Why rosemary can dry in a pot at home and what to do
Why rosemary in a pot dries at home - a question of gardeners who grow or overexpose the plant on the windowsill. Yesterday, the bush delighted with cheerful leaves and a spicy aroma, and today it has withered away.
Why this is happening is unclear. The care is well organized. The summer resident does not move away from the container with the plant: watering, feeding. And the bush suddenly dropped the narrow leaves and dried up. The search for the reasons begins.
Rosemary is a plant on the shores of the Mediterranean. There he densely populates valleys and mountain slopes. Salty humid winds blow on it. Sometimes you have to endure a short drought. But winters are warm: the temperature does not drop below 0 degrees. And the sun always shines brightly. If the gardener creates the same atmosphere at home, the problem will be solved by itself.
Features of growing rosemary on a windowsill
Rosemary is forced to exist in urban apartments. He will not be able to fully adapt. He should be helped:
- Even in warm and sunny regions, the illumination of the plant on the windowsill is hundreds of times lower than that of the outside. The shrub is required to be illuminated. Agrolamp is the most suitable for the spectrum. In summer, daylight hours are 16-18 hours, in winter - 6.
- Indoor humidity is very different from that of the Mediterranean. Heating is turned off in summer. The gardener will cope with the problem by spraying the bush once a day.
- It gets too dry in winter: humidification of the air in the rosemary area is required. It is optimal to place rosemary in a winter garden. In the absence of this, it is recommended to place containers with water next to the bush (in regions with a cold climate - ice and snow).
- An original way to increase the humidity of the air: pour expanded clay into a pallet or over the soil of the pot. The material absorbs water easily. When dry, it humidifies the air around the rosemary.
- In summer, rosemary requires a temperature of 23-25 degrees Celsius. It is not difficult to fulfill this condition.
- During the dormant period (November to April), the temperature should be reduced to 6 degrees Celsius. To do this, a pot of rosemary is brought closer to the glass and fenced off from the hot air of the room with a transparent cover. In old houses, the container is placed between the frames and the temperature is controlled with a thermometer.
- Water the rosemary only after the topsoil has dried. It is impossible to expect complete dryness of the soil.
- It is recommended to turn rosemary to the light twice a day: otherwise the gardener will get a one-sided plant. The shaded crown develops more slowly.
It becomes clear why a rosemary grower at home is having problems.The bush grew quietly in the country garden, did not require attention. And at home everything turned upside down: you need to create a greenhouse for one plant.
Basic care requirements
The main question of gardeners: why do the leaves of the spice turn black. This is how the plant reacts to unfit keeping conditions. Drying and subsequent fall of foliage occurs when:
- overflow or irregular watering;
- too low air humidity;
- combination of low illumination and high air temperature;
- applying too much fertilizer;
- invasion of pests.
Often summer residents are interested in: why, when moving from a site to a house, the spice drops its foliage. Conditions of detention are competent. This is how the plant adapts to the changed conditions.
Pot and soil
The spice has a developed root system. He needs an annual regular transplant for the first 5 years. It is held in the spring.
The next container should be sized to fit the plant in the current container. Usually the volume of a new pot is 2/3 larger than the previous one.
The flower soil prefers slightly alkaline, loose with an admixture of rubble. It is prepared independently or bought in a store. The composition of the soil for the bush:
- 1 part neutral peat;
- 1 part humus or mature compost;
- 2 parts of sod land;
- 1 part of crushed stone.
All components should be thoroughly mixed and moistened.
Lighting
Gardeners are interested in why rosemary stops growing and developing at home. The reason is insufficient lighting.
In winter, the plant is dormant. Daylight hours do not exceed 6 hours. Stunted growth is the norm.
In the spring and summer, a lack of light will kill the rosemary. The plant is recommended to light up to 16-18 hours. Putting a pot with a bush on a balcony or loggia in good weather will restore the health of the green pet.
Pests and diseases in indoor conditions
Often on the forums, gardeners ask the question: why do the pet's leaves dry. This is a formidable signal: the bush is sick or affected by pests.
Spider mite
It is an insect sucking juice. It can only be detected when through dots appear on the leaf plates and cobwebs on the back of the foliage. The pest infects weakened plants. The conditions for its parasitism are dry air and high temperature.
The bush loses its strength if the containment conditions are violated. It is worth correcting the situation - and the spider mite will disappear. Spraying with insecticides is ineffective: it does not affect the laid eggs.
Aphid
If a pest is found, rosemary should be washed with a solution of laundry or tar soap. It is recommended to process only the ground part. To protect the soil, the pot should be placed in a plastic bag and tied tightly.
Whitefly
This is a small butterfly. Its larvae feed on rosemary juice. Appears when high temperature and humidity are combined. Signs of appearance:
- when shaking the bush, white butterflies fly out;
- leaves become sticky;
- white scales (larvae) are visible on the plant;
- the leaves are covered with black dots.
To eliminate the pest, the conditions for keeping the flower should be improved. Spray the plant with insecticides at the same time. Sticky fly traps placed around the bush will help.
Mildew
Gardeners ask: why does rosemary in the room get sick with peronosporosis? A visitor from the Mediterranean is an unusual plant. Downy mildew is found on it too late: the leaves have already turned black and fallen off.
The cause of the disease is a combination of high humidity and coolness.
It is impossible to save the bush in case of severe damage. At the onset of the disease, the damaged parts should be cut off, sprayed with copper-containing preparations, and the soil should be completely replaced. It is recommended to wash the pot thoroughly and scald with boiling water.