June 12, 2017 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ottawa, ON
Posts: 128
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What's wrong with my rosemary?
Hello all,
Another in my what's wrong series! The leaves have curled, have white spots, and the whole plant looks sickly. I always have problems with rosemary. Salaam |
June 12, 2017 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Ontario
Posts: 3,896
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Rosemary prefers a light, well-drained, alkaline soil. It doesn't like to be over-watered. Perhaps you have been loving it a little too much (with the watering?)
Linda |
June 12, 2017 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ottawa, ON
Posts: 128
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I think I've watered it once. We've had a lot of rain here and no watering was needed. I think there's only an organic potting mix in pot .
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June 12, 2017 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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They hate nitrogen.
Worth |
June 12, 2017 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Near Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 1,940
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Might be mildew - give it lots of fresh air and sunshine! As others have said, not too wet (if you have a lot of rain, maybe move under a protective overhanging roof edge?), not too dry, and no fertilizer. Good luck!
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June 12, 2017 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 3,825
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I think your dirt is too good. Fill a pot with caliche and top with some nice flinty rocks. Then neglect water and fertilizer. Then watch it smile.
__________________
Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers |
June 12, 2017 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
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Powdery mildew. Doesn't look too bad yet. Very common. Wet feet and too good of a
fresh fluffy soil. Especially if it has moisture control. I can't over-winter rosemary so i pick up a nice fresh grown plant like yours every season. It goes right into a pot that grew something else last year. Nice spent soil, good drainage, sometimes add some sand. No mulch. No food. For a cure i believe potassium bicarbonate is the best solution. It is a contact fungicide and will kill off the fungal spores. I use baking soda on my zucchini but it is only effective as a preventative. Not a cure. Seems counterintuitive to use water, but laying the pot on its side, spraying heavily to prevent the puffy loose spores from sticking like a good bath, then spraying... and get it in some wind to dry off quickly. And changing the soil will keep it from coming back. Cheap stuff. Dirt. Loves sun but not wet feet. Mimic dessert dry conditions. And ignore. If you can't move it out of the rain, cover the soil of your pot with something, like a plastic sleeve so it doesn't get a constant saturation. Mine is doing just fine in old soil even with some good storms. Some use a milk spray or dilute vinegar, even mouthwash. |
June 12, 2017 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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Cactus mix works good.
Worth |
June 12, 2017 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Ontario
Posts: 3,896
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What Oakley said sounds great!
Reminds me that I finally discovered how to grow Lavender, another med. native. It likes gravel and sand, and drought. I gave it what it needs by planting it along the side of the house under the eaves in builder's sand. Finally, it is happy! I bet Rosemary would love it there too! Linda |
June 12, 2017 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 3,825
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Rosemary really likes full sun, though it will do well enough in bright shade.
__________________
Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers |
June 12, 2017 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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Rosemary also thrives as a houseplant, for the dry soil and neglect that it gets - although it will also get leggy for trying to climb out the windows towards that sun!
My rosemary is huge and a shocking shape... I just potted up to a ten gallon container and a summer in the greenhouse, but I need to air layer and root the gazillion disoriented side shoots. |
June 12, 2017 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 3,825
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Think it could be trained to be a living, and really good smelling, Christmas tree?
__________________
Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers |
June 12, 2017 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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June 14, 2017 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ottawa, ON
Posts: 128
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Well, I don't know if I have time to change the soil. Maybe mix some sand into it. But I'll be sure not to water it and not to add any compost or fertilizer, ever! It's better the last couple of days as we've finally been getting sun.
By the way, there are folks here who overwinter in ground! Some also are able to overwinter inside. It's very hit and miss, I gather. |
June 14, 2017 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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I think some varieties of Rosemary are touted for hardiness, only to about freezing though so it's surprising they make it in Ottawa!
I've kept mine in the greenhouse as late as February one year, but then rescued it inside as temperatures were dropping lower. The mass that stores summer heat for the longer term is only enough for a mild winter after a hot summer, but we don't seem to be getting that combo much! Other woody mediterranean herbs overwinter here very well with some dieback depending on how harsh a winter. I have thyme and sage plants that have kept going for 20+ years. Hyssop (which is the closest thing to an alternate for rosemary) is a bit less hardy and also seems intolerant of weeds or other competition so needs a bit more care... I had to replant once in the same time period. |
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