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Grass seed for garden


How to Plant Grass Seed

Planting grass seed is an economical and satisfying way to expand the green space around your home or improve your existing lawn. In order to enjoy successful grass establishment and all the benefits seeding offers, follow these eight steps to grow a lush, inviting green lawn:

  1. Choose the Right Time of Year
  2. Prepare the Site
  3. Prepare the Soil
  4. Choose the Best Seed
  5. Plant the Seed
  6. Water Appropriately
  7. Monitor Seed Establishment
  8. Mow and Maintain

The time of year you plant grass seed has a direct effect on its success. Proper timing helps ensure your grass seed will germinate properly, grow quickly and remain healthy while new seedlings become established.

The best time to plant grass seed varies according to your grass growing region and the type of grass you grow. Lawns across the northern tier of the United States typically consist of cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue or perennial ryegrass. Planting during cool weather in fall and spring coincides with the most active growth periods for these grass types.

In Massachusetts, for example, early fall is the ideal time to plant grass seed.1 At this time, the ground is still warm enough to aid germination, but the days are cool and sometimes rainy. This combination helps ensure newly planted seeds don't dry out. There's also sufficient daylight in early fall to allow new grass to thrive and become established before winter's arrival.

Spring seeding is your second best option for planting cool-season grasses. Aim to seed early in the season, but wait until daytime temperatures are in the 60 to 75 degree Fahrenheit range. This roughly corresponds to the optimal soil temperatures for cool-season grass seed germination. Spring sunshine and rain both contribute to strong grass growth.

For lawns across the southern half of the U.S., warm-season lawn grasses such as Bermudagrass, Zoysia grass, Bahiagrass and Centipede grass are the rule. These grasses are best planted during their optimal growth period, which falls in spring and early summer instead of fall. Wait to plant warm-season grasses until daytime temperatures stay near 80 F or higher and all danger of a late spring frost in your area has passed.


A healthy, attractive lawn starts with proper site preparation. Proper grading of the site prior to planting is important, as it helps ensure water drains away efficiently and allows for easy mowing. Sloping the lawn area away from buildings at a rate of 1 to 2 percent is recommended.2 Avoid creating steeper slopes, as they tend to cause lawns to dry out too quickly. Smooth the site well to avoid depressions, which can create wet spots that are hard to mow and prone to disease.

If you intend to replace the entire lawn, it's important to do a thorough job of removing the old turf. Use a sod cutter to take out the old grass at the roots. Another option for clearing the area is to spray the lawn with a non-selective herbicide, which kills both grass and broadleaf plants. If you choose to spray, follow label instructions for your product closely and avoid any contact with grass or plants you want to keep.

After the product's designated waiting period, reapply as needed to kill any remaining grass. Once you're certain that the turf you want to replace is dead, clear the dead grass from the site and make any needed adjustments to the grade to prepare for seeding.

Optimum soil conditions boost successful seed germination and support healthy turf growth. To prepare your soil for planting, do the following:

To succeed at growing a healthy lawn, it's important to buy quality grass seed that is well-suited to your climate and your growing conditions. Premium, purebred Pennington Smart Seed grasses are water-conserving, drought-resistant and developed for superior performance in home lawns.

Whether you grow warm-season or cool-season grasses depends primarily on where you live. Warm-season lawn grasses are best suited to southern climates and grow most vigorously during the warm months of the year. They typically go dormant and brown in the winter. Cool-season grasses are typically used in northern and transition zone lawns, growing best where summers are moderate and winters are cold. They remain green all year, but can go brown and dormant in heat and drought.

In many areas of the country, you can opt for a mix of seed specific to your region. Smart Seed mixes are designed for lawns in the Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Northwest and Pennsylvania State. If you're growing lawn grass in shade, choose a grass seed product such as Pennington Smart Seed Dense Shade, which is formulated especially for challenging low-light conditions. For lawns with variable shade and sun, Pennington Smart Seed Sun & Shade provides the solution you need.

Once amendments are complete and your soil surface is smooth and prepped, broadcast the seed evenly according to your seed product's recommended seeding rates. Remember to carefully review the seed package label instructions and follow the guidelines. Misapplication of seed can lead to unsatisfactory results.

Choosing the right type of spreader for your situation helps you get the results you need. A drop spreader drops seed straight down in a path the width of your spreader as you move across your lawn. This type of spreader maneuvers well in tight spaces and is ideal for small lawns (less than 5,000 sq. ft.), which typically require more precision in where the seed lands.

A broadcast or rotary spreader comes in walk-behind and hand-held types that spread seed by fanning it out in all directions, providing more uniform coverage. These spreaders are ideal for large lawns, but they lack the precision drop spreaders provide.

Once you finish spreading the seed, use a rake to lightly work it into the soil at a depth of about 1/4 inch. Don't bury the seeds any deeper; grass seed needs adequate light to germinate quickly. After raking, pass over the area with a roller, which helps ensure the good seed-to-soil contact your new seed needs.

Overseeding is the process of planting grass seed into an existing lawn. This is done to improve your lawn's overall look and health, thicken your grass, minimize weeds, fill in bare or damaged areas, or convert to another type of lawn grass. Also, southern lawns are often overseeded with a cool-season grass to provide green color during winter months. When overseeding, broadcast the seed over the lawn, and water it in well, following the same instructions as for new lawns.

Keeping grass seeds and seedlings constantly moist but not soggy is critical to successful grass-seeding efforts. Water newly seeded areas two to three times a day with a light spray to keep the seeds moist. Stop watering when puddles begin to appear on the soil surface. Once the seeds germinate and grass seedlings begin to grow, gradually transition to watering less frequently but more heavily. Taper off watering as the grass becomes taller and more mature.


Depending on the type of grass you're growing, germination may take anywhere from five to 21 days. Expect your new grass to take another four to 10 weeks to root well and become established. It will take a full season for most grasses to mature to the point where they're ready for steady foot traffic.

Once your new seedlings reach about 1 inch in height, examine the newly seeded area for any bare spots or places you may have missed. Reseed the bare areas, and repeat the process as needed until new seedlings are thick and you're satisfied with the results.

Once your grass reaches 3 inches high, it's ready to withstand mowing. Always follow best practices for mowing lawns, including the recommended mowing heights for your type of grass. Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade in a single mowing or you can stress your grass and invite lawn disease, lawn weeds and weak growth. With fall-planted cool-season lawns, your first mowing may need to wait until the following spring.

During the first season of establishment, young grass is still tender, so avoid as much foot traffic as possible. Keep your grass growing strong with regular maintenance, including irrigation. Water as needed to supplement rainfall so your lawn receives about 1 inch of water per week under normal conditions.

Begin fertilizing cool-season lawns four to eight weeks after seed germination, but never later than November. For warm-season grasses, wait until the following spring to feed your new lawn. After initial feedings, you might need to fertilize up to four times a year, according to your soil test recommendations. Retest the soil every three to four years, and adjust accordingly.

Conclusion

By choosing the best grass for your region and your lawn's conditions — and following these simple guidelines — planting grass seed is a straightforward project that will transform for your yard. Pennington is dedicated to providing you with the resources and premium products you need to grow lush, beautiful turf. You and your family and friends can enjoy all the benefits of a beautiful, natural lawn.

Total Time Required to Transform Your Lawn: 6-12 weeks, depending on the region, weather and grass type.

How hard you'll have to work on a scale of 1-4: 3 (a little work goes a long way especially during the prep phase)

Time breakdown:

Pennington and Smart Seed are registered trademarks of Pennington Seed, Inc.

Sources:

1. University of Massachusetts Amherst, “Lawn Renovation and Overseeding."

2. Ricigliano, D., "Lawn Establishment, Renovation and Overseeding," University of Maryland Extension, 2016.

3. Nathan, M. and Fresenburg, B., "Soil Testing for Lawns," University of Missouri Extension, June 2008.

4. Grande, J., "Seeding Your Lawn," Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, February 2004.

How to plant grass seed: for a luscious and healthy lawn

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Many gardeners crave a healthy green lawn, and knowing how to plant grass seed correctly is the most important first step in achieving luscious, soft grass.

A pristine lawn can make all the difference to the appearance of your backyard and is a year round feature of your garden to enjoy. If you choose the best fast-growing grass seed you can quickly see the results.

An important element of how to plant grass seed is getting the timing right, so make sure you first know when to plant grass seed in your zone to get off to a good start, and give the grass seed the best chance of germinating and producing healthy green blades.

Whether you are sowing a new area of lawn, or repairing patches in grass, you need to know how to plant grass seed to ensure success.

How to plant grass seed – what you need

Learning how to plant grass seed is an easy job for any gardener that requires only basic tools. To reseed small patches, you will simply need a garden fork, rake, grass seed and fertilizer. 

If you are covering a large area, it will save you time to invest in a seed spreader. These can be bought inexpensively from garden centers or Amazon .

You may also want to use an aerator to loosen compacted soil and help distribute water and nutrients.

To get the best out of your lawn once it is planted and grown, set it off with stylish lawn edging ideas and care for it with one of the best ride-on lawn mowers. If your grass starts to lose color, then find out when to add lime to lawns to get it back to a luscious, green state.

(Image credit: Marianne Majerus)

What month should I plant grass seed?

The best month to plant grass seed will depend on the hardiness zone where you live.

‘Spring is a great time to fix those bare patches and the earlier we do it in the season, we will find that nature gives us a helping hand,’ says David Hedges Gower, chairman of the Lawn Association .

Early fall is also a good time to plant grass seed for a new lawn.

However, once the grass and lawn is more established, you can plant grass seed throughout the summer. 'Healthy grass is consistent and if you find that you have a couple of bare spots in your lawn then you may want to consider overseeding. This is a great way to sow new seed over existing lawn and can lead to fuller looking grass,' says Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress .

The best grass seed to use

Choosing the best grass seed will depend on your location, how much sunlight the lawn receives, and whether it needs to be durable enough to withstand backyard soccer games.

‘Identifying what grass currently grows in your lawn will give you a great indicator of what likes to grow there,’ says Hedges Gower. ‘Choosing the same variety makes success far easier in the long run.’

Grasses are broadly made up of cool-season and warm-season varieties – which type you choose will depend on your local climate. 

Cool-season grasses include fescue, ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass and bentgrass, which grow better in cooler climates. Bentgrass and fescue are widely used in seed mixes, while ryegrass is particularly tough so a good choice for families.

Also known as Southern grasses, warm-season grasses include Bermuda grass, zoysia grass, St. Augustine grass and centipede grass. They thrive in areas with hotter summers and milder winters. 

Bermuda and zoysia grasses are widely used throughout the south, while centipede grass is a good low-maintenance choice. St. Augustine is more shade tolerant than other warm-season grasses.

Many lawns are made up of a seed mix, rather than a single variety. ‘Seed mixtures are generally a blend of species to suit most lawns and guarantee a better strike rate,’ says Hedges Gower. 

‘However, be aware that seeding ryegrass, for example, into a traditional lawn mixture will stand out like a sore thumb, and vice-versa.’

Options include luxury lawn mixes, shade-tolerant mixes, hardwearing family mixes, and fast-growing varieties. Choose a mix compatible with your climate and garden conditions.

(Image credit: Dream Pictures / Getty Images)

How to prepare lawn for seeding

Good preparation is the most important aspect of learning how to plant grass seed. Luckily, getting it right is easy. 

‘To prepare your soil before planting grass seed, simply till and loosen the soil to create the best growing conditions – you don’t need to put down topsoil,’ says Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO of Lawn Love .

To till the soil, Hedges Gower recommends using a fork to lightly dig it over to a depth of about 2-3 inches. ‘This will allow new seedlings to take root,’ he says. 

Remove any rocks and weeds as you go, but don’t apply weed killer as this will hinder growth. 

'If possible, leave the seed bed for a few weeks and then get rid of any weeds and rake in some lawn feed before sowing,' says the experts at Johnsons Lawn Seed .

If you are applying seed to cover patches in a large lawn, it's a good idea to use an aerator to punch holes into the ground and pull up small plugs of turf and soil. 

'Doing this has two benefits. The first is that some seed will fall into the holes and improve germination. The second is that aerating the soil reduces soil compaction and improves water infiltration,’ says Landscape Tutor Brian Walker. You can buy aerators on Amazon .

To give your grass seed a helping hand, it's important to feed it. Depending on the product, you can apply pre-seeding fertilizer at the preparation stage, or you can wait until after you have sown the seed to use starter fertilizer.

Rake the soil level before planting the grass seed.

How to sow grass seed

For small areas, it's easy to sow grass seed by hand. ‘Carefully spread the seeds on the ground and cover them with about a quarter of an inch of soil,’ says Noah James, owner of Liberty Lawn Maintenance . 

'Moisten the ground, mix the seed and scatter it evenly. Sow 1 1/4 ounces of seed per square yard (35g per square meter) half from right to left and the other half from left to right to ensure a good coverage,' add the experts at Johnsons Lawn Seed.

For larger areas, use a spreader to sow the seed. ‘Trying to use your hands for large areas can lead to very uneven coverage of grass seed,' says Walker. 'I have found that push rotary spreaders do an excellent job. They apply the seed at a consistent rate for uniform coverage.’

Once you have sown your seed, carefully cover the seeds over with soil using either your hand or a rake. 

‘Press the seeds down by standing on them or using a tool like a roller, because they need a firm seedbed,’ adds James.

Take care not to plant the seeds either too deep or shallow. ‘Bury them too deep and they will take longer to germinate. Too shallow and the seeds will be prone to drying out or being eaten by birds,’ says Hedges-Gower.

Once you have planted your grass seed, you can apply starter fertilizer if you didn’t do so prior to planting. Water immediately. 'In case of dry weather use a fine spray to keep the seed bed well watered and moist,' add Johnsons Lawn Seed experts.

(Image credit: Future / Annaick Guitteny)

Should I put topsoil over grass seed?

Do not put top soil over grass seed, but you can add a thin layer of organic matter to help the seed to germinate. 

‘Never put topsoil over newly planted grass seed,’ says Yamaguchi. ‘This won’t provide healthy growing conditions – it will actually prevent the seedlings from sprouting by essentially suffocating them.’

‘Leaves, straw, and peat moss can be used to help hold moisture for the seed to germinate and grow,’ adds James.

Once the grass is more established then 'top dressing is something you can do a couple of weeks after fertilizing a lawn if you’re really keen for your grass to grow. Mix together materials like sand, soil loam and peat and apply this to your dry grass. The materials will transfer nutrients back into the soil and promote growth,' says Chris Bonnett.

How often should you water grass seed?

How often you should water grass seed will depend on the weather conditions and climate where you live. Watering is an important part of establishing your new grass, but be careful not to overdo it.

‘Too much water can make it sit too wet and too dry won’t allow the seed to germinate,’ says Hedges Gower. 

‘As a rough guide, a patch of around 3x3 feet (1x1 metre) should need about 15-30 seconds of water every 2-8 hours, depending on how warm the weather is.’

Always check to feel how damp the soil is before applying more water.

Once the grass is established, only water when needed and know when to water grass. 'Overwatering grass can lead to its demise and therefore grass should be watered during the cooler time periods and only once a week. When watering grass you are looking to water deeply to ensure there’s enough water to see through a drought, 'add the experts at Marshalls .

To encourage strong, vigorous growth, How Cobra, manufacturer of garden lawnmowers, recommends watering lawns early in the morning when heat is at a minimum to reduce the amount of evaporation. 'This allows water to penetrate the deeper into the root. An infrequent yet heavy dose of water is also recommended as it’s one of the most effective ways of stimulating stronger grass growth.'

Water butts are also a great way to collect and reuse any rainwater so that it can be saved to keep lawns hydrated and gardens watered as a sustainable garden idea. 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How do you maintain brand new grass?

Feeding a new lawn is one of the most important steps to maintaining it after you have mastered how to plant grass seed .

‘Seedlings require a lot of food in the initial germination phase. We need to turn this into a nice lush adult grass plant as quickly as possible,’ says Hedges Gower.

Feed your lawn every 4-8 weeks until it is well established, then twice a year.

Don't reach for the lawnmower too quickly. New lawns shouldn’t be mowed until the grass reaches three inches tall. Make sure you know how often you should mow your lawn so you don't destroy all of your hard work in planting grass seed.

'Reseeding lawns after heavy footwall will help recover dull patches and bring back its lush color,' add the Cobra experts.

‘If filling in patches, continue to mow the lawn as usual but keep the blade slightly higher in order to allow the new seedlings a better chance to absorb more food and water,’ says Hedges Gower.

In addition, know how to aerate a lawn to improve a lawn's overall health, and try to keep pets off the grass as their urine is high in nitrogen, which can easily scorch lawns when undiluted.

What is the easiest way to plant grass seed?

The easiest way to plant grass seed is by hand. 

‘Carefully spread the seed throughout the areas where you want to see new growth occur,' says James. 'Lightly water thereafter in order to soak the seeds and help encourage new growth.’

Will grass seed grow if you just throw it on the ground?

Grass seed will not grow well if you just throw it on the ground. While you might be lucky and some grass seeds will take root, for a healthy patch of grass or lawn, it requires more care and attention, as outlined above.

It's worth your time and effort learning how to plant grass seed as 'the cheapest way to get a thriving garden is by growing a lawn by seed, as turf isn’t cheap and can be difficult to lay. With seeding, you’ve got much greater control over which species of seed are going into your new lawn,' explains Carlos Real, managing director of TotalLawn .

How can I make grass seed germinate faster?

To make grass seed germinate faster:

As editor of Period Living, Britain's best-selling period homes magazine, Melanie loves the charm of older properties. I live in a rural village just outside the Cotswolds in England, so am lucky to be surrounded by beautiful homes and countryside, where I enjoy exploring. Having worked in the industry for almost two decades, Melanie is interested in all aspects of homes and gardens. Her previous roles include working on Real Homes and Homebuilding & Renovating, and she has also contributed to Gardening Etc. She has an English degree and has also studied interior design. Melanie frequently writes for Homes & Gardens about property restoration and gardening.

Lawn grasses - what are there and what to choose

It is easy to get lost in the store at the lawn grass counter - huge and expensive packages with unfamiliar names will confuse an inexperienced gardener. We tell you what herbs and mixtures are, what they are for and how much to sow.

Would you like to have a flowering front lawn, a sports ground or a classic lawn like in the garden of the British Queen? Each of these (and other) purposes will require its own weed, and most often more than one.

White, red, meadow clover

Clover (aka shamrock) has about 300 varieties, of which 70 take root in our country, and no more than 20 are used in landscape design. Its main charm is that, in fact, it is a weed- a ground cover that thrives with minimal care and looks great from spring to fall. Most often on sale there are seeds of red clover, white and red. Which one to choose depends entirely on your taste, but white is best for lawns - it has the thinnest stems with a dense leafy carpet.

The height of uncut clover reaches 20-25 cm during flowering, and 10 cm at other times. The plant blooms in the second year after sowing, and it must be limited geographically immediately after planting, because clover grows very actively. There is a plus in this - there will be no bald spots on such a lawn.

In order to sow a lawn from clover, you need to remove the turf and large weed roots, dig and level the soil, and then sow clover at the rate of 20 g of seeds per 1 sq. m. 1 cm of soil is poured on top of the seeds, rammed and watered. It is necessary to fertilize the lawn from clover no more than 2 times per season, choosing potassium-phosphorus complexes for this, since, like all legumes, clover absorbs nitrogen from the air.

Poa pratensis

Frost-resistant and heat-loving bluegrass is the basis of many lawns. Despite its availability and high growth rate, it also has disadvantages. In the first year, you will have to tinker with this grass, regularly watering it and introducing organic matter, as well as weeding. If this is not done, wild grasses will quickly drown out bluegrass, and only a few bushes will remain of it.

Monograss bluegrass will turn green immediately after the top layer of the earth warms up, however, it will cause a lot of inconvenience and trouble for the owners, so it is better to combine it with more viable and non-capricious grasses.

You can speed up the rooting of shoots with the help of annual mulching of the lawn for the winter. A mixture of peat, sand and garden soil in equal proportions is best suited for these purposes. Enough thickness of 2-3 cm over the entire area of ​​​​the lawn.

Sowing bluegrass is carried out in the spring, carefully digging and leveling the soil, and then, scattering the seeds at the rate of 40 g per 1 sq.m. Simultaneously with the seeds, potash and nitrogen fertilizers must be applied to the soil. Before germination, bluegrass should be watered daily, and it is forbidden to walk on the lawn for the first month.

It is better to sow lawn grass seeds in 2 directions - along and across the plot, so germination will be uniform.

Red Fescue and Sheep Fescue

If you want fast results, choose mixtures based on red fescue - it will turn into a lush green carpet in 1-2 months. In addition, red fescue is able to grow in the shade, go without watering for a week and remain decorative. The germination rate of high-quality fescue seeds is 90-95%, so it is practically not necessary to sow it.

The combination of bluegrass and fescue in the lawn allows it to remain green for as long as possible: fescue saves the situation in hot summer, and bluegrass in early spring and in cold weather.

Unfortunately, in one place, fescue can grow no more than 4 years, moreover, its roots are very susceptible to trampling. Therefore, you need to either plant it as part of a grass mixture, or regularly overseed and use it on decorative lawns that are rarely walked on.

Fescue is sown at the rate of 40 g per 1 sq.m, on fertilized, loose and even soil. Care in the first year comes down to watering, adding organic matter and mowing. Next year, from early spring, you need to ensure that water does not stagnate on the lawn, regularly apply mineral complexes and mow the grass as soon as it reaches a height of 5-10 cm.

Bentgrass, dog and thin

The main advantage of bentgrass is that it does not grow above 15 cm, so even if you arrive at the dacha after a long absence, you will not be met by the jungle of the Amazon canyon. But in width, with proper care, the bent spreads quite willingly, occupying the entire allotted territory.

Despite the fact that bent grass can live on any soil, it likes well-fertilized and drained soils most of all. She needs abundant application of mineral fertilizers only before sowing, and then you can get by with standard norms.

The bent grass seeds are extremely small, so before sowing they are mixed with sawdust in a ratio of 1:10, and sown at the rate of 15 g per 1 sq.m. It is advisable to sow in the spring or early autumn, but the summer heat will be detrimental to seedlings. The bent grass is sheared every 3-4 weeks, and this is done rather to rejuvenate the cover. Before the onset of frost, bent grass is mowed very low, under the very ground, so as not to remove the yellow grass in spring. At the beginning of the season, the lawn is aerated using special rakes or ordinary thin garden pitchforks.

The bent has a couple more distinctive features. Firstly, it reproduces well vegetatively, so you can expand plantings or plant individual bushes in a flower garden without buying seeds and waiting a long time. And secondly, if you plant a bent grass next to a pond, it will branch out and form floating lashes descending to the water, which look very unusual and decorative in the design of garden ponds.

Perennial ryegrass (pasture)

Perennial ryegrass, also called perennial or English ryegrass, is found both in Europe and Asia, and most often as a simple weed. It reaches a height of 20 to 70 cm, has powerful roots, is practically not trampled down and does not suffer from frequent mowing.

It is ryegrass that often becomes the basis for covering football fields and tennis courts, which also speaks of its endurance.

It is sown, like other herbs, on leveled soil cleared of weeds, into which complex fertilizers are previously applied. Seed consumption during sowing is 35-40 g per 1 sq.m, however, these rates can change in both directions if ryegrass is sown as part of a lawn mixture. This plant is almost not susceptible to diseases, but suffers from uneven moisture, so for a beautiful lawn it is better to install an automatic watering system or visit the country regularly.

By the way, there is another simple option - to leave everything as it is and mow the natural grassy cover of the soil in time, removing the most unsightly and tall weeds. Of course, it is not as aesthetically pleasing as a real lawn, but it is certainly stable and hassle-free.

Windowsill garden: growing spices

Of course, the ideal diet should include fresh herbs, but in the winter season the choice is not very large: if you can still buy parsley, cilantro and dill, then, for example, basil, thyme, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage and other herbs are often sold in dried form, and even then not everywhere. But why depend on weather conditions and the range of stores, if you can grow everything at home?

Firstly, fresh greens will always be at hand, and secondly, it does not hurt your pocket so much. Thirdly, it is useful, because fresh herbs contain a maximum of substances necessary for the body. And fourthly, fragrant herbs on the windowsill will become a piece of summer against the background of frosty patterns on the glass.

Passion.ru will tell you which herbs are best for growing at home and how to properly care for them in order to get a good harvest.

Spicy herbs: choosing plants for the "home garden"

Before buying seeds, determine which herbs you need depending on their use:

Anise: leaves are added to soups, sauces and salads, seeds are good for baking.

Basil: leaves are put in soups, pasta sauces, when cooking meat dishes , added to vinegar to flavor it.

Cumin: Leaves are added to salads, teas, sauces and soups, seeds are used to flavor biscuits, breads, salads and cheeses.

Chervil: Leaves are added to salads, soups, sauces and teas.

Coriander (cilantro): added to stews and sauces, soups used in meat dishes, seeds added to sauces and meat dishes.

Dill: is added to the first, second courses, salads, pastries. It goes well with meat, fish, pickles and marinades. They even make tea with dill!

Parsley: put in soups, side dishes, first and second courses, salads, seasonings, sauces, etc.

Sage: leaves are added to omelettes, pancakes and stews, flavoring alcoholic drinks.

Green onions are added to egg dishes, soups, salads , oils, cheeses, fish and meat sauces.

Fennel: the whole plant is edible, the seeds are added to sausages and baked goods, the leaves go well with fish, vegetables, cheese.

Melissa and mint: added to soups, fish, meat and vegetables, and tea .

Marjoram: flavors meats and is added to salads, omelettes, jellies and tea blends.

Oregano: is added to meat, poultry and pork dishes, sauces, goes especially well with tomatoes.

Rosemary: added to tea, pastries, meat and vegetable dishes .

Sorrel and spinach: first courses, omelettes are prepared with them, used as a filling for baking.

Tarragon: is added to sauces, salads, soups, omelettes, meat, vegetable and fish dishes.

Thyme: Added to tea, is a good seasoning for poultry, fish, stews, soups, tomato sauces, cheese, eggs and rice.

Other ways to use herbs

Many herbs are used for more than just cooking. Where else can you apply their healing and aromatic properties?

Selecting dishes, soil and planting seeds

Herbs grow slower indoors than outdoors, but with proper care they will give a good harvest and at home.

The easiest way is to take a few plants directly from the garden before the first frost or buy seedlings in the store - this is especially true for oregano, rosemary, thyme and tarragon, as they do not always sprout well.

Anise, cumin, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel and parsley are easy to grow from seed any time of the year. To do this, you will need suitable dishes, good soil and our recommendations:

Crockery

You can choose ceramic or plastic pots, but it is better to use containers or boxes. The dishes should be wide and shallow, with drainage holes to avoid stagnant water. Drainage must be poured at the bottom - expanded clay, shards, coarse sand.

Soil

For planting plants it is better to buy ready-made substrate in the store. It is desirable that the composition of the mixture includes sand or perlite. Before planting seeds, it is recommended to ignite the earth in the oven for additional disinfection.

Planting

If the seeds are small, they can be sown immediately in moist soil, larger seeds soak for several hours in water. It is advisable to first check them for germination: those that have surfaced are most likely empty.

Seeds are planted in moist soil, shallow, covered with only a small layer of earth, then moisten the soil and cover with a bag or glass to maintain heat and humidity. The first shoots will appear in 7-10 days.

Herbs: placement and care

After the first shoots appear, the bag or glass is removed. As soon as plants rise a little, you need to remove all weak sprouts along with the root, leaving only strong specimens.

Tender shoots should be protected from drafts, provided with sufficient light, moisture and a comfortable temperature. Do not forget to cut off the inflorescences if they appear over time.

Placement

Most herbs are best grown in south-facing windows, especially basil, rosemary, tarragon. You can plant parsley or thyme on the west or east windows, but they will grow a little slower than on the south.

The kitchen is the best choice, as there is usually high humidity.

Lighting

Grasses love the sun, so it is important to choose a place where they will be lit for at least 6-8 hours a day. Mustard, parsley, sorrel, chervil can grow in partial shade.

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