The Herb Essentials Plant Pack includes Cilantro, Oregano, Parsley, Sweet Basil, and Thai Basil—each with its own growing preferences. Here’s how to get the most out of each one.

Check out our full length YouTube How-To Video!

🌿 Cilantro

Flavour & Use

Great for tacos, soups, and salads. If you’re not a fan of the taste, let it go to seed and use the seeds (coriander) instead.

Care Tips

• Growing Temperature: 10–25°C (50–77°F). Avoid high heat—it speeds up flowering.
• Light: Prefers a bit less light. Place further from the light column if possible.
• Maintenance: Once your cilantro pod has germinated and the humidity dome is removed, thin the seedlings to 2–3 of the strongest ones to prevent overcrowding. Cilantro grows quickly, but it has a short leaf-producing life before bolting (flowering). Keep an eye on the temperature, as high heat can accelerate this process.
• Pruning & Harvesting: Begin harvesting when the plant reaches around 6 inches (15 cm). Trim the outer, mature stems just above the base, leaving the centre shoots intact so they can continue growing. Prune every few days to encourage fuller growth and delay flowering. Once the plant begins to flower, the leaves may develop a stronger, bitter taste.

🔗 Watch How to Prune Cilantro

🌿 Oregano

Flavour & Use

Perfect for Italian dishes, pizza, tomato sauces, and soups.

Care Tips

• Growing Temperature: 18–24°C (64–75°F) is ideal.
• Light: Loves bright light.
• Maintenance: After germination, thin your oregano to the 3 strongest seedlings per pod. Oregano tends to grow bushy and dense, so it’s helpful to gently move the stems to allow light and air to reach the lower parts of the plant. Check for signs of flowering and remove buds promptly to maintain flavour.
• Pruning & Harvesting: Wait until your oregano is about 4 inches (10 cm) tall—usually around 40–50 days after planting—before pruning. Trim stems just above a leaf cluster where you can see new growth emerging. This encourages the plant to grow outward and fuller. You can harvest regularly every 2–3 weeks for best results.

🔗 Watch How to Prune Oregano

🌿 Parsley

Flavour & Use

Parsley is a fresh, zesty herb perfect for garnishing and seasoning soups, stews, salads, sauces, and dips.

Care Tips

• Growing Temperature: 15–21°C (59–70°F). Avoid overheating or dry air.
• Light: Prefers lower light than herbs like basil or oregano. Place pods further from the light column if possible.
• Maintenance: Parsley grows slowly at first and can take up to 2 weeks to germinate. Once the dome is removed, thin down to 2–3 strong seedlings. Parsley is sensitive to nutrient burn—if you see red or yellowing on leaf tips early on, reduce the amount of fertilizer you are adding to the water tank.
• Pruning & Harvesting: Begin pruning when the plant is 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) tall and has 3–4 sets of leaves—typically 45–55 days after planting. Trim the outer, taller stems at the base, leaving younger growth in the centre untouched. Heavier, frequent pruning actually helps parsley thrive—don’t be shy to harvest all mature outer stems.

🔗 Watch How to Prune Parsley

🌿 Sweet Basil

Flavour & Use

Great in pasta, salads, pesto, smoothies, and tomato dishes.

Care Tips

• Growing Temperature: Prefers 21–29°C (70–84°F).
• Light: Thrives in full light.
• Maintenance: Thin the seedlings down to just the single healthiest one. Sweet basil requires consistent pruning every 2–3 weeks to avoid becoming tall and leggy. Regularly check for and remove any flower buds, as flowering signals the plant to stop leaf production and can result in a bitter flavour.
• Pruning & Harvesting: Once the plant has 6–8 pairs of leaves or is about 6 inches (15 cm) tall (roughly 4–6 weeks into the cycle), begin trimming. Cut just above a set of leaves, leaving two or more leaf sets below. This encourages branching and maximizes your harvest potential. The more frequently you prune, the more abundant and bushy your basil will grow.

🔗 Watch How to Prune Sweet Basil

🌿 Thai Basil

Flavour & Use

Pairs well with fried rice, noodles, spring rolls, and pho.

Care Tips

• Growing Temperature: 21–29°C (70–84°F).
• Light: Prefers bright conditions.
• Maintenance: Like sweet basil, Thai basil thrives when pruned often. Thin the seedlings down to just the single healthiest one. Be sure to maintain a clean growing environment and remove any flower buds to maintain flavour. This variety grows rapidly once established, so proactive maintenance is key to managing height and light access for surrounding plants.
• Pruning & Harvesting: Begin pruning once the plant reaches 6 inches (15 cm) or has 6–8 sets of leaves. Use clean scissors or pruning shears to trim just above a node (leaf pair) to encourage bushy growth. Regular pruning every 2–3 weeks will prevent the plant from getting too tall and shading neighbouring pods. Always remove flowering tops immediately to keep your harvest tasting fresh and flavourful.

🔗 Watch How to Prune Thai Basil

💡 Tip: Always remove flower buds early to maintain flavour and keep your herbs productive longer.

If you have questions or need more help, feel free to reach out to our support team at support@plantaform.com. Happy growing! 🌱