Sacha wrote:
in article , Abso at wrote on
12/10/03 6:58 pm:
I've bought a small pot of coriander plants from Sainsburys, the type
that comes pre-potted and growing, designed primarily for use as an
ingredient.
What I'm not sure of is whether this just constitutes a handy way of
keeping the herb fresh until needed, or if I can actually get them to
regenerate to give me a continous supply.
If the latter, what is the best way of harvesting in order to encourage
future re-growth? is it better to just pick the leaves off the plant
or to nip the entire stem including leaves, leaving a short stub above
the compost level?
This isn't a good time of year to be doing the regeneration thing unless you
can provide high sun levels, warmth and very free draining soil or compost.
Herbs need all those - that's why they're herbaceous and (mostly) disappear
in winter. The exceptions are the woody herbs like some Rosemary, some
Lavender, some Thymes, Bay. My experience of those super-market plants is
that they seem to have a sort of built-in obsolescence! I suspect that
they're raised - or forced - quickly under artificial conditions and that
the 'real world' proves to be too much for them.
I don't know about you, but I find most of those pots purchased in a
super-market are so root bound they barely make it through a week.
There simply isn't enough soil for them to thrive. The only ones which
I've had survive were the ones I'd replanted immediately. I have one
sage plant in my home intensive care unit for plants. *Determined* am I
to get the poor thing to survive...just to prove I can! :-)
-
Al