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St Johns Wort

Andrew KennethAndrew Kenneth Posts: 277
in Plants
Does anyone know why my St Johns Wort leaves are turning from green to yellow and then, falling off?
I only bought the plant one week ago!
Thanks
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Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    looks like it's dried out at some point
    Devon.
  • Andrew KennethAndrew Kenneth Posts: 277
    Hostafan1 said:
    looks like it's dried out at some point.

    Can it be revived?

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    patience, and don't let it dry out again. (but don't flood it either)
    Devon.
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    edited June 2020
    This grew wild in a clearing near the woods where I used to live. The soil was very sandy and impoverished. 
    Sometimes plants have yellow lower leaves from over watering - for example, you see this a lot with annual Pelargoniums. 

    I don't have a lot of experience with St John's wort though it does say online that it likes a moist soil with good drainage. 

    What sort of soil did you use? Would you say it drains well? 
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Terracotta pots look classier than plastic, and are more eco-friendly, but they do dry out a lot quicker.  Also, it looks as though you've filled it to the brim, so when you pour water on, much of it will just spill over the edge.  I suggest you tip it out, line the pot with any old plastic bag you have handy, remembering to make a drainage hole in it, and put the plant back in.  This time, leave the top of the compost about an inch below the rim of the pot.  You can hide the edge of the plastic bag under the compost so no-one knows.  Oh, and stand it in a dish or tray of some sort to reserve the water that runs out at the bottom.
  • Andrew KennethAndrew Kenneth Posts: 277
    Just wondering why, when I had the choice of another one the garden centre man gave me this one. I commented that the other one was much greener and looked healthier but he said this one was better as it had buds already..mmmmm
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    edited June 2020
    It's very rare for Hypericums to survive well in containers. If you have a space in the ground, I recommend you plant it in. If not, they will have weak yellowing leaves and flower for a very short period and look like dried sticks for half of the year. 
  • Andrew KennethAndrew Kenneth Posts: 277
    I did notice on purchase that the plant was dry and the roots had come through the bottom of the pot and formed a sort of carpet.
    I'm going to put it in the ground tomorrow.
  • Andrew KennethAndrew Kenneth Posts: 277
    Bijdezee said:
    What sort of soil did you use? Would you say it drains well? 
    It's possible I've put it in a too small pot for the size of root ball it has. I used universal compost to pot it. I put plenty crocks in the pot for drainage.
  • mrtjformanmrtjforman Posts: 331
    edited June 2020
    It should do well in soil. They can tolerate a lot of sun and heat but I'd give yours some shade while the leaves are poorly till the roots can establish themselves in the soil. Not sure what crocks are but the idea with drainage to me is to make soil airier and have water drain faster. I use perlite, clay pebbles stones and sand, my dad loved using egg shell pieces. Putting stuff at the bottom of the pot surely helps but essentially that is still using badly draining soil and only using half of it and filling the rest with a filler. But anyway you are potting it in the ground which should eliminate your problem but can't hurt to chuck a few crushed egg shells in the hole if you have them.
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