Why am I killing my oregano plant?

[politicat]

Normally, it's the rosemary that dies on me, but this time the oregano is being difficult. I've had it for about 7 months. It lives in my south facing kitchen window with the sage, the rosemary and whatever I'm nursing along. (The basil lives in the east windows with the catnip and whatever's healthy.)

Oregano supposedly prefers lots of light and drier soil, so it and the rosemary get watered every 2-3 days. When I did the autopsy, it wasn't rootbound, the roots looked to be in good shape, but the top was dead, dead, dead. So I pulled off the dried leaves and composted the rest of the plant and soil.

What did I do wrong? The sage and the rosemary are doing fine, happy as little larks.

[FloridaPat]

1. Some oregano is annual and some perennial. Maybe you had the

annual stuff?

[politicat]

2. Quite possible. I'm noticing that the sage is going the same route.

It went from healthy to sickly to half-dead in about 48 hours. And they came from the same source, so it wouldn't surprise me. So I won't be buying herbs from them anymore. The tags SAY perennial, but two plants, dying in the same week, after thriving for a number of months? That's suspicious.

[Gato Moteado]

3. what kind of potting soil do you use?

nt

[politicat]

4. The organic stuff I use for everything.

It's from a (different) local nursery, and is part compost, part top-soil, some vermiculite, etc. Sorry. I'm currently out of it, and don't have the exact proportions. Everything else does really well in it, and since I've lost two plants from the same source in a matter of days (months after purchase and after months of being very healthy) I'm not sure it's me.

[Gato Moteado]

6. then i agree with the poster below that the window might not be sunny....

...enough for herbs.

[wildeyed]

5. Are you sure they get enough light?

Herbs are sun lovers. Even a south facing window might not be enough.

I have rosemary and oregano in my outside garden. They both thrive on hot weather, lots of sun and neglect. I have had more problems with sage. It always dies on me in the garden. Three years ago, I planted a freshly started baby in a pot on my super-hot and sunny back patio, and it has done well there ever since. Maybe it just need the sharp drainage of a pot, although the garden drains really well and all the other herbs like it there. Anyway, I cut it back in the late winter since it seems to grow leaves only on newly grown stems and it is coming back nicely again this year.

[politicat]

7. It should... but maybe not now that the sun is more to the north.

Gotta love this 23% seasonal tilt.

They love that window all winter because it gets sunlight all day. But I'm looking at it right now (it's 1:15 pm) and seeing only reflected light.

That might be it.

I shall move the rosemary before it gets picky, too.

[japple]

8. My herbs have always seemed to thrive on neglect. I can't grow

them indoors, although I do have a baby bay tree in a pot right now. My outdoor herbs--sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary, are all doing great in direct sun, even in the heat of GA summer. Most of these plants are native to the Mediterranean area, so they do best in hot sunny places.

[Lex]

9. I'm in Zone 7 and my rosemary stays green and growing year round.

It's outside in the garden. Same with my lavender and my thyme and sage.

The oregano I have dies back in the winter but comes back prolifically in the spring. It's outside in the garden too.

I never pay much attention to them but they get probably 6 hours at least of direct sun per day.



My rosemary is pretty big just for one plant:





Here it is in bloom:

[japple]

10. Hi Lex, I'm in zone 7, too, and my herbs garden sounds just like yours.

The only difference is that in the 3 years I've had rosemary, it has never bloomed. Everything else has bloomed but not the rosemary. Wonder why. My largest plant isn't as large as yours, though.