Halp with chives and cilantro

[chefzomagic]

I'm a kind of newbie gardener, and trying my hand at little plants in pots before I really move outside. Given the climate of Oklahoma City, too, I think this is best, because it can rain for days, and be dry for days, or be rainy for a week, then super dry for a week. It's really a terrible climate for anyone who wants any kind of control over planting situations, and only the craziest, hardiest plants will grow without an extreme amount of care and watchfulness in the back lawn. So pots it is.

I've started with herbs. I got a basil, lavender, thyme, rosemary, cilantro and chives plant, one each. The first four all seem to be doing fine- in fact, the lavender has doubled in size since this past weekend, and the thyme went from having a few yellow leaves to being real happy, green, an perky. Now I'm keeping these near a window, on top of bookshelves, so they can get light in the afternoon and evening, from the window and the ceiling light, respectively.

Now on the first day, after I watered the chives, they perked right up, just like the other plants, but after a couple days, seem to be yellowing and sagging. They're in precisely the same kind of cardboardy peat pot as the other plants. The cilantro wasn't looking fantastic to begin with when I first got it, and I haven't seen a dramatic change in that.

One thing I did notice was that most of the other plants' pots are starting to dry out, but not the cilantro so much. The chives is in a plastic pot. What do you guys think? I've set them in the sun outside in case it is a light issue, but I think they may need better drained soil than what they have. I'd like any confirmation of suspicion. I can take photos if they'd be helpful.

[Susan W]

Let's break this down to do-able. 1st, suggest to put you little pots outside, either dappled shade or AM sun. If your nights are getting cold (40) basil needs back in. Others can go in shelter of porch etc.

Big question, are you doing pots (as in larger pots) or in ground? Do you also have flower pots going? (deck or patio type large pots).

Just FYI, as I pick up new starts, and herbs usually 4" pots, put them in on a table that has dabbled light, some sun. Can water as needed. Some get planted or potted up soon, some languish in neglect.

Your cilantro probably won't make it far. It goes in the heat (june-july).

Hope this helps, not hurts ! We wish you some successes. And there is lots of trial and error, I do both well.

[chefzomagic]

Let's break this down to do-able. 1st, suggest to put you little pots outside, either dappled shade or AM sun. If your nights are getting cold (40) basil needs back in. Others can go in shelter of porch etc.

Big question, are you doing pots (as in larger pots) or in ground? Do you also have flower pots going? (deck or patio type large pots).

Just FYI, as I pick up new starts, and herbs usually 4" pots, put them in on a table that has dabbled light, some sun. Can water as needed. Some get planted or potted up soon, some languish in neglect.

Your cilantro probably won't make it far. It goes in the heat (june-july).

Hope this helps, not hurts ! We wish you some successes. And there is lots of trial and error, I do both well.

I kinda figured cilantro was a hot weather plant, seeing as the kinds of cuisines which feature it most, and if it can go another month, I'm sure it'll be happy as a lark pretty soon. Summer gets HOT. I can set it outside then, no problem. I just repotted them all to pots or planters. I think they'll be fine, I only needed tips on the cilantro and chives.

I put the cilantro in a large 12" pot, since I've read it will want to form a largeish taproot. I took the chives out of their small pot and divided them up gently, spreading them around a large, wide planter. They're still sagging, but I found out when I took them out of their peat pot that the soil was just SOAKED. They were probably too wet. Way too wet.

I also put a little sand and gravel into the bottom of all of the pots, and used a cactus potting mix, since I read that all of these puppies really love a well drained soil, and the ones which are doing the best are the driest pots. It's very strange that a couple of them seem to have been planted in richer soil in their little planters. Considering I got them from walmart, I'm kind of guessing it's some highly absorbent moisture control type stuff, to keep them from needing to be watered, instead of a well drained soil. Places like walmart would want as little loss as possible, and minimal care requirements for any plants shipped- even if that means the soil the customer gets with the plant is the inappropriate soil for keeping it long term. Particularly if their attitude toward plants is anything like their attitude toward fish. Bettas in cups for cheap, because bettas can go a few weeks without food before they die. I'm pretty sure they never feed the bettas at Walmart ever. ...Just a thought.