[color=green]I'm in desperate need of serious help with growing my own herbs. I've recently planted seeds for Thyme, Lavendar, and Rosemary and I also have a Rosemary plant in my kitchen window. None of the seeds have started to sprout and I'm terrified of what will happen to my healthy rosemary when I try to transfer it to a bigger pot from my kitchen window! I've even tried starting the seeds in a kitchen window garden but they have failed in the past also!   Any help and/or advice will be so greatly appreciated!

I live in central Texas and right now the heat outside is just terribly unbearable! I've moved all of my plants in doors in hopes that that might help to save some them.[/color]

Hi Kyndra,

How long ago did you plant these seeds; what type of soil did you use; how deep did you plant them; and what level of light are the seeds geting presently?

Don't feel bad, kyndarwillow.  You probably picked the most difficult herbs to grow from seed.  
I've looked on the net regarding growing rosemary and thyme, and got mixed results.  Some say cover with soil, some say don't cover.  Both have poor germination rates and take a long time (at least a month) to germinate.
I've had fairly good success with lavender seed.  Barely cover the seed with soil, water, and cover just until the seeds start to sprout.  I've found that lavender will die easily from fungus disease, so maybe try watering from the bottom, and remove the cover immediately after seeds start to germinate.
If you know somebody that can spare a bit of thyme, I'd take a bit of theirs.  Thyme will grow crazy if given the right spot, so a little bit will give you lots.  Rosemary and lavender are also easier to grow if you take cuttings.
Where you live, you can probably grow rosemary all year long.  I don't think we can up here. Not enough light in the winter time.  Even the nursery I've worked for used to start losing them around Dec 21.

I leave my Rosemary out all year long, and I live in the awful hear of Louisiana....you could probably do better leaving the seedlings on a north side of your house and make sure they are watered and kept damp, not saturated....

Lavender and Thyme are very hard to grow from seed....I personally always bought little babies, or asked a neighbor for a pinch off their mother plant.

I also leave my lavender and thyme out year round.....my thyme has taken over a garden, it's very similar to mint in that spreading habit. What kind of Thyme did you buy? There are many varieties, look them up on google and see if you can maybe find out more info on the type of soil they require, water, light etc.

Best of luck to you, and let us know how things go....

I planted thyme and lavender seeds this year out on my steps.  The Thyme didn't show up.  (Guess it wasn't the right "thyme"   ) But the lavender popped up about three weeks ago.  I had planted them back in April.    They grow rather slowly as well.  I suppose the lavender likes the heat, as we've had enough of that.

Usually I don't just put seeds in the ground and wait. I bought this kit some years ago at my old apartment and it came with little tiny pots and a sort of plastic "greenhouse". I still use that to start my seeds in with some seed-starter potting soil. All you do is spray it with water once a day or every other day and put it in a sunny place, and those little shoots will come right up. You can use a plastic bag though. Once they get too big for the plastic box I put them in a bag until they are large enough to plant properly. Especially when I transfer them into a bag, I will exhale into it before I close it again so that there's plenty of CO2.

If you still have some seeds left you could try that while you're waiting to see if the other ones you already planted survived.

I know they're planted but you can do this. Boil some water and add some chamomile herb to it. So your making chamomile tea. Let it cool down and water the seeds with this. Cover them with plastic wrap to keep the heat in. Chamomile helps with shock of plants and also helps them to grow. Thats how I got my rue to grow last summer. Sometimes herbs take longer than the up to 14 day germination. But it's important to keep them warm.

I actually start mine in a plastic container that has an attached lid. I use a pin to poke holes in it, hurts the thumb but I start them in those growing jiffy pots. Seems to work really well. Keeps the heat in and I've noticed they grow much faster with that heat.

OOO Alice I'll have to remember that bag idea! Living up in Northern MN, our summers are short and its not wise to plant until almost the first week of June.

— kyndarwillow wrote

I'm in desperate need of serious help with growing my own herbs. I've recently planted seeds for Thyme, Lavendar, and Rosemary and I also have a Rosemary plant in my kitchen window. None of the seeds have started to sprout and I'm terrified of what will happen to my healthy rosemary when I try to transfer it to a bigger pot from my kitchen window! I've even tried starting the seeds in a kitchen window garden but they have failed in the past also! � Any help and/or advice will be so greatly appreciated!

I live in central Texas and right now the heat outside is just terribly unbearable! I've moved all of my plants in doors in hopes that that might help to save some them.

You pikced very hard herbs to grow....

this link should help you make them healthy and happy though....

http://gardening.about.com/od/herbsspecificplants1/a/Kitchen_Herbs.htm