Monday, May 11, 2009

I have a rosemary bush which is going brown. Does anyone know what I can do about it?

Its in a small pot and I water it regularly, but not too much. Some of the leaves are looking dead. What can I do to save my plant?

I have a rosemary bush which is going brown. Does anyone know what I can do about it?
It probably need to be repotted in a bigger pot. It could be root bound or it may need to be fed with plant food. I would repot it and feed it. Give it a good watering and see if it comes back to life in a week or 2.


Growing and Caring for Rosemary Plants


The three fundamentals for successfully growing rosemary are: Sun, Good Drainage and Good Air Circulation.


If you live in a frost free area, you can grow rosemary in the ground year round. Provide a sandy, well draining soil and 6-8 hours of full sunlight.





Rosemary is not a heavy feeder, but fertilizing in spring with a fish/kelp emulsion will get it off to a good start for the season. Periodic foliar sprays with the emulsion will keep it looking great.








Bringing Rosemary Indoors





Where the winter temperatures dip below 30 degrees F., rosemary plants will have to spend the winter indoors. In this case, it's easier to grow your rosemary in a container all year. Since rosemary likes it on the dry side, terra cotta pots are an especially good choice. Just be sure it doesn't bake and completely dry out while outdoors during the summer.





Bring the potted rosemary inside once the temperature inches into the 30s. It can be a little trickier to keep rosemary happy inside. Your rosemary plant will still require 6-8 hours of full sun, so artificial lights may be necessary. Heat is not as crucial as sunlight.








Pest and Problems of Rosemary Plants





The biggest problem with growing rosemary indoors is its tendency to get powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a white, powdery fungus that can develop if the surrounding air is humid and there is not enough air movement.





Powdery mildew won't kill your rosemary, but it will weaken the plant. Keep the humidity low by allowing the soil to dry somewhat between waterings, keeping the plant in sunlight and, if necessary, running a fan for a few hours a day to create a breeze.





Also be on the lookout for aphids and spider mites. These pests seem to live on houseplants for the winter. Catching them before a total infestation will make them easier to control. Repeated spraying with insecticidal soap, per package directions, should take care of the problem.








Maintaining a Potted Rosemary


Move your potted rosemary back outdoors once all danger of frost has past.


As with most potted plants, the soil in your rosemary pot will degenerate through watering and root growth. Repot at least once a year. Spring is a good time to repot your rosemary, but it should be fine no matter what time of year you get to it.





When the rosemary plant puts out considerable growth or looks like it just can't get enough water, it has outgrown its pot and needs to be transplanted into a larger one. If you want to maintain the size of your rosemary plant, root prune it by slicing off a couple of inches of the roots from the bottom and sides of the root ball and replanting in the same pot. Be sure to trim some of the top at the same time, to lessen the work load of the roots and the stress placed upon the trimmed plant. Then allow your repotted plant some time to regroup. It should reward you with many more seasons of snippings.
Reply:First hold the base of the plant at the top of the soil then turn it upside down. Have a look in the pot and find out if there are any snails and slugs or any nasty bugs. Check to see if the compost is not too soggy...the pot must have holes at bottom for drainage. Now transfer the plant into a slightly bigger pot with some fresh compost....but dont water it just yet. If the plant does'nt show green again then i'm afraid the roots are rotted.
Reply:Try repotting it in some new sandy soil they like damp but well drained soil.
Reply:I had the same thing happen so I repotted it.When I saw how rootbound it was I could have kicked myself.The plant had great structure and I lost some of it.New growth is coming back all over now.Good luck!
Reply:While the others are all right about pot grown plants, it may be something else as I have a rosemary showing the same symptoms but it is growing in soil in a bed. I don't know the reason, but the pot-bound/ over/under watering would not apply. If you sort it out, please let me know as I'm at a loss.


I've checked diesease books, but havn't found a match.


Baet of luck.


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