Do you find it difficult to grow store-bought herbs in pots at home? Keep your plants healthy with these tips and simple steps!
It often happens that fresh-looking culinary herbs in pots quickly become limp and yellow after being purchased indoors. This is primarily because they are not originally intended for long-term storage and will wilt without proper plant care. Most people use such herbs primarily in the kitchen, but wouldn't it be better to let them continue to thrive? Even if you don't know much about gardening, you can do this without much effort. Here is a short guide that can help you care for the small plants in a cheap and sustainable way.
How can you keep purchased culinary herbs alive in the pot?
Growing such plants at home can go beyond simply using the herbs in kitchen dishes. With a little loving care, they can thrive on window sills for longer and can be used in small formats with their green foliageSpice up living areas. They also add pleasant scents to the interior and create a lively and lush atmosphere.
Although potted herbs are cheaper and initially healthy, it can sometimes be difficult to keep them alive. In addition, parsley, mint, basil, etc. need a little more than just leaving them carelessly on the windowsill. Before you succeed in plant care, it would therefore make sense to familiarize yourself with the specific needs of the herb plants.
Why don't herbs last long in small pots and what to do about it?
In most cases, small pots used for this purpose are overcrowded from the start and offer space for a maximum of three seedlings. However, a lot more is planted there before it is sold, which is why the plants start fighting for space and nutrients shortly afterwards. For this reason, it is crucial to divide up culinary herbs grown close together in the pot. In addition, the local climate of the respective herb also plays a role when it comes to finding the right location for it. Depending on the lighting conditions and water requirements, different growing conditions are required for the different varieties.
It is also easy to notice that the root structure grows wilder at the base of the plant. This should indicate that the herbs need more space to grow. The first thing you should do is transplant the plants in well-drained soil with sufficient sunlight. Research online or find out what climate conditions the herb plant prefers in order to be able to treat it optimally. For some common varieties such as rosemary, basil or thyme, drought is not a problem. In contrast, parsley and mint thrive better in the shade and with regular watering.
What steps should I take to care for potted herbs?
Typically, such store-bought herbal plants last no longer than 1-2 weeks. You'll likely find them growing in a well-drained mix similar to vermiculite. With regular watering you can keep the plants healthy for a few weeks, but after that they yellow and become inedible. The reason for this is usually that the potting soil used in the supermarket is low in nutrients. Such culinary herbs in pots are primarily grown hydroponically, which are continuously supplied with water and nutrients. Therefore, it is important to take the following measures to make such plants thrive at home.
Choose healthy herbal plants when purchasing in the store
- To keep live culinary herbs healthy after purchasing them, you should first select the very best of them. Look for specimens that don't have mottled foliage and whose leaves look lush and green.
- Avoid plants that have flowers as they are already at the end of their life cycle.
- Also be careful not to buy wilted or overgrown herb plants.
- Lanky and tall plants are most likely already lacking light and will have difficulty recovering.
- So it's best to start with healthy herbs to increase their chances of survival.
Divide the culinary herbs into the pot and repot them
- First, water the herb plant to loosen its roots and gently remove it from the pot.
- Depending on the variety and size of the plants, you should be able to get a few clumps out of them when you pull apart the individual roots.
- The next important step is to repot, regardless of whether the plants are rooted or hydroponically grown. Use new and nutrient-rich potting soil for this.
- Depending on whether you want to plant herbs in pots, a herb garden on the windowsill or enrich your garden bed with them, you should have enough space to grow. This also includes well-drained and fertile soil, to which you may add additional organic matter.
- If necessary, thin out the culinary herbs before repotting so that they can be divided into several different pots. This means that each plant receives more sunlight and nutrients.
- Make sure the pot you choose has good drainage to allow excess water to drain out to the bottom.
Take the right steps when caring for plants
- For plants grown hydroponically, you should make sure they get enough water. Otherwise, their bare roots will be in shock.
- Even normally growing culinary herbs should initially be watered and drained regularly to make it easier for them to transition into potted plants.
- Wait about a week for the plant to become established in its new environment and then provide it with nutrients by adding a moderate amount of organic fertilizer.
- Find out about the specific needs of your variety and ensure the right lighting conditions through natural sunlight or grow lights.
- For most herb plants, pruning helps keep them alive longer. Therefore, cut off flower buds regularly so that the plants can continue to thrive.
Provide the right growing conditions for various culinary herbs in the pot
Most store-bought herbs can be grown indoors, but avoid placing them in places that are too hot. There should be no direct sunlight in a suitable location. After dividing the plants and repotting them in several pots with enough fresh growing medium, you should also meet their requirements. Therefore, it is important to proceed correctly depending on the variety and to use the appropriate care method to avoid mistakes. Below are some tips on each of the most common types of herbs:
- Basil– This herb can survive for at least 2 to 3 months both outdoors and indoors. Harvest just its tops about every two weeks.
- mint– Keep this plant in shady locations indoors and water it occasionally so that the mint does not grow too rampant.
- Coriander– Try to regularly strip the plant of some of the outermost stems and allow the middle to grow for another week or two before picking again. Because cilantro can seed quickly, you should harvest more often to get the most from your plants.
- Parsley– With enough sunlight and good watering, such potted culinary herbs can last you a whole season if you haven’t eaten everything.
- Thyme or sage– This herb grows best outdoors, but with proper plant care you can keep it healthy for longer in your home.
- Oregano– When growing indoors, make sure this popular herb plant grows in bright and sunny locations. It also requires occasional watering.
Choosing potted culinary herbs to grow indoors can be challenging at first. However, in the long run, this can actually be worth it because it means you will have fresh ingredients all year round. If you succeed in keeping the plants alive following this guide, you can plant them outside in the garden in spring or move them to larger containers on balconies or terraces.
