Rosemary-possible botrytis? Need advice for a very sad herb!

[greenghost]

Here is a folder of pictures of my rosemary plant, which I picked up a few days ago from my local Ace Hardware. I knew it wasn't in great shape but I've been searching for rosemary everywhere and this was all I could find in my area, and I thought I could maybe nurse it back to health. I'm concerned now, however, that the dark spots on the leaves (pictured circled in red) could be evidence of botrytis, though I can't say for certain. Can anyone make a positive ID on what's ailing my rosemary? Should I simply give up and propagate from one of the healthy stems? Should the stems dipping toward the soil be cut?

I'll take all the help I can get. I absolutely love this plant and would be heartbroken to lose its lovely scent in my home. Here are the pictures:

https://imgur.com/a/hmCYk

[imafan26]

Pot looks big for the plant. Was it repotted? How big is the root system.
Rosemary likes a well drained soil and not a lot of fertilizer. It is good in a terra cotta pot, but I would not overpot or over water. Water when the soil is barely damp. It likes a lot of light.

[greenghost]

I repotted it from the 4" plastic container I bought it in, in which it was root bound. I supplement 4-6 hours of light from the window with about 12 hours under a CFL about 8 inches from the plant. Thank you for your advice! I'm concerned about how spindly it is, as you can see some of the stems droop towards the soil and I was wondering whether these should be pruned to encourage denser more upward growth.

[rainbowgardener]

Your rosemary is not actually "spindly" at least not in the sense of being "leggy" or stretched out. It looks like your light regimen is working for it and over all it looks healthy, except for the browning at the base.

I'm not convinced that it is botrytis, but it most likely is some fungal problem and it is an indication that conditions have been staying too damp. It looks like it is in regular peat-based potting soil, which is all wrong for it. Peat holds water and stays damp for a long time and it is acidic. Rosemary likes a very well draining, slightly alkaline medium. Cactus mix works well for it.

Sorry that you just re-potted, but if that was pretty recent, it won't be well rooted in there anyway. I think it is important to get it out of the peat.

I wouldn't cut anything just yet. While you are repotting it in to the cactus mix, you could wipe the stems (all of them) down with hydrogen peroxide (straight from the bottle, what they sell is a 3% solution, which is fine). It is anti-fungal and may help with the disease issues. See how the plant responds to all that before you start cutting. Once it is repotted, be very careful with watering, let it dry out well between waterings.

[applestar]

Another thought is that if this is a peat-based potting mix, the soil pH is likely to be too acidic.

When I repot/uppot my Rosemary, I add 1/3 as much sand/gravel/chicken grit/pumice gravel (whatever I have on hand) if I used chicken grit then not as much because that would be either granite gravel or ground oyster shells but otherwise, I add a good amount -- like 1/2 handful (so maybe 1/4 cup?) of dolomitic lime per 7-8" pot, more for bigger pots.

[Susan W]

Oh the rosemary! It can be finicky, and also doesn't like to live inside. I've grown (and lost) my fair share, and have discussed it on this herb forum.
I like to put it in as big a pot as possible, and one with depth as it has a long root system. in ground outside the best, very large containers work. Don't over water, but don't underwater (easy to say!).
If your baby doesn't make it, don't fret too much. Next spring when more plants available, get a new start.

[greenghost]

I can't thank all of you enough for your advice!! I actually was about to switch it to a mix of cactus soil and potting mix to ensure good drainage. I have no problems repotting it again if it'll give it a better chance. I'm almost positive Ace was watering it every day, and it was being kept in shade. When I went back to see about getting another plant from them nearly all of their herbs were on their absolute last leg. Should I feed it at all or wait a month or so? Once again, thank you all so much!!

[pepperhead212]

I agree with everytthing Susan W said, esp. the "don't overwater, but don't underwater". LOL Way back, when I was starting out with RM, I had read that it was best to let it dry out before watering, but I lost a couple after realizing that once it wilts, it won't come back! I later discovered that it would become rootbound quickly, even in pots twice the size of the plant. I eventually gave up on growing it indoors, and now I am on my second outdoor bush (actually, there are two out there - a small one, in case the old one dies), the first lasting for 13 years, this one about 6 or 7, so far. I cover them whenever it is supposed to get below 20°, and last year, with that super cold winter we had, I stuck a 25w heater under the

hoop with them.

[imafan26]

Rosemary is one of those plants that like to be outside as long as possible. You are providing light but it also needs good air circulation. Most of the drought tolerant plants have leaves that are designed to hold on to water, so when they are in more humid conditions, the leaves can show signs of rot. Keeping the plant outdoors in the sun and wind for as long as possible might help with that.