Rosemary

-- the really coarse stippling is due to an insect. (Seems much more coarse textured than from leafhoppers.)

Whether or not you need to do something depends upon whether or not it's continuing.

The mint & oregano appear to have experienced an environmental glitch. Perhaps a shortage of water, even though only briefly.

Have you had any unseasonably warm/hot weather or hot dry winds? All could contribute.

That said, both mint & oregano will do well if you cut them back every spring. Renews their growth for another go round.

Jean, thanks again for responding. The rosemary has that basically all over. I HAVE found some bugs on the underside of the leaves. It has also been this way for quite a while (I just never thought to post until now.) Is there any way to fix it, or should I cut it all the way down to the ground and see if new growth is similarly affected? Or is my plant sort of a goner?

I had the same problem with my rosemary- took a few leaves to the local nursery, and was told that was due to thrips. I believe I remember him saying it was due to the babies hatching and eating before flying away (?). He gave me some organic Dr. Earth spray that has oils of different plants that would help get rid of any remaining bugs. So far, so good.

If the damage on the rosemary isn't continuing, the critters have left.

Further, the marks on the leaves mean that the chlorophyll has been removed from those spots. The plant certainly isn't a goner, but those leaves are marked for life.

That said, I doubt the beasts were thrips. More likely leafhoppers.

I could be wrong about the thrips- the guy at the nursery seemed immediately sure it was hatching thrips damage, but who knows!

Even the new growth is getting stippled like this, although it seems to take a while - but I don't see much in the way of bugs - at least they're not swarming around, although when I brush the plant I do get insects that fly (or maybe hop) around. What does a leafhopper look like and how big is it? Is there anyway to rid myself of them and still keep my rosemary?

We do get quite a bit of wind here. It seems to have gotten worse in Torrance in the past decade. We're getting San Francisco squalls here now. :)

Sorry my last post was as usual off topic. Was for thinking about only.

You might take a sample of the rosemary -- perhaps a 4-inch piece secured in a clear container -- to a nearby large independent garden center.

Someone there should be familiar with local problems on rosemary. (Then let us know, please.)

Although I grew rosemary when I lived in Long Beach, I left the area 11 years ago. And at the rate CA is getting new exotic critters, it could be one that I'm not familiar with.

Okay, to get back to what leafhoppers look like. They're a scant 1/4 inch long and only about 1/4 as wide. When disturbed, they either move sideways or make a flying leap.

They have a slender mouthpart that they poke into individual plant cells to remove the contents.

I thought I posted a response already but it got lost somewhere. I definitely have leafhoppers - I looked them up on google and I've seen those buggers hopping around my plants. (Is it possible that they're going after my oregano and mint too, as they hop around there also.)

I'm also going to take the rosemary to a garden center - but that will have to wait for a few weeks as I'm up in the Bay Area for the next three. I will definitely keep you all posted.

PS: Maifleur, I think that's a great idea that we should all follow. In fact, there've been cases of academic research that have depended on historical data like what you're suggesting since gardeners can be very thorough and scientific in their methods.

You asked "Is it possible that they're going after my oregano and mint too"

Yes.

Hi,
The inner, lower section (the middle), of my indoor rosemary plant seems to have turned brown! All is brown, the outer parts are still green, yet seem to be sagging. Do you think this is due to over watering?
I water the plant every other day, or near enough. It is placed in the kitchen, with no direct sunlight.
How do I stop the browning??