This lavendar came back from last year very nicely. I had most of the lavendar plants along side a fence where it was mostly sun. All of those lavendar plants have been great. I took this plant and moved it over by my patio table. Within a week it started to look like this. I think my fiance has been watering it too. Does it look like it is getting too much water? Too much sun? Not enough sun? Thanks!
Looks pretty bad,..the usual problem tends to be too much water,..touch wood that if you ensure its not getting more water than it needs and gets lots of sun to dry up the soil,..it should recover,..hoping its just a water problem,..by the way do you have a dog
probably it was not a good time to move it. it should have been dormant when you wanted to try moving it. it is too stressful for it to grow roots and support a growing plant all at the same time. quit watering it and give it a severe haircut. maybe just maybe you might save it but don't be surprised if it completely dies.
The the posts from my colleagues above here have pretty much covered the what an why's. For me the most pertinent remarks were Carolyn's--wrong time to move....and the fact that it was moved. I have had a long and only moderately successful relationship with lavender over the years. Over here it is billed as a easy plant that does not need much care. All that is true if one gets the conditions right for growing and then leaves it alone. I find them so very sensitive to change. I have tried moving mine during a variety of months and it just does not work. They do so very much like poor and chalky soil as well as little water. Pruning them may help, but do not prune down into the woody stem. Cut well above that or the entire stem may die. Carolyn's final sentence may well prove to be a prediction that comes true. My experience has proven to be: the more you fiddle with lavender the more chance that they will go pear-shaped on you. My dealings with this plant has turned out more to be a learning curve of what NOT to do with them. Now, after all that negativity, let me end on an up-note: Lavender being what it is, it can always surprise you...so, fingers crossed that it will recover and give you guys many years of happiness and wonderful fragrance. Bonne chance.
I defer to the folks who have responded...they know their stuff!!! However............... That said, it looks like my plants look sometimes when they just aren't getting enough water! Because it's in a pot the soil will dry out so much faster than when it's in the ground. As it seems to be on its way out anyway, I'd drastically increase the amount of water you're giving it and the frequency of watering, and see if that makes any difference whatever. I don't see that it will harm the plant because the pot looks porous, so any excess won't sit and rot the roots, it will just leak out.
Lavender plants are not treated like most other plants,..they are drought tolerant,..once Lavender has being established in a garden one hardly ever has to water it,..the most common mistake people make with Lavender is over watering.
We have to water our lavender here in summer otherwise it wilts. They also need to be pruned or they get leggy. I have had success when I make rose and lavender cuttings in the same pot.
Not arguing. That said, I have a question. It would seem that if lavender is planted in a pot as opposed to directly in a garden bed, it would change the rules a bit about watering, wouldn't it? I very seldom water the plants in my garden, no matter how hot it gets and how little rain we get. But I have to water the potted plants, whether they're inside as houseplants, or outside as container gardens, two or three times a week in the summer.
Hi Ronni,..its not that simple,..people who have successfully grown Lavender can either grow it well in a container,..raised bed or in the garden,..however its the Lavender itself that one has to concentrate on,..Lavender does not like to be moved,..there are many plants like this,..the secret to growing Lavender is the soil its in,..Sharp Drainage,..full sun,..drought tolerant for a spell longer than most garden plants. One could be more successful growing Lavender in a container/raised bed,.. than in a garden as there would be dryer conditions and less chance of being waterlogged,..unless you lived in an area where there was good drainage,..this side of the pond we tend to grow either in containers or along side garden paths,..unless a prepared bed for Lavender is made. Most of my containers are big,..18 inches wide and 18 inches deep,..in the soil i have a Gel which soaks up water so if i am away for a spell the plant can fall back on the moisture within the Gel,..i also have used to this day Nappies in the container soil,..they work the same way,..another system i use which seems best of all is the container with a tray about 2 inches from the bottom,..it has a fine grill,..allows the plant to get water but not leave the roots standing in water,..it also has an overflow hole above the 2 inch tray so excess water can escape,..just keeping the 2 inches of water.
