Why is my Rosemary dying?
A rosemary that is dying is most often in a pot that is staying too wet, while outdoor rosemary more often fails from drought, cold, or poor drainage.
If you can already see the symptom
Answer what you can see
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The causes in full
Wet potting mix and root rot diseaseMOST COMMON
How to tell
Look for a heavy pot, soil that is still wet two inches down, yellowing or browning that starts low or appears all over, and brown or mushy roots if you slide the plant from the pot; outside, check for clay soil, a low wet spot, or water standing after rain.
What to do
If the soil is soggy or damp two inches down, stop watering until the top two inches dry and move the pot to the brightest safe spot with drainage. If roots are black, soft, or smelly, repot into a fast-draining mix and trim only clearly dead roots; outdoors, raise the plant or improve drainage rather than adding more water.
Bone-dry pot or drought stressCOMMON
How to tell
The pot feels very light, the mix is dry or pulling away from the pot wall, and tips or whole stems look crisp, curled, or gray-green, especially after hot sun, wind, or missed watering; outside, check whether the root zone is dry below the mulch or surface crust.
What to do
If the soil is dry two inches down or bone dry and pulling from the pot, water slowly until the whole root ball is re-wet; for a pot, soak the pot only until bubbles stop, then let it drain fully. Outdoors, if the soil around the roots is dry two inches down, water deeply once, then let the top soil dry before watering again.
Too little light indoorsCOMMON
How to tell
Look for thin, stretched, pale new growth, leaf drop inside the plant, and soil that stays damp for many days; outdoors, the same problem shows up in shade from walls, fences, or shrubs.
What to do
Move indoor rosemary to the sunniest window or add a strong grow light, changing position gradually if it has been dim. If the soil is damp two inches down, wait to water; water only when the top two inches have dried.
Hot glass, cold window, or frost shockLESS COMMON
How to tell
Damage is sudden and often worst on the side facing a window, heater, door draft, or the outdoor weather, with bleached, brown, blackened, or limp tips after a hot day, cold night, or frost.
What to do
Move potted rosemary a little back from hot glass, heaters, and freezing windows, and give it bright light without temperature extremes. If the soil is dry two inches down, water and drain it; if it is damp two inches down, do not water just because the leaves look shocked.
Spider mites or powdery mildewLESS COMMON
How to tell
Check closely for fine webbing, tiny moving specks, pale stippling, or a dusty white coating on leaves and stems; these problems show in patches and do not line up neatly with wet or dry soil.
What to do
For spider mites, rinse the foliage and treat with a labeled insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, repeating as directed. For powdery mildew, cut out the worst growth, increase airflow and light, and avoid wetting the leaves when you water the soil.
Fertilizer salt or spray injuryRARE
How to tell
Look for a white crust on the potting mix or rim, burned leaf tips, sudden spotting on the side facing a recent spray, or damage that started soon after fertilizing, weedkiller drift, cleaning spray, or pest spray.
What to do
If the pot drains freely and the soil is not soggy, flush the mix with plain water and let it drain completely; if the soil is soggy, do not flush until it has dried to damp. Stop fertilizing or spraying until healthy new growth appears, and protect outdoor rosemary from herbicide drift.
Will it recover?
Brown, black, or crisp rosemary leaves usually will not turn green again, though wilted drought-stressed tips may recover; the goal is firm new growth.
Stopping it happening again
Keep potted rosemary in very bright light with a drain hole and fast-draining mix, water only when the top two inches are dry, and plant outdoor rosemary where winter wet, shade, and standing water are avoided.
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