Home Harvest Fresh

Plant Care

For your Fresh Herbs & Leafy Greens

Place your plant near a well-lit window but avoid drafts in the colder months. Your plants were designed specifically for our greenhouse where we water from the bottom.

Pour water directly into the brown wrapper so the plants can absorb the water through the holes in the white plastic wrapper. Water sparingly and avoid getting the foliage wet. Watering once a week should be enough.

You can determine whether to water it or not by picking it up. If it still has a little weight to it, it is fine but if it is light as air, it’s time to water it again. The most common mistake is over watering and the plant will tend to wilt and die. If the plant still feels heavy and wet after a few days, remove the plant from the brown wrapper and place it on a saucer to help dry it out.

Our herbs are ready for harvest, but you can extend the life of the plant by repotting it in a well drained container. Simply remove the white plastic wrapper and transplant the whole block in a pot with some fresh potting soil.

You can plant your herb outside; however, it is recommended to wait until May.

Harvesting should be done from the top down. Cut or pinch right above a leaf pair rather than leaving a stub. This forces the leaves to grow. Remove any flowers. You can safely trim back about 1/3 of the plant.

If you have too many leaves to use at once, you can freeze them.

Should your plant die, you can compost it. You’ll need to remove the white wrapper, that can be put into your plastic recycling (check your local municipality) The rest of the plant and growing medium can be added to your compost bin. The coco coir helps cut down on unpleasant smells and won’t attract as many pests.

Alternatively, you may also loosen the coir and top up garden beds or planters with it, it’ll help keep the soil moist for longer.

Note: We don’t just sell Basil, we have a variety of Herbs and Greens available such as:

  • Chives
  • Cilantro
  • Dill
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Sage
  • Thai Basil
  • Thyme
  • Rosemary
  • Lavender
  • Butterhead lettuce
  • Curly Leaf lettuce
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Spearmint (seasonal)

Ask the Produce Manager at your local grocer about availability!

Be sure to check out our Instagram page at homeharvestfresh for recipes & more.

Thank you for choosing Houweling’s Home Harvest & Enjoy!

Transplanting Guide

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to transplant basil:

  1. Choose a location: Select a sunny spot with well draining soil or a pot with adequate drainage. Basil thrives in full sunlight.
  2. Prepare the soil: loosen the soil in the new location and amend it with compost. For transplanting to a pot, use a quality potting mix (available at garden centers and hardware stores)
  3. Make sure your plant has been watered prior to transplanting to reduce transplant shock.
  4. Prepare a hole slightly larger than the root ball of your plant.
  5. Gently remove the plastic wrapping on the soil ball and place in the hole (no need to massage roots or loosen soil. This can cause damage to the sensitive roots)
  6. Set the plant in the hole, ensuring that the top of the root ball is level with surrounding soil. Fill in the hole around the basil plant with soil and gently press down to secure the plant.
  7. Lightly water after transplanting. After several days when the soil has become dry, water again with a low nutrient fertilizer. If you notice the new leaves look pale, add a little more fertilizer.

 

Common problems:

  • The most common issue with basil plants is growing in low light conditions. In winter months plants often “stretch” and are more susceptible to disease. Be careful to not overwater your plant and try to keep it in a bright and warm location.
  • Root damage during transplanting. Most herbs have very sensitive roots that do not like to be disturbed. Make sure your plant has been watered a few hours before transplanting. Be gentle and do no pull apart or massage root balls. if the roots are very matted and thick they may need to be trimmed and massaged to allow them to grow outwards.
  • Not sterilizing tools. Make sure pots, trays, shovels, snips, or any tools that will come in contact with your plant have been cleaned properly. during transplanting roots and branches may become damaged and more susceptible to disease.
  • Overwatering. Make sure they soil dries down between waterings. Basil should be planted in a well drained soil. If it is in a pot, lift the pot to judge the need for water by how heavy it is.