Why do shop bought herbs die ?

[DannyK]

The parsley I've bought densely sown. If carefully split you can fill many pots.

I pot a few into 9cm pots and eventually plant out in the garden where they grow very well.

[Jungle Jane]

I've been feeding my indoor home grown basil a high nitrogen feed,about once a fortnight,to help with the leaf growth. Use it for any leafy plant.

[janzbro]

The only one I have not had success with is basil (bit delicate for the north east), that only lasted a few weeks, but the mint went nuts 2 foot high and 2 feet Square (always plant out in a big pot as it spreads), thyme small 30cm clump but enough for our needs, curly parsley about the same and rosemary not far of size of mint. did have chives but the mint smoothered it.

all are outdoors against a south facing wall and are regularly picked from. the mint infact is cut down to the floor every autumn and they are about 3 1/2 years old now as planted when we first moved.

I proporgated a load of rosemary cuttings when I tidied it up this year and not one has died.

[clod]

As well as all the above they need thinning out until only a reasonable few are left - I'm guessing there was a need for using some right away in order to buy them at all! They can then struggle on OK for a while, but I think they're meant for fresh herbs in the kitchen for a few days rather than lasting plants. This suits supermarkets as they can then sell us some more!

[WilliamD]

This basil plant from Aldi has been going strong for about three months now. Just the right amount of watering, some Baby Bio and a light windowsill seem to doing the trick.



Can you believe this dark, dull photo - flash necessary - was taken just now at 3:00pm in the afternoon? That's the outside through the window in the background. It's sooooo dark today

[4390evans]

Dunno if this is the answer but I watched or read something before that said the reason they die off quick is because of just sowing the one seed to get a healthy looking plant in time, they sow lots of seeds in one pot (reducing root space in the pot)to get the fuller effect that the customer is looking for as it makes them think they are getting more. Apparently its the lack of root space that kills them.

[Marb67]

Well I repotted a coriander into larger one with good qualitycompost. The same has happened. New leaves growing smaller and more distorted and base of plant has some white mould despite keeping it dry and only watering when needed from dish that houses base of the pot

[4390evans]

From what I was told at college is.. they die because they sow many seeds in one pot to get a quick clump of lets say parsley, and there is not enough space for roots or the large leaves in such a tiny pot.

[Deltawhiskey]

I bought some cut Rosemary to give my little plants a chance to grow and to keep it fresh I put it in water in the kitchen window sill. A week later it had produced roots. I now have some new Rosemary plants. I think that is value for money!

David

[Marb67]

Some of the shoots have managed to survive and grow BUT can someone tell me how and why it now has aphids all over it when it has been indoors with no open windows ALL the time ? I swear they materialize out of thin air.

[roitelet]

I swear they materialize out of thin air.

Yes they do!!!!!!!!!

[vixylix]

They literally do - I just give my plants a shake outside and a bit of a time out, on a coolish day and then they usually clear off for a while. It gets to a point where the plants are no longer worth it though and then I start again

[Marb67]

I put it outside with some garlic water and tee tree oil to help them on their way a bit faster.

[snakeshack]

I grow sundews and Butterwort on the window cill , they both eat sciara flies and aphids although they sometimes infest new growth on the sundews,you can however pick them off with a mature leaf.they make great fertilizer for insectivourus plants and I love the feeling of payback.

[Jimmy]

Cucumbers are my pet hate....they barely last a couple of days in the fridge before starting to go soft and mouldy Yet this year I grew my own Hana cucumbers and they lasted longer than a fortnight (cropped faster than we could eat them haha) and were still firm and juicy!

It must be the way they intensively grow stuff for shops It's very frustrating!

Absolutely, shop ones only last a few days, own grown weeks.
Jimmy