Parsley leaves losing colour/ white spots

Question

My parsley and thyme leaves have started losing color. Does anyone know what might be the cause? They are slowly turning white. The plants have been in this container for a few years could the soil be needing some fertilizer?

Answer 1

My parsley goes like this after it has had an attack of greenfly, probably because they suck the sap out of the plant. I usually treat it with a biological spray, cut off the affected leaves and stems and discard them, and the plant recovers with rest. (Don’t use it for eating during this period). Sometimes the greenfly are so small they don’t notice until you look hard. When it’s perked up I re-pot it in fresh compost and it soon grows away. Alternatively if it’s been in the same compost for quite a while it may just have used up all the nutrients and re-potting is a good idea anyway. You will find that you can split it into multiple plants that way. I’m not so sure about the thyme - mine doesn’t seem to suffer like that, but if the plants are together it is likely that they need the same treatment.