Thyme

[Renée Profile]

About halfway through the summer, my thyme plant always looks as though it's getting eaten by something and every leaf is affected. I bought a new one this year and the same thing happened.





I bought a small one about six weeks ago, so that I could keep it on my kitchen windowsill and now this one has problems. Can anyone help, please?





Update: I think that the first one is caused by the leafhopper.

http://herbs.hdc.org.uk/page.asp?id=3

[Stokey Sue Profile]

The indoor one looks like mildew or just possibly spider mite?

I can't see if all that greyness id powdery or fibrous in the pic

[Renée Profile]

Thanks Sue. The second one looks powdery.

I despair, because thyme is my favourite herb, which I use to make stuffing balls to go with the roast turkey at Christmas. Home grown, as you know, has a better flavour than store bought.

[jeral Profile]

I found that in a display of different plants grouped together indoors, the begonia got terrible mildew yet none of the other plants did. I wondered if it was the weakest link of the bunch, i.e. the one least able to defend itself so it took the whole whammy. If yours is grouped, perhaps ungroup it? Mine didn't recover but I could start off a new plant from an unaffected cutting.

Dunno about the outside one. Bugs like spider mites hide under the leaves and damage is eventually visible but not sure about your overall greyness. I wonder if you could grow one outside in a pot with brand new sterilised compost(see below) to rule out that there might be something in the soil from something previously grown in it.

This article suggests that the pH balance of the soil could be crucial with thyme: http://www.motherearthliving.com/in-the ... dying.aspx It doesn't say how to correct it if wrong, although garden centres do sell compost of differing pH measures, so the article at least tells you what you are looking for.

For outdoor soil, I've found it's impossible to change a soil's natural pH balance as it reverts to form sooner or later, hence thinking a pot rather open bed.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I think maybe overwatering

That article is pretty sensible but has one shocking error

Keep the pH level of the soil between 5.5 and 7.0 is ideal as the soil should be neutral to slightly basic.

That is actually slightly acidic

This article makes a little more sense
Thyme prefers a potting mix that is light, sandy, and low in nutrients. Adjust the potting mix to a pH of 6.0-8.0 to help keep healthy roots.

http://www.container-gardening-tips.com/container-herb-gardening/growing-thyme-in-containers.html

[Renée Profile]

Thank you for the interesting article, jeral. The one on the kitchen windowsill was on its own and not near another plant. It had been standing around outdoors at B&Q when I bought it and it seemed in perfect condition. The one that I had outside was in new compost. I bought some that had John Innes soil in it, I seem to remember, but it did look as though the leaves had been nibbled by something, but I was surprised that all of them had been affected.

I've thrown them both away now, so I hope to do better next year. Thyme is a Mediterranean plant, so thrives best in poor soil and plenty of sunshine, which we certainly haven't had this year.

Ooops, your new post has appeared since I started writing this, Sue. I did keep the indoor plant with the mould on quite dry, so only watered it occasionally. I'm not sure about the ph level, so will make a note of what you've mentioned for next year. Many thanks.