlic flavor.  Both make great vinegar. Give them a sunny location in a pot or in the ground and you will have plants for years to come.  They winter over in zone 5 very well.