The Slowest Herbs & Vegetables to Germinate

They say patience pays off, and that's definitely true when it comes to gardening. But it's hard to be patient when we're wired for instant gratification. Some plants really deliver for us. I mean, is there anything more satisfying than watching a bean sprout burst through the soil just hours after you planted it? That's about as instant as the garden can get.

Other seeds sure take their sweet time. They're slow sprouters—that's just how they are. Literally, that's wired into their DNA. Each seed has a certain number of days that it needs to sit in wet soil before it'll sprout.

Let's look at some of the vegetable garden seeds that are the slowest to sprout. There's really no rushing the process, but I'll give you some tips to make sure they do sprout... at some point.

Parsley Seeds Can Take up to a Month

Parsley is notorious for its slow germination, often taking 2 to 4 weeks to sprout. We can thank the seed's tough outer shell that takes a while for water in the soil to penetrate. The good news is, once you've got parsley up and growing, you can enjoy it for up to 2 years. It's actually a biennial herb.

Tips for Germination

• Pre-soak parsley seeds in warm water for 24 hours before planting them. This helps soften that tough outer seed coat, which speeds up germination.
• Parsley seeds need cooler temperatures to sprout. You can sow your seeds as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, even if there’s still a chance of frost.

Celery Seeds Are Slow to Sprout

Celery is actually a close relative of parsley, and it also has a long time to germination, typically 15 to 30 days. These seeds need light to germinate, which can throw off new gardeners who are a little quick to bury everything. Celery is another biennial, so you can actually keep it around for 2 years if you avoid harvesting the entire plant at once.

Tips for Germination

• Sow celery seeds on the surface of the soil instead of covering them with soil. You'll just gently press them down to ensure good soil contact.
• Check every day that the soil is consistently moist since the top of the soil dries out first. Use a plastic cover or a dish towel to retain humidity.

Carrot Seeds Test the Patience of Experienced Gardeners

Well, well, well, look what we have here: another parsley relative, the carrot. You're probably noticing a trend, and that's because plants in the Apiaceae family (aka carrot family) are, for the most part, slow sprouters. Carrot seeds often take 10 to 25 days to sprout.

Tips for Germination

• Carrots don't transplant well. They also sprout best in cool soil, so direct sow carrot seeds about 2 to 4 weeks before your last frost date.
• Keep the soil consistently moist while you're waiting on germination. Be careful when you water, though. These seeds are tiny and can be easily washed away, so you want to use a gentle setting on your hose.
• Some gardeners mulch or use row covers to retain moisture after planting carrots. I tried to use burlap one year, but the tiny carrot leaves got stuck in the holes, so I ended up pulling some seedlings when I removed the cloth. Now, I just use a thin layer of compost to maintain moisture.

Parsnips Are Slow to Germinate

All right, this is the last plant in the carrot family I'll talk about. It won't come as any surprise at this point that parsnips are slow to get started. They often need a 2- to 4-week timeframe to sprout.

Tips for Germination

• Parsnip seeds lose viability quickly. They're only good for one year, two at best. So use fresh seeds every year for the best germination rates.
• Sow seeds in early spring when the soil temperature is between 50 and 70°F. If you live in a warmer climate, you might actually plant parsnips in the fall so they'll be ready the following spring.

Rosemary Is the Slowest Herb to Get Started

Perennial herbs are slow to grow from seed, but rosemary seems to lag way behind its cousins, mint, sage, oregano, and thyme. Rosemary seeds often need 3 to 4 weeks sitting in wet soil to germinate, and even then, they have a low germination rate.

Tips for Germination

• These seeds sprout best in a warm environment. Soil temp should be between 70 and 75°F. If your house is really cold inside when you're starting seeds indoors, consider using a heat mat.
• Press rosemary seeds into the surface of the soil instead of burying them.
• Use a humidity dome or dish cloth over your seed starting trays to maintain consistent moisture.

Lavender Seeds Are Super Picky

Lavender takes the cake for slow germination. While the seeds typically take between 2 to 4 weeks to sprout, lavender has been known to take as long as 90 days! The seeds also require specific conditions to sprout.

Tips for Germination

• Lavender seeds benefit from something called cold stratification. Basically, you have to mimic natural winter conditions before the seeds are ready to wake up and grow. Place them in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag and refrigerate for 2 to 3 weeks before planting.
• After that, the seeds need light and warmth during the germination period. Like with rosemary seeds, you'll just press these seeds into the surface.

Peppers Need Several Weeks in Warm Soil to Grow

Both sweet and hot peppers can take a good 2 to 3 weeks to germinate, especially if the soil temp is not optimal, though some peppers can take as long as 6 weeks.

Tips for Germination

• Peppers germinate best in warm soil (80-85°F). Use a heat mat to get your seeds started indoors.
• Make sure to maintain consistent soil moisture because pepper seeds can dry up fast.

Eggplant Seeds Are Slow to Take Off

Like their pepper cousins, eggplants can also take 2-3 weeks to germinate. Eggplants are large plants that need at least 80 days to produce once they're transplanted into your garden as seedlings.

Tips for Germination

• Eggplant plants germinate best in warm soil (80-85°F). Use a heat mat to get your seeds started indoors.
• Soaking the seeds in warm water for 12 to 24 hours before planting can help speed up germination.

Echinacea Seeds Take Forever to Sprout

Also known as coneflowers, echinacea takes a long time to get growing (and even longer to bloom). The seeds typically need 10 to 20 days to sprout. If you're growing this plant for echinacea tea, consider your first harvest a goal for next year. The good news is you'll have these hardy perennials in your garden for years to come.

Tips for Germination

• Unless you're sowing seeds before your last frost date, you'll need to cold stratify them. Wrap them in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag and keep them in the fridge for 2 to 4 weeks before planting.
• The ideal planting depth is 1/8", so you're just going to barely cover these seeds.

Tips for Sprouting Seeds with Long Germination Times

There are so many different factors that can affect germination time, and each plant has specific needs that must be met before the sprouts will grace us with their presence. Here are 5 tips to help your plants sprout (when they're good and ready).

Tip #1

Maintain Consistent Moisture

In order for a seed to sprout, water has to get inside the seed coat and cause the seed to swell and swell until it just has to burst open. That means consistent soil moisture is critical for germination. If seeds are watered and then allowed to dry out, they're most likely done.

So don't let your garden become a desert, but you also don't want to create a swamp either. Seeds can rot if the soil is waterlogged for too long. The best way to keep soil moist if you're starting seeds indoors is to bottom water your trays or use a spray bottle to mist the soil regularly.

Tip #2

Consider Ideal Temperature

Warmth from the soil is what gives cells within the seed the energy to grow, but each seed has an ideal temperature range for sprouting. This ensures they don't pop up during weather that's totally wrong for them to survive. If seeds are in soil that's too hot or too cold for them, they will delay or prevent germination entirely.

If you're growing a plant that loves hot weather, use a heat mat to provide the consistent warmth needed for these seeds to sprout. Otherwise, be prepared for a longer wait.

Tip #3

Use Fresh Seeds

Seeds age like all living things. The older the seed, the longer it can take to germinate—and the lower its germination rate will be. If you're working with seeds that are a couple years old, consider planting more than needed. You can come back and thin them out later if you need to.

Tip #4

Label the Planting Area

Slow-germinating seeds can easily be forgotten. Use plant tags to mark the spots in your garden where you've already planted something so you don't double-plant.

Tip #5

Be Patient, My Friend

Patience is key when dealing with slow seeds. Resist the urge to dig up the seeds to check on them since this can disturb the germination process.

Should You Soak Seeds?

Some, but not all, seeds benefit from special treatment before planting. Soaking okra, beans, peas, corn, parsley, and eggplant seeds overnight can soften their seed coats and speed up germination time.

Other seeds prefer something called scarification, which means wearing down the seed coat. You can aid germination by scarifying nasturtium, sweat pea, and milkweed seeds.

Lastly, other seeds need to be stratified, or given cold treatment, before they're ready to sprout. This is the case for many perennials, including lavender, echinacea, and black-eyed Susans.

Other than that, most seeds are happy to grow with the usual: wet soil and sunlight. Giving these seeds any kind of pre-treatment can actually do more harm than good.

Don't Stress About Slow Germination Times

Gardening teaches us many lessons, including how to be a little more patient while nature does its thing. Whenever you plant something, check the time to germination on the back of the seed packet. Keep the soil moist until you see those first green shoots appear.

And won't that moment be all the more exciting the longer you had to wait for it? Remember, good things take time. (And if the good things never show up, you can always replant!)