Herbs are easy to come by in large supermarkets and often you can get them growing in their own little pots. These pots however can be notoriously hard to keep alive so here I will give you a few pointers on each different herb type and what you can do to keep them growing.
Firstly with all of the shop bought potted herbs they are crowded in their little pots so separation is the first thing to do. Take whichever herb you have from its pot and gently half it with your fingers. You can sometimes quarter them if they feel very tight. Then place each freshly divided piece in its own pre prepared pot, the soil will be different for some which I will go into below.
Basil - This is very prone to root rot so oftentimes when it dies it's due to overwatering. It should be potted into a rich compost with a little manure mixed in, it's no harm to place a bit of gravel or a few stones in the bottom to help with the drainage. Only water when the top of the soil feels dry and then do it from below, so have a tray or saucer underneath that you can fill with water once a week or so. When cutting it do so just above the leaf node, this is a smaller leaf directly below a bigger one against the stem, you can simply pinch it off before adding to your pasta!
Thyme- Thyme is a lot more woody than the likes of Coriander or Basil and so it needs grittier soil. Mix 1 part potting compost with 1 part vermiculite or you can use a premixed ericaceous compost such as Westland Ericaceous Planting & Potting Mix which we have here in store. When pruning try not to cut it back too hard, always leave at least 3 inches of stem with shoots alive on it.
Coriander - Coriander hates being re-potted so the trick here is to be incredibly gentle and only disturb the roots as much as you need to. The soil should be similar to the Basil and have good drainage. It should be frequently trimmed to encourage bushier growth and be sure to water it frequently but keep an eye that it's never sitting in water. Coriander is very quick to go to seed which is not necessarily a bad thing as it grows incredibly well from seed. If you would like to try this, let it flower and when the seeds are mature place a piece of kitchen paper beneath the flower head and give a gentle shake. You can then reseed it in trays and keep the cycle going.
Parsley - Parsley is an easier one to rescue, it's made for our climate here and it's a robust plant. The large chains usually sell both curly and flat leaf but the repotting for both is the same. Parsley loves rich soil so mix in the likes of Westland Organic Chicken Manure Pellets with some normal potting soil. Water regularly (about twice a week), try not to water the growth and just water the soil beneath if possible, like the Basil you can water from below but it's not as critical. If it's small try not to cut it back too hard in the first couple of weeks. Once big enough you can trim it back to about an inch or two of growth.
So next time you pick up your potted herbs give the methods above a go and hopefully you won't have to buy them again!.
