My parsley is yellow.

nuka

I am of the impression that plants are generally green.

Okay so it was more or less an experiment when I got them. I bought them at Walmart as a spur of the moment thing and though some leaves were yellow, the plant itself is quite yellow and I'm getting worried. It was cheap, and the chives and cilantro I got are doing much much better now.

It's in a deep pot. It faces the south, though my home is surrounded by trees it stays pretty cool here. It does get sun in the morning and in the afternoon. It's rained for the past few days but today it's warm. Spring arrived late.

How do I fix this plant, aside from painting it?

Druhim

It could be that there was just something wrong with the plant when you got it on the cheap. Some virus or infection that's killing the plant that you can't see. Have you inspected the plant closely for aphids or any other very small insects that may be killing it? The other likely possibility could be that it needs more sun exposure if it's only getting sun in the morning and afternoon. Also, is the sun direct or filtered? I'm no herb expert, but as I understand it most herbs need lots of sunlight to flourish.

nuka

Depends, I live in the woods. I'm pretty sure that only in the summer does it get any full sun in that area. Oh I've only had it for a week too. Maybe I should have mentioned that?

I will check for bugs, if only I knew where the magnifying glass is.

Druhim

You shouldn't need a magnifying glass, just inspect it closely. But if you've only had it a week, it sounds like you just got an unhealthy plant which is always a risk when you buy from places that aren't nurseries. Walmart employees generally ain't gonna know shit about plants. They're probably just bought in bulk and on the cheap. The good thing is that you don't pay much for them so it's not that big of a deal if they croak. Also if you're in a heavily wooded area, you may not be able to grow many herbs successfully. We get a lot of sun exposure where we are, but we don't have anyplace private outdoors to grow stuff so we only have our garden window in the living room which faces west. From talking to nurseries, most herbs won't do well indoors even with lots of sun. Though I've been told we should be able to grow basil well in those conditions so I'd like to pick up some sweet basil and thai basil this weekend and see how they do.

Mmmm..thai basil.

nuka

I'll glare at it and then see what happens, probably more it somewhere shady just in case.

*move it that is.

Iruka

Our first herb garden failed and after some research and Martha Stewart advice, we tried again, potting them in a mixture that had a hefty amount of rocks at the bottom and soil that was a heavy mixture of perlite. apparently herb roots need a good amount of air.

for growing inside though, those hydroponic AreoGardens actually do work, we use one during the winter.

Druhim

Man there is no way we're paying $100+ just to grow herbs indoors. To me the part of the point of growing herbs is that you don't have to waste money at the market buying more than you need. But if you're forking out $100 or more that just seems like a waste of money.

Liiya

Sounds like its just being fussy, I'd keep moving it into different light levels until it seems to like somewhere if I were you.

Iruka

Druhim wrote: »

Man there is no way we're paying $100+ just to grow herbs indoors. To me the part of the point of growing herbs is that you don't have to waste money at the market buying more than you need. But if you're forking out $100 or more that just seems like a waste of money.

Depends on the climate you live in and how easily you can just grow herbs in the back. but you can get an hydroponic thing for like 40 bucks, unless you want a huge one... The 100 dollar ones are for like tomatoes, you dont really need that much space for basil and thyme.

nuka

I'm not a gardener, but my mother is. I asked for help here because she's never grown herbs before and can't tell me what to do.

I live in zone 8, whatever that means.

V1m

Chances are the yellowing is caused by magnesium deficiency.

nuka

I put it in Miracle Grow, and my mother pointed something else out to me. When we potted the plant, the root ball just fell apart. She's suggesting it could have been shock.

Gaffero

Yellow tissue on plants is usually indicative of a few possible things:

Overwatering OR Underwatering: The symptoms are somewhat similar in terms of yellow foliage effect. Underwatering will have bone-dry soil and brown, necrotic tissue on leaf tips as additional symptoms. Overwatering will have wet (not moist) soggy soil as an additional symptom which typically is associated with root rot.

Root Rot: Caused by excess water around the roots, generally in a poorly-drained pot. Visible fruiting bodies of fungi may be visible -- white specs may also indicate mold present in the soil. In either case, you have a lethal problem for your plant. If it's caught quickly you might try repotting. Otherwise, you're better off starting fresh with plant material from a good, quality nursery. From what you said about the root system falling apart when you went to pot it up I'd say this is a possibility.

Transplant Shock: Foliage yellows first on old growth and then spreads to new growth. Extra water and fertilizer can reduce the impact of the shock but time (to reestablish roots) is the biggest factor.

Light: Parsley needs full sun for optimal growth. Less sun is not lethal, but the leaves will be less green and more spindly. Lime green and yellow colors on leaves are possible. My thought, from you've said, is that your conditions are sufficient for growing herbs.

Don't feel discouraged if your parsley plant doesn't make it -- herbs are relatively cheap even from a reputable nursery. Keep growing that green thumb and you'll find it will reward you immensely in the long run. Not to mention that fresh herbs are great for cooking:winky:

MetroidZoid

Also could be an incorrect soil pH, which sounds complicated but is an easy fix. The way it goes down is that soil has a pH, from acidic soil (less than 7) to alkaline (over 7). It's normal for most soils to be a little above or below, and a lot of plants can adapt. But if you get too far out of the plant's 'comfort zone', then the pH becomes detrimental because it stops the plant from being able to absorb the proper nutrients. The food's all there, but the plant can't eat. A usual sign of this is yellowing, usually from the veins of the leaf first, but sometimes the other way around. It can also be a shortage of other essential nutrients in the soil, but whether they are there or not, if the pH is wacky the plant won't be able to absorb them.

What I'm getting at though is that while whatever soil some nursery used to plant your parsley in might've been totally fine, either the nursery or Wal-Mart or even your water might have a high or low pH, which in time will effect the soil pH. It probably wouldn't hurt to get a cheap soil pH test kit ($10 at the most), just because in the future it will help when growing anything else.

Also, your parsley could just be old. Parsley grows fast and dies young.