Marjoram is great for its fragrance and flavor whether it may be in the kitchen or in your backyard garden. It is good in attracting butterflies and ideal for use as companion (partner) planting. This plant can live for 10 years in favorable conditions Now let’s see why the Marjoram plant is dying.
A Dying Marjoram plant is mostly due to damp soil because of overwatering or slow draining soil which causes root rot. Marjoram plant requires well drainable soil, infrequent watering to thrive better. Fungus likes the damp soil so fungus pathogen which turns Marjoram plant leaves brown or yellow results in a dying Marjoram.
Marjoram plant suffers if it grows in wrong type of pot or container, or high nitrogen content or may be lack of sun.
Now keep reading and lets look at why Marjoram plant is dying.
Marjoram Plant Turning Brown, Black or Yellow (Fungal Disease)
The causes of marjoram plant wilting, dropping, or turnign brown, black or yeallow is funal disease and root rot as a result of over watering, slow draining soil, or heavy rainfall.
As it is native to Mediterrarean region, Europe, Marjoram plant grows well in full sunlight, sandy soil with very less watering or infrequent watering.
Marjoram plants are adapted to thrive in these arid condition region with dry soil tends to suffer as result of high moisture level in soil.
Over watering, slow draining soils, high rainfall and high humidity can all cause the oregano to turn brown or black with a drooping or wilting appearance as damp conditions promote fungal diseases such as root rot.
There are several pathogens that can turn marjoram plant leaves into brown, black or yellow. They all thrive in damp soil, which is exact oppposite what plant needed.
How to fix marjoram plant turning brown or black?
If the marjoram plant is showing signs of stress due to root rot and fungal disease (drooping and turning brown) then scale back the watering of the plant and shelter it from rainfall.
Carefully lift the plant from the ground check for brown or black roots which are soft, remove them with good pair od disinfected pruners.
remove the black, brown leaves that are present in plant, burn them or throw them away don’t keep them in the compost it may be dominant and grow fungus there.
Replant the plant with new pot with compost and with 30% volume sandy soil to improve the drainage to dry the root faster.
After repotting restrain the watering of plant for atleast two weeks and protect the plant from rainfall.
Just don’t forget to add sandy soil to pot because it will help you lot in not overwatering.
the second thing and also the main thing is to provide sunlight, keep it open to sunlight as much as possible. it will ensure the drying of the soil. This will ensure mitigate humid conditions.
Check you will see plant recovery sign in 3weeks. however, if all the leaves are discolored then it may difficult to save the plant. In that i suggest to burn the plant or throw it away otherwise it may spread to all other plants.
Marjoram Plant Turning Yellow
Yellow leaves and leggy growth are the common symtoms for this.
Soil with the high nitorgen content as a use of extensive fertilizer , damp soil (more moisture on soil) or having very small pot with defict nutrients that Majoram can grow.
These are the main reasons that Marjoram turns into yellow
- Excess nitrogen in the soil because of over usage of fertilizer
- Overwatering or damp soil or small pot container or high rainfall due to which moister in soil and leaves turns into yellow.
- Small pot-bound roots can cause yellow leaves.
Marjoram plant lives in mediterean climate with medium nutirents soil and more sun, less frequency of watering.
If the soil is rich in nitrogen content which causes the yellow leaves in plant, lots of weak foilage, drooping stem, weaker aroma, and different curlinary taste.
How to fix the Marjoram plant turning yellow?
The best way to fix it by replicating the soil climate conditions and required climate conditions, less watering, basically mediterean type of climate.
To prevent fungal disease associate with over watering and damp slow draining soil, adding sand which will fix the soil to drain fast.
In terms of over fertilizer, prune the plant to 5 inches and let the plant grow from there it will solve the problem.
This helps the plant new growth and get rid of old yellow leaves which are bad in taste and aroma.
It is also possible that plants in the pot have fewer nutrients, for that you need to repot to a new bigger pot (one size) and keep some good manure which helps the plant to grow well.
Ensure drainage hole is present in the new pot, and also dont water for atleast few days after repotting, let the plant settle.
Final Thoughts:
With the help of all the above tips i am able to save my dying marjoram plant. Happy Planting.