A couple of times I have bought growing herbs in pots like Basil
,Parsley or Coriander etc from supermarkets and while they are fine
and very healthy when you buy them they never survive more than a few
days . I'm assuming that they are forced to get to the "selling" stage
but has anyone ever bought these and got them to last ?
Any tips esp'y what sort of compost if repotting them .

On Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:33:38 +0000, Usenet Nutter
wrote:

A couple of times I have bought growing herbs in pots like Basil
,Parsley or Coriander etc from supermarkets and while they are fine
and very healthy when you buy them they never survive more than a few
days . I'm assuming that they are forced to get to the "selling" stage
but has anyone ever bought these and got them to last ?

I do this every year with both curly parsley and flat-leaved parsley
bought from supermarkets.

I break up the potted plants into about 5 -6 pieces and plant them
directly into an unheated greenhouse border (from about May onwards)

I usually get a large long-lasting crop, enough to supply myself and
neighbours and plenty enough to swill off, bag up and deep freeze for
winter use.

Basil is not quite so amenable and mint is OK as long as you confine
it to large pots

--
(¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯)

"®óñ© © ²°¹°" wrote...
Usenet Nutter wrote:

A couple of times I have bought growing herbs in pots like Basil
,Parsley or Coriander etc from supermarkets and while they are fine
and very healthy when you buy them they never survive more than a few
days . I'm assuming that they are forced to get to the "selling" stage
but has anyone ever bought these and got them to last ?

I do this every year with both curly parsley and flat-leaved parsley
bought from supermarkets.

I break up the potted plants into about 5 -6 pieces and plant them
directly into an unheated greenhouse border (from about May onwards)

I usually get a large long-lasting crop, enough to supply myself and
neighbours and plenty enough to swill off, bag up and deep freeze for
winter use.

Basil is not quite so amenable and mint is OK as long as you confine
it to large pots

We do similar but plant out on the allotment.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Usenet Nutter" wrote in message
...
A couple of times I have bought growing herbs in pots like Basil
,Parsley or Coriander etc from supermarkets and while they are fine
and very healthy when you buy them they never survive more than a few
days . I'm assuming that they are forced to get to the "selling" stage
but has anyone ever bought these and got them to last ?
Any tips esp'y what sort of compost if repotting them .

I've been very successful with supermarket parsley.
They are always long and leggy but I plant them in the garden - the leggy
top growth often dies back (so I often cut and use it before it does) but it
shoots up again and lasts 2 years.
I have such a plant as we speak, got it for 35p a few days ago (was 1.19) in
the sell by date stuff. It's too early to plant it out yet, but when I do I
have every confidence it will go.
Saves me the trouble of sowing parsley, it can be a real pain to get going
and at 35p it will not break the bank if it doesn't.
Tina

On Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:01:03 -0000, "Christina Websell"
wrote:

I've been very successful with supermarket parsley.
They are always long and leggy but I plant them in the garden - the leggy
top growth often dies back (so I often cut and use it before it does) but it
shoots up again and lasts 2 years.
I have such a plant as we speak, got it for 35p a few days ago (was 1.19) in
the sell by date stuff. It's too early to plant it out yet, but when I do I
have every confidence it will go.
Saves me the trouble of sowing parsley, it can be a real pain to get going
and at 35p it will not break the bank if it doesn't.

I planted some supermarket parsley in a 10" pot last May.

I have used some of the growth, but in early December I put the pot
outside and ignored it.

It has been frozen solid, covered in 6" of snow and always totally
ignored. I notice yesterday that it seems exceeding perky and
showing signs of new season's growth


--
(¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯)

Usenet Nutter wrote:
A couple of times I have bought growing herbs in pots like Basil
,Parsley or Coriander etc from supermarkets and while they are fine
and very healthy when you buy them they never survive more than a few
days . I'm assuming that they are forced to get to the "selling" stage
but has anyone ever bought these and got them to last ?
Any tips esp'y what sort of compost if repotting them .


Interestingly my supposition that you would get a better response to
your question on this NG as opposed to "uk.d-i-y was totally wrong.
I'm very surprised as normally they are quite a helpful bunch.
Returning to your original question, the only herb that we ( by we I
mean SWMBO) have had problems with is Basil,it seems to be quite
sensitive to low temperatures.
despite repotting and hardening off, the variety we had from the
supermarket seemed to be resent temperatures at or around 5degC as found
in our conservatory at night during the winter period. It grows well
however on the kitchen windowsill (SW facing), the temp there does not
go below approx 15deg C.
Hope this helps.
Don

"Usenet Nutter" wrote in message
...
A couple of times I have bought growing herbs in pots like Basil
,Parsley or Coriander etc from supermarkets and while they are fine
and very healthy when you buy them they never survive more than a few
days . I'm assuming that they are forced to get to the "selling" stage
but has anyone ever bought these and got them to last ?
Any tips esp'y what sort of compost if repotting them .

Although you have had several encouraging answers I would prefer to say 'it
depends' on several things. (I work at one of those supermarkets.) These
plants travel a long way in the dark and cold. They are probably put on the
top shelf (nearest the heating). They are unlikely to get watered between
leaving the original supplier and going home with you. If delivered by a
home shopping van they may be too tall for the trays and get battered every
time the tray of shopping is moved on. Etc.
So yes, you have a good chance of keeping them successfully, but don't be
surprised if they fail.

Usenet Nutter wrote:
A couple of times I have bought growing herbs in pots like Basil
,Parsley or Coriander etc from supermarkets and while they are fine
and very healthy when you buy them they never survive more than a few
days . I'm assuming that they are forced to get to the "selling" stage
but has anyone ever bought these and got them to last ?
Any tips esp'y what sort of compost if repotting them .

The MiL had a basil plant from Tesco for Christmas Eve ingredients, and
she's just gone on holiday and left what is left of it for me. It was
healthy and growing fine. Although it isn't any more, cos I fed it to the
chickens. :-)