Wilting Thyme

[jeane]

Hello Everyone,

It's my maiden post after lurking for a little time. I sure you guys will know what is going on currently with my thyme plant.

I recently bought a luscious thyme plant from a supermarket. Brought it home. Re-potted it and left it outside in the sunlight and in a cold frame at night.

Upon looking at it today it has started to wilt and shrivel. I had a look at the soil and noticed spores (mould? fungus? not sure) starting to grow. It's still early in the problem so I am hoping that I might be able to get it back on track fairly easily. I haven't been excessively watering it but I have been checking on it now and again to make sure the soil is not too dry. Perhaps I will lay off for a little while. The soil is dry as far as I can see now.

What do you guys suggest? Thanks for your help!

[TonyF]

What I'd do is tip the pot out, ditch the current potting compost, perhaps even wash the roots of the plant (depending on how big it is) and replant the thyme in fresh compost. Sounds as tho the compost may be sour or have some sort of infection in it - and dump the old compost asap.

[Two_Sheds]

The thyme has spent its life in a supermarket (hot, cold, light, dark, ie confused). You've now brought it home, stuck it outside in fresh air and it's gone into shock.

I have never had success keeping supermarket herbs alive although others have. You'd do better to sow your own seed, it's really easy

[jeane]

Thanks both for your advice.

Two Sheds, I was thinking along the same lines with it being a supermarket herb. I've had luck in the past with supermarket herbs but this one had me thinking that it may have been unwell before I brought it home.

TonyF, certainly worth a shot. I'll give it a go. Many thanks!

[WillyNelson]

The thyme I usually get from supermarkets is quite green & leggy so I imagine it's more used to a greenhouse. I bought a little (2") thyme cutting from a farmer's market for £1 last summer which was much more compact and 'woodier'. Potted it on and it's thriving. Gives much better cuttings than the supermarket one and dries better as well.

Sadly I'm going to have to leave my herbs behind when we move house. I'd just got a nice collection established as well (

[Two_Sheds]

Sadly I'm going to have to leave my herbs behind

No ... take cuttings, take them with you ?

[jeane]

I don't know what kind of thyme this is. It's not the normal woody version but the one with green leaves with a purple underside. So far I removed a bit of the soil that looked like it had spores starting, removed the stems with the wilted, dried out leaves and opened the centre out so it would get a better air flow. So far, so good but I'm keeping a close eye on it.

With that said the flat leaf parsley I bought at the same time (it was 2 for £2) is going great guns.

Willy you should definitely take some cuttings. This part of the year it's ok to do so, isn't it?