I was wandering around my local LIDLs supermarket yesterday, just topping up
a few essentials (Rioja, Chenin Blanc, Stilton (don't tell my cardiologist)
etc) - when I stumbled across a counter full of herb plants - Basil, Persil
and my fav Coriander.

In typical cavalier spirit - sparing no expense (59p mind) I grabbed a pot
of Coriander and placed it in my basket - I also grabbed a pack of something
called Rocket, which I have heard of but never (knowingly) tasted - to these
I added a Cos, some onions (red and spring) peppers etc - it is a long time
since I treated Alice - and I thought - what a nice surprise - but I digress
....

I have selected a nice big earthenware pot and intend planting the Coriander
in some Multi-purpose compost, and will place it in a suitable corner of the
deck. Should I select a shady corner, or will sun be better ? I imagine
something so succulent will like lots of water ?

I do recall doing something similar a long time ago - but it all went to
seed :-( - am I wasting my time - it is not about saving 59p - it is about
eating something I have grown myself.

If saving money were the issue I would grow Rocket - at 99p a bag (leaves
not plant) that is a nice little earner. Can this be done ?

I live in a very warm area of South Wales - close to the Severn - just over
the water from Weston-super-mare. We rarely get frost (snow has never
settled overnight) - and it is warm enough for shorts well into October.

any help would be much appreciated.

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 07:54:54 +0000 (UTC), "Lol"
wrote:

I was wandering around my local LIDLs supermarket yesterday, just topping up
a few essentials (Rioja, Chenin Blanc, Stilton (don't tell my cardiologist)
etc) - when I stumbled across a counter full of herb plants - Basil, Persil
and my fav Coriander.

In typical cavalier spirit - sparing no expense (59p mind) I grabbed a pot
of Coriander and placed it in my basket - I also grabbed a pack of something
called Rocket, which I have heard of but never (knowingly) tasted - to these
I added a Cos, some onions (red and spring) peppers etc - it is a long time
since I treated Alice - and I thought - what a nice surprise - but I digress
...

I have selected a nice big earthenware pot and intend planting the Coriander
in some Multi-purpose compost, and will place it in a suitable corner of the
deck. Should I select a shady corner, or will sun be better ? I imagine
something so succulent will like lots of water ?

I do recall doing something similar a long time ago - but it all went to
seed :-( - am I wasting my time - it is not about saving 59p - it is about
eating something I have grown myself.

If saving money were the issue I would grow Rocket - at 99p a bag (leaves
not plant) that is a nice little earner. Can this be done ?

I live in a very warm area of South Wales - close to the Severn - just over
the water from Weston-super-mare. We rarely get frost (snow has never
settled overnight) - and it is warm enough for shorts well into October.
any help would be much appreciated.

Good luck with the coriander! I have never succeeded in keeping
pot-grown coriander (from Lidl, Tesco etc) beyond a couple of days. As
soon as I remove the sleeve, the stalks flop over and once I have cut
one lot of leaves, I seldom get any more.
Your experiment will be interesting. The supermarket ones have been
forced in un-natural conditions and seem to object when introduced to
normal household conditions.

AS for rocket, yes you can grow it, but I doubt you'll get leaves as
good as the Lidl ones, which are a favourite of mine.

You can grow both from seed. Might be worth a try now as you are in a
warm area, but better to start in Spring. Keep us posted.


Pam in Bristol

In article ,
Pam Moore writes:
|
| AS for rocket, yes you can grow it, but I doubt you'll get leaves as
| good as the Lidl ones, which are a favourite of mine.

As with most leaf vegetables, the key to 'supermarket quality'
leaves is to grow it warm with plenty of water. A better approach
is to not worry - though watering in hot, dry weather is a good
idea, as it bolts fairly fast in such conditions.

| You can grow both from seed. Might be worth a try now as you are in a
| warm area, but better to start in Spring. Keep us posted.

Rocket is no problem. It will grow in any normal UK conditions,
including light and even moderate frost, except during the lightless
days of midwinter (when nothing will). Sow now for autumn use.

I save my own seed, and it seeds itself, but isn't a pernicious weed.

Coriander is a right b*gg*r at any time of year, and I am one of
the many people who has never grown it successfully. It needs
continual warmth, water and fairly high humidity, so is very hard
to grow well in the UK except in a controlled environment.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 07:54:54 +0000 (UTC), "Lol"
wrote:

I was wandering around my local LIDLs supermarket yesterday, just topping up
a few essentials (Rioja, Chenin Blanc, Stilton (don't tell my cardiologist)
etc) - when I stumbled across a counter full of herb plants - Basil, Persil
and my fav Coriander.

In typical cavalier spirit - sparing no expense (59p mind) I grabbed a pot
of Coriander and placed it in my basket - I also grabbed a pack of something
called Rocket, which I have heard of but never (knowingly) tasted - to these
I added a Cos, some onions (red and spring) peppers etc - it is a long time
since I treated Alice - and I thought - what a nice surprise - but I digress
...

I have selected a nice big earthenware pot and intend planting the Coriander
in some Multi-purpose compost, and will place it in a suitable corner of the
deck. Should I select a shady corner, or will sun be better ? I imagine
something so succulent will like lots of water ?

I've had Coriander grow on quite well when shoved in the middle of a
dense flower bed in full sun. The surrounding plants give it support,
and the ground cover keeps the earth moist as the plant finds its way
up into the sun.
I can't actually stand Coriander as leaf herb, I grew it for the seeds
which I find more useful in the kitchen.

Quick recipe:
Quantity of new spuds, quantity of leeks.
Slice spuds in half, slice leeks up into rings. Place in warmed dish
sufficiently large to allow veg to sit in one layer.
Drizzle with good olive oil, chuck in a knob of butter.
Crush tablespoon of black peppercorns, ditto coriander seeds, sprinkle
over veg and toss lightly. Sprinkle veg with sea salt. Cover with foil
and pop in moderate oven for 30-40 mins. Remove foil for last 15
minutes if you like your leeks with a bit of brown.

I do recall doing something similar a long time ago - but it all went to
seed :-( - am I wasting my time - it is not about saving 59p - it is about
eating something I have grown myself.

If saving money were the issue I would grow Rocket - at 99p a bag (leaves
not plant) that is a nice little earner. Can this be done ?

Easy enough to grow, but Flea Beetle will scoff the lot of you're not
careful. Could be worth growing under fleece.

Nasturtiums and Land Cress produce interesting leaves to spice up a
salad bowl too.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

Coriander is a right b*gg*r at any time of year, and I am one of
the many people who has never grown it successfully. It needs
continual warmth, water and fairly high humidity, so is very hard
to grow well in the UK except in a controlled environment.

? I've grown both sorts in our last, cold garden with no problem.
Germinated in the cold GH, transplanted to open garden (very rich soil)
, plenty of the rain and humidity with which Scotland is so richly
blessed. I haven't yet got round to trying it in the much sandier more
freedraining soil here.

Has LOL bought the flat-leaf-sort (cilantro) or the seed sort? (much
finer, wispier leaves)

In any case, I think the sunny place on the deck should be reserved
for Alice.

Janet.

Hi,

I'm afraid to say that your average supermarket pot of herbs doesn't tend to last for a very long time - they are designed to be used within a few weeks of purchase, although with care and attention they can last a lot longer (I can usually get a large healthy looking basil to last several months on the kitchen windowledge - the trick is to pinch out the new top growth for cooking use, which encourages it to bush out, and water frequently). They are usually planted far too close together to be healthy, which will lead to bolting in a very short time. I have experimented a few times with coriander amongst others, and have never had any sucess. You are likely to have much more success growing it from seed yourself - the seeds can be bought cheaply from most places that sell herb & veg seeds, and are fairly easy to grow. Apparently you can also successfully germinate seeds bought for cooking, but I suspect there would be a much lower germination rate than with using seeds specifically sold for planting, so it might not be worth it. I've only grown coriander from seed twice, and although it wasn't a huge success, by the second attempt I had a usable crop for much longer than any supermarket herb pot. I suspect my downfall, as it is with most plants, is my absent minded approach to watering!!

Supermarket bought herb pots are fine for the purpose they are grown for - providing fresh herbs for a few weeks, but generally not ideal for planting out or attempting to keep growing for a long time.

As for the rocket, this is very pretty easy to grow from seed in a pot or the garden, and can be sown right through from spring to late summer (probably even longer in your area by the sounds of it). Only prob is they are prone to bolting too - i must admit I've never successfully grown a decent crop of rocket without it bolting, which I know is mainly due to the fact that I'm incredibly busy and rather forgetful, therefore I am not great at keeping up a rigourous watering schedule!! Rocket really does need to be watered frequently; and keep it at the spacing recommended on the packet. The first time I planted it I was tempted to cram it too close together, resulting in spindly plants and it all running to seed very quickly.

Almost all herbs & veg are vastly cheaper to grow yourself than to buy, so it is a really good way to save money. The main drawback, however, is the amount of time and effort they require, and the dissapointment when crops fail, but the satisfaction of eating something you've grown yourself is worth it! If, like me, you're not sure if you can spare the time or effort to grow a lot, just start off with a few things - herbs are good because they can be expensive to buy but mostly relatively easy to grow at home (plus they smell lovely!).

Good luck!

"Nick Maclaren" wrote

Rocket is no problem. It will grow in any normal UK conditions,
including light and even moderate frost, except during the lightless
days of midwinter (when nothing will). Sow now for autumn use.

I save my own seed, and it seeds itself, but isn't a pernicious weed.

Ours all went the way of the slugs, the while row!



Coriander is a right b*gg*r at any time of year, and I am one of
the many people who has never grown it successfully. It needs
continual warmth, water and fairly high humidity, so is very hard
to grow well in the UK except in a controlled environment.

The best Coriander we have had was a self seeded clump that came up amongst
our potatoes a couple of years ago, took some time to run to seed unlike the
deliberately planted stuff.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

The message
from Stephen Howard contains these words:

I've had Coriander grow on quite well when shoved in the middle of a
dense flower bed in full sun. The surrounding plants give it support,
and the ground cover keeps the earth moist as the plant finds its way
up into the sun.
I can't actually stand Coriander as leaf herb, I grew it for the seeds
which I find more useful in the kitchen.

However, be aware that the coriander used for a leaf herb is a different
variety from the one grown for seed.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article ,
Kay wrote:
In article , missdipsy missdipsy.1
writes

I'm afraid to say that your average supermarket pot of herbs doesn't
tend to last for a very long time - they are designed to be used within
a few weeks of purchase, although with care and attention they can last
a lot longer (I can usually get a large healthy looking basil to last
several months on the kitchen windowledge - the trick is to pinch out
the new top growth for cooking use, which encourages it to bush out,
and water frequently).

They will flourish if you divide them into about 4 separate clumps and
pot up separately. IME this is a more expensive but lot simpler way of
getting a few pots of basil than trying to grow the same from seed. The
seed germinate fine, but missing a critical watering when tiny can kill
the lot.

I disagree that it is a lot simpler. I don't find that basil is
particularly sensitive to being forgotten.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes
In article ,
Kay wrote:
In article , missdipsy missdipsy.1
writes

I'm afraid to say that your average supermarket pot of herbs doesn't
tend to last for a very long time - they are designed to be used within
a few weeks of purchase, although with care and attention they can last
a lot longer (I can usually get a large healthy looking basil to last
several months on the kitchen windowledge - the trick is to pinch out
the new top growth for cooking use, which encourages it to bush out,
and water frequently).

They will flourish if you divide them into about 4 separate clumps and
pot up separately. IME this is a more expensive but lot simpler way of
getting a few pots of basil than trying to grow the same from seed. The
seed germinate fine, but missing a critical watering when tiny can kill
the lot.

I disagree that it is a lot simpler. I don't find that basil is
particularly sensitive to being forgotten.

Maybe I'm just better at forgetting than you ;-)

It is, however, a magnet for greenfly.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Pam Moore" wrote

-snip-

Good luck with the coriander! I have never succeeded in keeping
pot-grown coriander (from Lidl, Tesco etc) beyond a couple of days.

Sadly I decided that it would be clever to plant it 5 inches below the
surface of a nice brick textured red ornamental pot - thus allowing the rim
to support the plant until it was strong enough - it rained yesterday and
the leaves are all now welded to the side of the pot :-(

.... but it is the little failures in life that make the successes such a
pleasure - 59p for Coriander is a bargain - and there are much bigger fish
to fry - like my new Clematis Montana -

oh - and yes - I did plant some seeds from the herb jars - so as warned - if
I get anything it will be the wrong kind of Coriander - but I feel sure it
will be very pretty - my first plant from seed - I have taken the precaution
of putting it INSIDE the conservatory :-)

regards Lol

[quote=Lol] Hi, I'm a new member finding my way around & read your feature. I'm no expert but I think it's a little late for planting corriander. I've grown my best yet this year & am now drying the seeds. If your plant starts to flower leave them on until the green seeds appear, leave the seeds at least a further 2weeks before cutting off the stems & drying the seeds for cultivation next year. I have alot of seeds...Are there exchanges on this web site?QUOTE]

[quote=Lol]

The message
from "Lol" contains these words:

oh - and yes - I did plant some seeds from the herb jars - so as warned - if
I get anything it will be the wrong kind of Coriander - but I feel sure it
will be very pretty - my first plant from seed - I have taken the precaution
of putting it INSIDE the conservatory :-)

The leaves will taste more-or-less the same, but will be smaller, and
the plant will go to seed a lot quicker.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/