First, you must check my soil. My distress is often a direct cry for help from my roots. Are they drowning or parched? Insert your finger into the soil near my base. If it feels soggy, cold, and clings to your skin, I am likely suffering from root rot due to overwatering and poor drainage. My Mediterranean heritage means I crave soil that dries out between drinks. Conversely, if the soil is pulling away from the pot's edge and feels dust-dry to the touch, I am severely dehydrated. Wilting from lack of water makes my leaves brittle and crispy, while overwatering makes them soft and limp, sometimes yellow or brown.
Based on your assessment, you must act quickly. If I am overwatered, please stop watering immediately. Gently lift me from my pot to inspect my root system. Healthy roots are firm and white. If they are brown, mushy, and smell foul, you must trim away the rotten parts with sterile scissors. Repot me into a container with excellent drainage holes, using a fresh, well-draining potting mix. A cactus or succulent blend, or a standard mix amended with perlite or coarse sand, is perfect for me. If I am underwatered, place my entire pot into a basin of room-temperature water for 20-30 minutes. This allows my roots to soak up moisture from the bottom. Once the topsoil feels moist, remove me from the water and let me drain thoroughly. Do not let me sit in a saucer of water.
I am a sun-loving plant. To thrive and produce the potent oils you love, I require at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. If I am kept in a dim, shady spot, I will become leggy, weak, and susceptible to disease, leading to my decline. Please move me to the sunniest location you have, such as a south-facing window or a spot on a sunny patio. Furthermore, I need good air circulation. Stagnant, humid air encourages fungal diseases like powdery mildew, which can coat my leaves and weaken me. Ensure I am not crowded amongst other plants and that there is gentle airflow around me.
To help me redirect my energy into producing new, healthy growth, you must prune away the dead and dying parts. Using clean, sharp shears, cut back any stems that are completely brown, black, or mushy. You can also trim back up to two-thirds of the wilted but still green growth; this reduces the burden on my compromised root system. Do not fertilize me while I am in this recovery phase. My roots are too tender and could be burned by fertilizer. Focus on providing me with perfect core conditions: ample sun, thorough but infrequent watering only when the top inch of soil is dry, and good airflow. With consistent care, you should see signs of new shoots emerging from my base in a few weeks.
