Potted Herbs Delivery or Pickup

If you have a passion for gardening in addition to a desire for fresh herbs, then growing your herbs from seeds can be a rewarding experience. However, pre-grown herbs work well and aren't as much work. If you want the best of both worlds, you can learn to propagate the plant so that you can enjoy fresh herbs for tonight's dinner and work on growing your own in the meantime.

Some herbs are easier to grow from seeds than others. Some respond well to division and cuttings more than others. Take a few minutes to read about your favorite herbs if you're thinking about propagating them.

Each herb has a preferred temperature or season for flourishing. Do a little research for your potted herb. Do you have a basil plant that loves summer weather? Are you purchasing a cilantro plant that's most at home during the cooler months? If temperatures are getting too far away from your herb's preferred zone, bring the plant inside to cool off or warm up. If you plan on keeping your plants inside all the time, consider herbs that do well on windowsills rather than herbs that love a lot of sunlight.

You'll naturally prune your potted herbs as you take what you need for your kitchen. Between recipes, be sure to pinch off any wilted or dying parts of your plants. If you're working with an herbaceous plant, such as oregano and chives, you will likely not have to prune very often. Evergreen herbs, such as rosemary and sage, will need to be pruned about once a year. When you prune your plant, you'll want to take away about 1/3 of it so that the plant can focus on developing healthy, strong replacements for what you've taken away.

Something else you should look for as you get into your pruning routine is any herb that loses its flavor once it flowers. For example, if you don't remove the flower buds of basil plants before they bloom, you'll have bitter basil.

If you maintain your herb's health, it will likely grow larger. If you want to facilitate this growth, you may need to find a larger home for your herb when it outgrows its current pot.

You can grow your herbs in almost any container as long as the container can drain water. If you're keeping your herbs inside, make sure the pot is sitting in a tray to catch any draining water. Herbs don't want to be sitting in overly wet soil. Drainage holes help you ensure you don't accidentally drown your herbs with water.

Some herbs are toxic to animals. Before buying any plant for your home, do some research to determine whether the plant would hurt your dog or cat if ingested. Some potted herbs that you should avoid if you have animals in your house include oregano, chives, mace, garlic, lemongrass, scallions, and sorrel. If your animals get into the habit of chewing on your indoor herb garden, you should consider taking your plants outside or putting them somewhere your animals can't reach, regardless of whether the herb is toxic to them.

When you're ready to upgrade your kitchen, use the Instacart app or visit us online to see what your local stores have to offer. Fill your cart with the potted herbs and the tools you need to maintain them, and wait for an Instacart shopper to do the shopping work for you while you relax. Stocking your dream kitchen with fresh herbs is easy thanks to Instacart.