Herby problems
Hello, when my garden centre planted stuff on the patio, they planted this arrangement and it's starting to bother me. (attached)
I keep the pot well watered because of the tree (forgive me I can't remember the name) but I'm led to believe plants like Rosemary, Oreano and Sage don't want too much water, and they share the pot.
I must say the sage and oregano grew abundantly last summer. They look very sorry for themselves right now but that's because I had to hack it all down because it had grown so wild, so now it all looks a bit threadbare. (is there a way I could've performed that task without leaving things looking so rubbish I wonder. Did I do it too late?
The rosemary however has never to my mind looked very particularly healthy. It has grown a bit in size over the year but the leaves never look plump and green. I wonder if that's because I water too much and rosemary doesn't need much water. I also wonder whether it's because the pot lies mainly in the shade of a sunny patio.
I'm thinking of transplanting the Rosemary out and onto the sunny roof terrace. Does that make sense? And should I leave the oregano and sage because they were so abundant last year.
Any general help on this is gratefully received.
ps does anyone know how to get my pics portrait?
I keep the pot well watered because of the tree (forgive me I can't remember the name) but I'm led to believe plants like Rosemary, Oreano and Sage don't want too much water, and they share the pot.
I must say the sage and oregano grew abundantly last summer. They look very sorry for themselves right now but that's because I had to hack it all down because it had grown so wild, so now it all looks a bit threadbare. (is there a way I could've performed that task without leaving things looking so rubbish I wonder. Did I do it too late?
The rosemary however has never to my mind looked very particularly healthy. It has grown a bit in size over the year but the leaves never look plump and green. I wonder if that's because I water too much and rosemary doesn't need much water. I also wonder whether it's because the pot lies mainly in the shade of a sunny patio.
I'm thinking of transplanting the Rosemary out and onto the sunny roof terrace. Does that make sense? And should I leave the oregano and sage because they were so abundant last year.
Any general help on this is gratefully received.
ps does anyone know how to get my pics portrait? 0
Posts
It will need watering until it settles then move it into full sun and only water when dry.
I just wondered if you have been picking your herbs that is the best way to control them naturally. I do think this pot was never planted with long term in mind, the Bay will need more water because it is in a pot, best to grow this on it's own. It would also enjoy some top dressing.
Sage and oregano respond well to a good prune. Rosemary when you cut into old wood it may not grow back
With your watering, are you doing little and often or a really good drenching until the water runs out of the bottom of the pot once or twice a week (in spring/summer at least)? All those plants would much prefer the latter
The fact that it is drooping could be under watering or roots have outgrown its space. That's why the herbs and their watering regime clashes with that of a shrub like Photinia, which will need generous watering until the water saturates the whole pot and water running out from the base.
I'm going to take the herbs out and give the tree a good water and see if that stops the droopiness. To be fair the tree has done well, it has grown in a year very well and to my eyes looked fairly healthy but given you've all noticed a droop I'll give it a good old water once the herbs are out. I wonder why the garden centre planted it like this in the first place?
Having transplanted all the herbs and given the tree a thorough soaking, look at the difference in a day in before and after pics attached. Its so much more perky it's unbelievable. The herbs are now in pots in gritty earth in direct sunlight and hopefully they will really come on.
Thank you so much.
Now my next question is, what pretty plants would you recommend putting at the base of a tree that sits in the shade and wants lots of water and won't be detrimental to the tree itself?