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Could Mulch be harming the Oregano?

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dragon49

This Oregano that overwintered for the second year looked awesome last week.  See:
 

 
I had to go back to the big bad city to work.  I returned to the family garden earlier this evening and see this:
 
 

 
It's not a great pic - Basically tons of leaves are missing form the top and many leaves are brown as if burnt.  I've never mulched before - since this overwintered, I just applied the mulch around the herb and packed some in.  Is it possible that the mulch is interfering with water getting to the roots which causes the burning and dryness.  We have an automated sprinkler system and a friend watered so a "normal" lack of water is not to blame.
 
Is mulch the problem - should I move it all away or pack it lighter?  So far, my other herbs and vegetables do not show any problems or signs of burning.  The only difference with the other stuff is that I mulched first, then dug throught the mulch down to the soul, then transplanted.
 
It's possible but the Oregano I had last year grow like a ground cover to the mulch and spread like crazy. I couldn't keep up with using it fast enough, don't remember the name of it though.
 
I'd say its very possible, no telling what types of diseases were festering in that mulch.  I wont even mulch around trees on my property for fear of that.   I use the rubber tree mats instead unless the tree is to big then I dont use anything.   
 
I hope your herbs rebound, good luck. 
 
Hmm… I am wondering what kind of mulch you used. As Seacowboy said, oregano can be rather weed-like, and get out of control. If your mulch contains some sort of chemical weed control, that could very well be the culprit. Alternately, did someone spray weed control? A few years ago the landscaper I hired to redo the bed in front of my house spread some really cheap mulch. Turned out that mulch had all sorts of strange fungus just waiting to jump start in my front bed. I lost several plants that year. So fungus could be an issue, too. Dig down and around a bit and see if you can find anything unexpected. Some of the fungus that grew that year was bright yellow, some a whitish-peach, some tan and tube-shaped, etc., etc. It was really bad.
 
I suppose you could buy a more friendly type of Mulch like Cocao shells for around your herbs.  THe only concern with Cocao shells is the risk of your animals eating it, I have read it can cause great harm to them and the dogs are attracted to the smell of the shell. 
 
Maybe also a natural pine bark mulch might be an alternative.
 
 
Just my thoughts.
 
Hard to say from pic too fuzzy, could be anything from, drying out, spider mites, powdery mildew... need a better pic honestly. Mulch is probably the culprit bringing a fungus spore or something.
 
I'll be at the Nursery later and will check out the ingredients for the mulch.  I think it is some kind of local crushed tree bark -nothing chemical.  I'll have to check but not sure if anybody sprayed anything in the garden -  don't think so.
 
dragon49 said:
 I just applied the mulch around the herb and packed some in. 
Click to expand...
 
     When you say "packed some in" do you mean you piled mulch up close to the stems? If so, I bet that's the problem - the wet environment you created around the plant's stems let to crown rot.
 
Buzzman19 said:
I'd say its very possible, no telling what types of diseases were festering in that mulch.  I wont even mulch around trees on my property for fear of that.   I use the rubber tree mats instead unless the tree is to big then I dont use anything.   
 
I hope your herbs rebound, good luck. 
Click to expand...
 
 
Buzzman19 said:
I suppose you could buy a more friendly type of Mulch like Cocao shells for around your herbs.  THe only concern with Cocao shells is the risk of your animals eating it, I have read it can cause great harm to them and the dogs are attracted to the smell of the shell. 
 
Maybe also a natural pine bark mulch might be an alternative.
 
 
Just my thoughts.
Click to expand...
 
 
No disrespect to you personally but that is bad advice.
 
Mulch is great ! and Pine mulch isn't as good due to its low PH (acidity) as well as nutrient level.
A good mulch is made from small branches and leaves of hardwood type trees, but other mulches are better than nothing. As mulch breaks down it releases highly absorb-able nutrients in to the soil. Not to mention the beneficial fungal growth.
 
Mulch is also great for water retention, thus less water is needed to keep the soil damp. And that Is what I think the problem is here, the soil is too damp and over watering is occurring.
 
@Buzzman19 look in to RCW, its one of the best ways you can build healthy soil. no comparison to your rubber that just sits there. Please don't take this the wrong way I just want you to understand the benefits of mulch.
 
 
 
 
As geeme pointed out there are some cheep mulch products out there that my carry bad fungal growth. Not all fungal growth is bad, some of it is EXTREMELY beneficial!
 
Here are some tips on Garden Fungi
 
Soil fungus is great! How can we grow more of it?
 Fungus is living in your garden soil already. With a little help, it will multiply, though you still may not see it. Healthy perennials, trees and shrubs, and crumbly, rich, woodsy smelling soil will all testify to the presence of good soil fungi.
 Feed it mulch and compost -  Fungus eats tough organic matter. Use organic mulches in the garden. Anything that comes from a tree is ideal for fostering fungi. Top your soil with pine straw, hardwood or bark mulches, fall leaves from deciduous trees, or compost made with plenty of these items. 
Stop mechanically tilling - Power tilling puts soil and fungus into a 'food processor" and creates a mushy puree of pulverized fungi and soil particles. Use hand tools to turn soil and mix fungal food sources into it. Compost and mulch on the surface is available to fungi below. Fungi will grow up into the surface, digest that organic material, and bring those nutrients down into the root zone. After all, nobody tills the forest, and its fungus rich layer of leaf litter supports massive trees and a huge variety of understory shrubs and plants.
Buy mycorrhizal fungi, if appropriate - Shop for mycorrhizal fungi products, checking the label for recommendations for your specific types of plants (there are several kinds of these fungi, different plants use different kinds, and a few plants really don't use them at all.) Also use the products according to directions.
Stop or minimize use of chemical fungicides - Here's a no brainer: using chemical fungicides anywhere in your garden can harm soil fungi. Use them carefully or try alternatives.
Use cover crops and crop rotation - Bare soil means no plant roots, no plant roots means a period of famine for mycorrhizal fungi. Grass and legume cover crops do more than capture nitrogen. They provide a winter haven for many soil fungi. Come spring, the soil has a lively group of fungi and  plentiful organic matter to keep them in the pink (white?) In vegetable gardens, crops of the onion, bean and corn families are good partners to soil fungi. Crop rotation moves these plants around year to year. Good soil fungi are kept happy throughout the vegetable garden.

Read more: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3877/#ixzz31zqafIqz
Click to expand...
 
dash 2 said:
 
     When you say "packed some in" do you mean you piled mulch up close to the stems? If so, I bet that's the problem - the wet environment you created around the plant's stems let to crown rot.
Click to expand...
Not 100% sure if that is what caused the issue, but that's exactly what I did.  The Plant is hardy - I'm gonna move the top mulch away.
 
@Cayennemist
 
No offense taken on my suggestion, but I will never mulch around trees, they get plenty of nutrients just from fertilizing my yard.  I grow herbs as well, and I would absolutely not use mulch around them, that is my preference.  I know the benefits of mulch and I do mulch my flower beds, just wouldnt risk mulch around vegetables. 
 
If I were to mulch around any of my veggies it will most likely be the cocao shells, not worried about nutrients as I make my own soil mixes in my raised beds and I know what I feed them.   
 
THe big problems I have with Mulches in general is some have added dies and others that are supposed to be natural are left festering in plastic bags for who knows how long before you buy.  I can go to Mulch wholesale places in my area, but trust me when I say their mulches look like shit .  I'll pass
 
I did buy two cubic yards of Com-til recently to top off my raised beds.  I went there with the intention of buying topsoil but after inspecting I made the comment to guy that its looked like crap and I settled on the much richer com-til. 
 
Sorry, introducing  mulches around your veggies is just another element to worry about as far as your plants developing diseases.  Its just how I feel about the situation.  
 
cheers
 
I don't mulch for nutrients—I mulch to prevent weeds from coming up, looking ugly and competing with the vegetables for root space.  Sp far, none of my other herbs have been affected by the mulch.  I dug up the entire oregano plant, washed the mulch off the top and cleaned the area of mulch.  Then, I re-transplanted.
 
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