A Rosemary Autopsy

The delightfully fragrant rosemary plant has decided to shuffle off this mortal coil. I definitely want to get another next year. Or maybe during the winter, to be kept inside.

Although I assumed it probably died from overwatering along with this more humid climate (at least compared to the Mediterranean, rosemary’s preferred habitat), I decided to dig around the potted soil to see if I could unearth further Clues. At the same time, I realized that I did not repot it upon acquisition – probably my first error.

I did find a rather strange clump of dirt, with nearly straight edges, at the base of the plant. While the rest of the soil crumbled and could be brushed off the roots, this one distinct spot almost had the texture of rubber and refused to be dismantled. For those of you who might be unaware that dirt has different textures beyond dry/wet, please go outside and start feeling up the dirt around you. Stick your hands into the earth and note spectrums of grittiness, slickness, solidity, etc. It’s a wild good time.

As for my rosemary’s oddly compacted soil section, I wondered if it could be a ‘death plug’ – a wad of dirt for seedling planting, often wrapped in mesh for easier handling. Large box stores in particular, like the one from which I purchased this rosemary plant, prize the benefit of quick and easy transplants. Unfortunately, I’ve read that if left intact, these plugs can eventually strangle root growth. Seeing no evidence of mesh or wrapping, my research did eventually lead to ‘polymer plugs’ – a mix of organic material and GLUE – which have the same pros/cons as mesh plugs. Furthermore, as many of these plugs are peat-based or similar, they have higher water retention, which is precisely the opposite of what a rosemary plant needs.

My unprofessional opinion: the polymer death plug, combined with my overwatering and the outdoor humidity, spelled this plant’s untimely doom.

Bill

On a brighter note, Bill is still going strong. He’s up to seven leaves. As the seventh leaf was unfurling, I noticed a miniscule droplet of water hanging from the very tip. Knowing it could not be dew as we observe on outdoor plants in the wee morning hours, I dove back into the internet, whereupon I discovered ‘Guttation.’ This process of liquid excretion by plants to regulate water content is surprisingly not a sign of overwatering, but merely a natural process of a happy and healthy plant. It only becomes a concern when occurring in conjunction with over-fertilizing, which has not yet joined my repertoire of plantcare goofs.

And a new development with Bill: aerial roots. These are used to help plants like philodendrons to grasp onto trees or other support structures, so that the vine plant can continue to grow and climb. I’ll read up on these more later, but the gist I’ve gotten is that they are common, do not signify damage, and do not need to be fussed with. I’ll just leave them be for now. Oh Bill, loving your normalcy.