My Sickly Rosemary

Hi All,

I have a number of rosemary plants in my garden, most are fine, healthy, delicious... but I have one with a bit of an issue. As it was a present from someone dear to me I'm hoping to nurse it back to health, and was hoping someone here could offer some advice.

Some of the leaf tips have gone yellow/brown and the tips of the new growth isn't opening up but instead the leaves are growing into a clump (if that makes sense). A few people I know have mentioned that brown leaf tips in rosemary can mean root rot/over damp soil. However, I've taken the plant out of the pot it grows in, and had a look... the roots look very healthy. The pot it's in is well draining (pea gravel in the bottom, and a mix of sand and compost) so the roots never get over wet.

This started around January... Because we had an unusually hot Jan, this plant went into flower really early... we then had snow in feb, and all the flowers died pretty qucikly.. Im wondering if the symptoms could just be some sort of shock?

I can find loads of people mentioning brown leaf tips... but I cant find anyone that mentions clumping of new growth.

Can anyone offer some advice?

* by clumping I mean the new leaves have not opened up in the way that rosemary usually does, instead it looks like they have stuck together. In some cases this clump has died.

** in case its useful information, this rosemary has been grown into a standard... not by me...

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

First thing I thought of was drainage, but if it's not that i'd suspect some sort of insect damage.

Can you cut one of the clumps up and have a look with a magnifying glass?

 

Welcome to the forum!

I tend to overwater everything and your "clumps" sound like what happens to me because of this but as @Zigs commented, perhaps have a closer look at the leaves?

 

I've had a look at the leaves, there is a little bit of yellow speckling in some places... but no obvious bugs. I did another check of the soil, if anything it's a little dry (heatwave for the past few weeks). But as this problem has been going on since feb, I assume this isn't this issue?

If it is bugs, is there a strait forward way to treat the plant?

Thanks for the replys!
Chris

 

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=555
Rosemary Beetle

 

I don't think its the Rosemary Beetle... It was one of the first things I looked for. I've kept my eyes out for beetles, and not seen any, and it doesn't look like the rosemary is being fed on. Also, this plant is quite near to another, and that one is fine.

 

I've added a couple of images to try and better illustrate whats happening to the plant.

The image on the left best shows the white/yellow spots I'm seeing on the plant, and some of the leaf tips going brown and dying. In the image on the right I have highlighted some of "clumping" I described... this is clearest in the red circle in the top right.

The spots are making me think that it is a bug doing this... but I had another look and couldnt find any beetles.

 

I'd ruled out Rosemary beetle too, stumped on this one

 

Its the clumping that's confusing me... The yellow spots looks like its been nibbled by something, but its the clumping that's thrown me.

Interestingly, I've noticed one of my oregano plants has similar yellow spots developing.

 

Tortrix moths?

 

Just googled this, and that resembles the clumping I've seen. Just opened up one of the clumps to have a look, and I couldn't find any little bugs.

 

Its very often one tiny green caterpillar in each clump.
If its been there a while undisturbed then you might find a small pupa, usually brownish in colour.

 

No pupa, but I think I found one of the offending caterpillars though. I just went round and cut off all the clumps, and opened each individually... most were empty, but one of them had a dead-looking, dried-up worm thing...

Im wondering if they have done their damage, been and gone...

 

Grandma always said to me 'Rosemarys dirt, as rich as you can, will find you great love, in that of a man.' And here's my break down of that ~ 'Rosemary loves the richest soil you can afford. It will grow strong and delicious and make your cooking taste amazing!. Feed the man, and he will love you.'

Not sand, not compost, strong light, good breeze, water medium. Richest soil you can.

We wish you well! Me& Grandma xoxo