Rosemary

[lovelygreenleaves]

Another question! My rosemary's not looking great - its gone a bit yellow. Can I rescue it?

[Millymollymandy]

Need more info! Is it in a pot, how old is it, how big is it, when did it start going yellow, is it dry there, could it need watering, is it overwatered????

[lovelygreenleaves]

Need more info! Is it in a pot, how old is it, how big is it, when did it start going yellow, is it dry there, could it need watering, is it overwatered????

Hi MMM, it's in a pot but still has room, approx 15 inches high, has plenty of water (I'm in the UK!) but not too much. Could it be too much sun or just got old? (I can't remember how old it is but a few years!)

[Millymollymandy]

OK, mine is planted out and is enormous but I still get some branches that go yellow and wither and die each year - I just cut them off. It seems to be a natural thing which it does.

I've never grown them in pots so I don't know if they do the same thing. It might be rootbound for all you know as mine grew to about 3 foot high in just 2 years planted in the ground!

Now if the whole thing is yellowing I'd be tempted to take it out of the pot and have a look see at the roots.

[lovelygreenleaves]

OK, mine is planted out and is enormous but I still get some branches that go yellow and wither and die each year - I just cut them off. It seems to be a natural thing which it does.

I've never grown them in pots so I don't know if they do the same thing. It might be rootbound for all you know as mine grew to about 3 foot high in just 2 years planted in the ground!

Now if the whole thing is yellowing I'd be tempted to take it out of the pot and have a look see at the roots.

Thanks MMM, I'll do that. 3 foot in 2 years, wow, maybe I should plant it in the ground!

[Annpan]

Mine is in open ground and does the same every year, big bits go yellow and brown... When I remember I cut them off and it all looks lovely again.

[Millymollymandy]

Oh good, glad it's not just mine then!

Mine keeps self seeding in the gravel and I've got two young plants in the veg patch from last year's self seeded ones which are about 9" in all directions and there's about 30 more from this year coming up in the gravel drive.

[Carltonian Man]

My potted rosemary's always yellowed until I took the advice of feeding them occasionally with watered-down urine (the roots... not the leaves ). Now they're green and lush.

CM

[wulf]

The yellowing was probably caused by nitrogen deficiency then (urine is a nitrogen source).

Wulf

[Green Aura]

If you've got the space it will be much happier in the ground. I don't know where you live but mine was perfectly OK in Manchester and Annpan's quite a bit further north still.

Yellowing leaves can also be magnesium deficiency -a tsp of epsom salts in a full watering can will do the trick.