Herbs/Salads going purple in soil

Question

I planted these herbs and salads a week ago in soil. The leaves of some (mint, sage, rocket) are turning purple. Bit of a newbie question but any advice welcome!

Have been watering daily.

Thanks

Answer 1

Quite often plants will react like this when the intensity of the light changes dramatically. Moving plants from a protected warm environment inside to a much brighter spot outside is just like sunburn on the leaves which can't handle the intensity. The plant usually has enough resources that it can gradually abandon the soft "inside" leaves and grow new leaves which are hardened for the new conditions. Wait a week or so and they should recover from this temporary setback. For future reference, it is rarely necessary to start rocket inside, a sowing of seed where they are to grow will be germinated and growing within a few days even in cool weather. And anything that is best sown inside should be "hardened" to outside conditions by exposing them to a gradually increasing period of time in the wild outside.