My perception of herbs is that they're fussy plants... not sure if that's true. This year I'm determined to expand my range of herbs in the garden.
A couple of weeks ago I bought 3 plants for £5 (a bargain!). Pictured left: two types of thyme and the bright green one is oregano. The thyme are outside waiting to be planted - a new herb box is a work in progress. And the oregano sits inside on the kitchen windowsill. The problem is - what was a lush oregano plant has been taken over by mildew!
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| So, I decided to cut back the plant. As you can see new growth is coming very quickly, but the powdery mildew is also coming back. Click to enlarge photo to see. |
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| Who would ever think Oregano would have powdery mildew problems? (I assume this is what it is). I think tomorrow I will try spraying the plant with milk. I've read using diluted milk approx 10-20% milk mixed with water should help the situation. Fingers crossed! Otherwise, I may have to throw it out! |
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Your herbs look so stunning! I grow some herbs this season. This is for the first time I grow them on my home garden, but only a sage and basils that grown, I have fail. I should learn more.
ReplyDeleteYour herbs are looking so green and healthy :) I'm planning to grow more herbs this year in a bigger bed. I'm trying a few perennial from seeds, sometimes waiting can be hard. I'm always tempted to just buy the plants! My sweet and Thai Basil grown from seeds are doing well. Do you have a lot of room to grow herbs, what are your favorites? By the way I have a new URL and my blog has changed from blossomhideaway.blogspot.com to homegrowndelight.blogspot.com. Please update your reading list and sidebar. Stop by when you have a chance. Have a nice week! :)
ReplyDeleteKelli, that isn't Coriander, surely? It looks like Oregano to me, or a type of Marjoram. And yes, herbs can get mildew, for sure. My Sage is covered in it right now, but it will survive.
ReplyDeleteMark, you're right! I must have been rushing. The plant is Oregano. I'd say I was checking if anyone was paying attention - but it was me who wan't paying attention. Thanks for pointing it out; I must correct the blog now!
DeleteI was going to say were you sure that was coriander as the leaves are very different but Mark beat me to it.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried your Coriander plant?, I agree with Mark & Sue. Apart from taht I love having herbs in the garden, I need Mike to get a shift on & extend the bed where I want more. xx
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to add to the few herbs I've already got too this year. I think buying plants rather then sowing seeds is the way to go, especially when you can get a bargain like that.
ReplyDeleteLast hear I planted thyme, rosemary, and oregano in pots. The plants grew strong and healthy. Ow I am waiting to see if they come back. I do plant to pot more this spring. I grew them in large clay pots so they decorative and purposeful. I have safe and parsley out in the vegetable garden and dill that comes up on its own. I want to add cilantro too. I want that Simon And Garfunkle garden: parsley, safe, and thyme.
ReplyDeleteKelli, I have powdery mildew on my one zucchini plant and it is really bad. I just looked up what can be done organically and they say that spraying milk on the leaves should help. . It said to cut off the worst of it, but if I start cutting off the leaves, I will have nothing left except 3 or 4 struggling little zucchini. Mark gave me a link to look up, so check out my blog comments for yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI don't think herbs are fussy at all - at least not so far - I don't grow coriander though so I can't vouch for it - as a rule they just get on with it, come rain or shine. I can't say I've every suffered with mildew either (not me, the plants).
ReplyDeleteherbs harvest from home gardne must be good! Sometimes I just wash all the leaves attacked by mildew. It's really terrible pest!
ReplyDeleteThe only herb I've had a problem with is Parsley....Last year, it just dropped dead! There wasn't any mildew on it but mildew has a field day with my Hollyhocks and Phlox every year. I haven't found a natural solution & no longer want to use chemicals but, know keeping the leaves dry helps.....
ReplyDeletePowdery mildew can be a bit of a trial but you can certainly get rid of it. Water from the bottom rather than the top. Cutting back as you have done will help - it increases the air circulation around the stems. Powdery mildew often hits when a plant is stressed, often dry roots and surface moisture is the contributing combination. I'd be interested to hear how the milk treatment works though.
ReplyDeleteCoriander looks just like parsley. I'd guess oregano, too. If you can't knock it back, I'd toss it so it doesn't affect other plants.
ReplyDeleteI shall remember the tip about spraying the milk solution to get rid of mildew if it ever happens to me.
ReplyDeleteOregano does like to be moist, so mildew is the result. It's quite hardy, go ahead and plant it outside and I bet the mildew will fade away once it becomes established. Mine survived a winter where we got down to 20 below zero F, so they are pretty tough!
ReplyDeleteThe day after I did this post, I treated the plant with a milk & water combo (20-30% full fat milk mixed with water). I dipped my fingers onto the milky water and put onto each leaf of the plant. 3-4 days later I don't notice the powdery mildew any more!
ReplyDeleteHi Kelli, You are under a misapprehension. Mediterranean herbs (Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Sage) thrive on neglect. They like it dry and the poorer the soil the better (and probably hot too). But if you want to grow Parsley Coriander Chervil and suchlike, best grow them in the vegetable patch as they like the same conditions.
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