Question
hello,my name is Cory and i live in Twentynine    palms ,California,(the desert)and i bought a rosemary plant 2 months ago -i repot it into a clay pot with pottingsoil and water every week or so -it started to lost its bottom leaves but the top half was green and was doing ok for a few weeks-i read it should have a more sander soil so i dig it up- mixed more then half with sand, repotted it, watered it,then- we got a few day of on and off desert rain,then the top leaves started to dry out, so, i repotted it into a well draining planter box with dry sand/soil mixed and place it in full sun (because i read it doesn't like wet feet), its been afew days looks and feels dryer -so i was wondering if you think it can recover ??thank you for any help you can give.cory

Answer
Starting with the roots. . . . They are the main component that keep the plant alive. Very important. They must have nutrients to feed the plant, they must have water to keep the plant from drying out, and they must not get too hot or too cold. Too much or too little of anything they need, will kill the plant.

Now for the soil, this is what keeps the roots alive. I believe what you read about sandy soil was referring to soil in the ground, not in a container. Sand does not work the same in a container that it does in the soil. It often has the opposite effect by turning hard and clogging drainage. Most good potting soils are created to provide good drainage without adding anything. They also are mixed with things that will feed the plant as well. There is very little nutrient value in sand that the plant can use.

Water is the next thing to examine. You are right, the rosemary does not like to be wet. So, it is important to check the soil and not the calendar to see if it NEEDS water. It is very easy to over water. If you just watered and it is going to rain, move the plant to a place to keep the rain off of it. Check the soil often. When you do water, wet the soil thoroughly. Drown it, so that every root in every part of the soil is wet. Then don't water again until it is dry again. It may be a month before it needs water again, if the temperatures are not too hot.

As for sun, if the temperature is below 95 degrees, full sun is good, but anything above that, in a container, it could easily burn the plant. Just figure that if you are uncomfortable in the heat, so is the plant. Move it to a more comfortable place, until it cools, then move it back to the sun, when temperatures drop again.

Saving your plant in stress will take some careful planning. It is very tricky, and not always successful, depending on how severe the stress is. I would start by buying a good plastic container with plenty of drain holes, slightly larger then the root ball. Buy some good potting soil. One with a good mix of ingredients. In the evening, when it is cool, pull the plant out of the container, and gently shake the sandy soil off. Plant in the new container with a water margin on top and a thin layer of soil over the roots. Water the soil and press gently to get out any air pockets, the add a little more soil. Prune any dry branches back leaving only the healthy parts. Place it in the shade, until you see new growth. Check it often. If it doesn't respond after a month, then the damage was too severe, and it can't recover.