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jadedwalker

Potentially Dying or Reviving my BOG Rosemary

Deja Vudoo
8 years ago

I recently purchased a BOG Rosemary and it was quite beautiful. It began dying as I did not sufficiently recreate its' actual ecosystem as there are complicated microbes and acids that allow this plant to thrive. I replanted (its an indoor plant) my BOG with sphagnum peat moss (will not be using it again as its detrimental affects to the environment), regular miracle grow flower/garden soil, worm castings. Is there anything else that I I am missing? Maybe include some compost to get the pH to drop or purchase something to increase the acidity. I plan to use (although its quality is questionable) my pH meter to just get an idea if I gotten the soil at least below a 6.


I also read the watering should be consistently moist. Should I water my BOG to the point that I can see water in the plate below or is that too much?


How long should I wait to see the changes in the plant after you meet its optimum conditions for growth? Usually if I can't get it to live indoor I try to save it by letting mother nature beat me at its own game.


If anyone has suggestion, I will definitely be happy to take it as I am sure I can get this plant alike again.


Comments (2)

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    You'll probably not want to hear this, but better you know before you get to invested in the path you've chosen. Trying to recreate the bog or riparian settings in which some in situ plants thrive, in a pot, almost always ends in disappointment or failure. The short version of the reason for that is, plants in bog and riparian settings are able to grow roots specifically structured with aerenchyma at the root pith that allows the plant to get the oxygen that drives root metabolism from above the water line. Oxygen then diffuses through the roots to fuel the roots' functions. Whereas, roots of terrestrial plants are filled with a parenchymous tissue at their core, and derive oxygen from air spaces in the medium. Since water absorption is an energy-driven process - no oxygen = no water uptake = a very sick plant. Your plant wants an evenly moist medium with NO soil saturation at any depth in the pot. That means the soil should be based on a very large fraction of chunky ingredients, and should never be 'boggy' no matter what the plant prefers in situ.

    Something like this:


    (misc articles on soil surface to provide size perspective)

    Unfortunately, the roots are unable to switch back and forth between the variations of conventional container culture and some form of aquaculture fast enough to ensure ongoing viability.

    You might not like the lecture, but I see you're designing the care of your plant around a personal ideology that is limiting, so in order to help you, It would be necessary to change your mind about several things and go into growing methods that are overly complicated; this, because I'd be working around the limitations you're saddled with and I'm not sure how you'd tolerate that.

    FWIW - All parts of the moorwort are toxic. This plant is not a houseplant, in fact, no plants are naturally found indoors - there are only some outdoor plants that are able to tolerate indoor conditions to varying degrees. Your plant will need a cold winter rest (period of dormancy) at temps below 42* in order to survive the next growth cycle. Deprived of that, it will perform poorly until it collapses. My suggestion would be to pick something easier and to start researching plant physiology and soil science if you intend to pursue the joy of growing things.

    Best luck - and Happy New Year.


    Edited to say: DUH! I just looked at when this was originally posted.

    Al

  • tpliska
    5 years ago

    But hey, we all learned something!