Oregano becoming red, what's wrong?

Question

I bought oregano seeds from IKEA a few months ago and after a while, it started to look really good and healthy:

Since there were a bit too many plants, people here suggested I should reduce the amount of plants, which I did. Also, since the direct sunlight was very one-sided and not reliable, I bought some plant lamps to provide my herbs with artificial light during daytime.

Now, a bit after I trimmed the plants and added the light, my oregano seems to be turning red:

Does it get too much light, or what could be the problem here? The other herbs do not get the same red colour.

Answer 1

Remove the extra lighting - if you have your plant on a sunny windowsill, even if it only gets morning or afternoon sun, that's enough. Turn the pot weekly so that each side of the plant gets exposure to light. Whilst you may need extra lighting during the dark days of winter where you are, at this time of year, it's not necessary, and is the likely cause of the reddening of the leaves.

I'm somewhat mystified as to what happened to all the stems that were present initially and now seem to be reduced to about half, but there is a little new growth showing at soil level. I also wonder whether that pot its in has a hole in the bottom for drainage - good drainage for herbs such as this is essential, so if it hasn't, find another pot with a drainage hole and stand it in a tray or outer container - but don't let water sit in it, that needs to be tipped out 30 minutes after watering.

Some tips on growing indoors here

http://houseplants.about.com/od/More_Plant_Profiles/p/Oregano-Growing-Oregano-Indoors.htm

Answer 2

Did you purchase the seeds in a kit that came with a pot and a soil mix? The pots/soil that these kind of store bought plants come in are often only suitable for a short period of time. Base on the photos, I think it might be time to remove the plant from the pot (this will also provide an opportunity to inspect the roots). Re-pot it in fresh soil and give it a good water to help it re-adjust to the conditions. The nutrients in the current pot may be depleted or were not sufficient to start with. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

This red color is a stress response. Happens every fall and there are lots of plants that will show this red color. Please explain where this plant resides, how much light, your watering attitude/procedures, fertilizer (how much, what kind), how long between pictures. Is this plant indoors solely or do you take it outside from time to time? Too much sunshine will cause this if your plant has not been accustomed to direct sunlight.