Green bugs on my coriander

[Qpigs]

I have successfully keep alive many generations of spider plants and aloe vera, but I am struggling with coriander! It's on my kitchen windowsill where it gets enough sun. But it's covered in little, green bugs and while picking some for the pigs this morning, I picked out a green caterpillar thing.

I am lazy, in that I buy the pregrown pots from the supermarket, but I'm on my third plant in 3 months. Is there anything I can do to prevent it being eaten alive? Where are they coming from?!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Are they green fly?
If so, then that happens. If you could put it outside the ants would find it and resolve the big issue

If you’re on your third one in three months then each plant is lasting a month… this is the problem with supermarket plants.
Each coriander plant actually has the ability to last for the whole season and not need to be replaced at all but it won’t work if supermarket plants are just kept in the pots they come in -

Supermarket pots are multiple plants stuck into one (too small) pot so if you don’t want to sow seed, the best thing to try is when you get them home, split each individual plant up and pot into its own pot (or at least split them up but put them into one much larger pot so there is space between each individual plant) so each one has much more room to grow. You can then harvest from a couple of plants and then move into harvesting from a couple more allowed the first few to regrow and so on. You should be able to keep each individual plant growing all season with no need to replace if you have that succession. Coriander is a cut and come again.

It will bolt if kept outside in heat though so if you do put it out and it warms up, then move them back inside

 

[AidaB]

I have no luck keeping coriander plants alive either. I have tried growing from seed, buying supermarket pots- putting them outside in bigger pots.
Good luck.

 

[piggieminder]

I used to be able to grow coriander from seed and keep it going but now I get one cut and it doesn't grow again. I have managed 2 cuts by repotting bought plants.

 

[Piggies2023]

Are they green fly?
If so, then that happens. If you could put it outside the ants would find it and resolve the big issue

If you’re on your third one in three months then each plant is lasting a month… this is the problem with supermarket plants.
Each coriander plant actually has the ability to last for the whole season and not need to be replaced at all but it won’t work if supermarket plants are just kept in the pots they come in -

Supermarket pots are multiple plants stuck into one (too small) pot so if you don’t want to sow seed, the best thing to try is when you get them home, split each individual plant up and pot into its own pot (or at least split them up but put them into one much larger pot so there is space between each individual plant) so each one has much more room to grow. You can then harvest from a couple of plants and then move into harvesting from a couple more allowed the first few to regrow and so on. You should be able to keep each individual plant growing all season with no need to replace if you have that succession. Coriander is a cut and come again.

It will bolt if kept outside in heat though so if you do put it out and it warms up, then move them back inside

What compost is safe for this please? I always get confused by this because compost from shops normally have fertiliser in. But if you fertilise your lawn you have to keep guinea pigs off until you've cut it multiple times.

I want to put my corinador into new pots as it does die quickly from a too small pot but not sure on the compost