Rosemary turning Yellow!

My lovely rosmarinus officinalis (no special variety; probably a local one that just makes good seasoning) has suddenly (like within the last week) begun to yellow at the leaf tips, some tips even going brown. We have had an inordinate amount of rain the past few weeks, but the drainage where it is planted is pretty good. It was moved to this new herb garden about 2 months ago and has done well up to now. The soil here is very "calcaire" (sorry, but I can't remember the American equivalent), and I have made the soil in the herb bed a bit more acid by adding compost. Could this soil be too rich for it? Any ideas will be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Alkaline soil is hard to overcome. I wonder if epsom salts would help -- magnesium sulfate? Anybody?

So, does rosemary hate alkaline soil? I'm not sure what the soil is in Provence!
I have azaleas & rhodendrons (that everyone tells me cannot succeed here) thriving. In fact, I profit by "rescuing" other people's dying rhodies. I just dig "huge" holes, fill them with "terre de bruyere", add more of the same each year with compost and, yes, magnesium sulfate, and they spring to life and reward me with new growth and vibrant flowers.
So, will that work with rosemary?
I think of it as a near-desert plant

Should work.

I'd say go ahead and try whatever is working with your rhodi's. Despite the fact that rosemary can grow in near-desert conditions, it will also thrive in a richer, moister soil -- as long as it has good drainage! You might even elevate the plant a little in its own little "hill" of soil to be certain it isn't getting wet feet, and consider adding a shovelful of gravel to the bottom of the planting hole if you've got it.

Here, I use a granulated product called "ironite" on our acid-loving evergreens. I was told that one problem with alkaline soil is that the pH makes it impossible for plants to absorb the iron from the soil, leading to yellowing... and the ironite supplies iron in a readily available form. So far, my rosemary has not seemed to need an ironite boost. But as I said, trying what works with your rhodedendrons makes a lot of sense.

Good luck!

Potagere, you like porridge/soup?

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~* Robin

Now I thought that rosemary liked alkaline soil. Rosemary is native to that portion of the world, it ought to be quite content.
Also, if it was an iron issue (but is otherwise content), the leaf would yellow, but the veins would remain green. I don't see any reason for them to turn brown.

I have found that my rosemary and my ficus have a lot in common. They both throw a fit when I move them. Maybe its just suffering from transplant shock or the subtle change in light (rosemary in notorious for doing this). Is it loosing leaves too or are they just yellowing and turning brown?

Well, that would explain why my rosemary is doing just fine without adding ironite! I know lavender likes our somewhat alkaline soil, wasn't sure what rosemary wanted. Actually, our soil is about pH 6.6 to 6.8, which isn't "officially" alkaline I guess since neutral pH is 7.... but compared to more acidic soils with pH values around 5, I guess it is alkaline-ish enough to give my evergreens trouble.

In that case, I'm thinking the problem is your recent abundance of rain. You might try raising the plant up a little above the surrounding grade to improve drainage as I suggested. If your soil is still really wet I'd consider just lifting the plant and allowing the root ball (with dirt covering, not just naked roots) to air out for a day or so, and then you can plant it back and raise it up so the roots aren't so soggy.